Head of Buying EMEI

Overview and purpose of role:

The Head of Buying EMEI will be responsible for defining and steering the buying strategy for the Europe, Middle East and India (EMEI) region for the Women's, Men's, Children's and Leather goods categories, representing over 50 points of sale as well as e-commerce platforms. Through his or her team, he or she will oversee product selection and maximise product performance, while contributing to the launch of new projects and strategic developments in the region.

This person, who is passionate about the world of fashion, will be tasked with identifying trends and customer expectations in his or her geographical area in order to propose assortments that will optimise shop performance.

1/ Key Responsibilities of the role:

- To analyse the performance of previous seasons with the support of the Merchandising & Buying Manager of Women's, Children's and Leather Goods Purchasing and a Merchandising & Buying Manager in charge of Men's Purchasing to prepare the analysis of purchases and the grouping of shops.

- Develop and execute the buying strategy for the collections, considering the specificities of each market within EMEI.

- Work with global teams to ensure consistency between global strategy and regional needs.

- Closely monitor fashion trends and customer expectations to adjust the product mix accordingly.

- Select products for seasonal collections based on analysis of past performance and sales forecasts.

- Optimising product ranges, considering shop profiles and regional characteristics.

- Defining replenishment and model stock requirements to ensure optimum product availability.

- Analyse sales and product performance on an ongoing basis to adjust purchasing and assortment strategies.

- Making recommendations to maximise sell-through and achieve financial targets.

- Working closely with the Planning and Merchandising Manager to ensure that buying and merchandising are harmonised.

- Coordinate with retail teams to understand shop needs and optimise product offering accordingly.

- Make regular visits to shops to understand local dynamics and strengthen relationships with Store Managers and Retail Operations.

- Conduct regular competitive intelligence to identify new trends and adjust strategy accordingly.

2/ Management and Leadership:

- Coaching and developing team members by actively identifying their training needs and implementing personalised development plans.

- Provide regular, constructive and direct feedback, with the aim of maximising individual and team performance.

- Coaching and developing team members by actively identifying their training needs and implementing personalised development plans.

- Provide regular, constructive and direct feedback, with the aim of maximising individual and team performance.

Skills and Requirements

In order to deliver the main responsibilities of the role, you will need the following skills:

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate school degree / BAC+5 / Master

• 8 years’ experience in Merchandising and Buying in fashion

• Previous experience in a management role, with proven ability to lead and develop a team.

• Knowledge of and passion for the footwear and accessories market

• Previous experience in management mandatory

• Fluent French and English mandatory. Other languages are appreciated.

Required Soft skills to be successful:

Savoir-faire

Ability to work in a complex, fast-paced environment.

Excellent attention to detail.

Ability to show initiative with a hands-on approach and to prioritise.

Adaptability and flexibility, with an ability to adjust quickly to business needs.

Effective time management skills, with punctuality and reliability to meet deadlines.

Strong communication skills, able to explain findings clearly and ask relevant questions.

Savoir-être

Passion for the brand, with a keen sense of fashion.

Motivation and commitment, with a positive attitude and ability to maintain high energy levels.

Ability to work effectively as part of a team and be proactive, dynamic and willing to learn and develop.

Open-mindedness to diversity, with respect for working with different people and serving different types of customer without prejudice.

Passion for developing one's own career, with an awareness of areas for improvement.

Ability to inspire the team, with confidence, creativity and freedom of approach.

Team spirit, able to collaborate with positivity, openness and fun.

Authenticity, integrity and respect in all professional interactions.

How will success be measured?

• You will be set bi-annual targets on sell thru, sales… in your area, which you are required to achieve.

• On a yearly basis with a bi-annual follow-up, you will have a performance review with targets to still improve your performance based on:

o The core company values and behaviors, which are expected to be always demonstrated.

o Teamwork: you are expected to always deliver as part of a team and supporting and mentoring if necessary new team members as required.

o You are expected to respect Company processes, procedures and values.

• Your manager will be expected to provide you with ongoing appropriate feedback to support your improvement where necessary and appropriate as required.

Our business and our Values:

Christian Louboutin opened his first boutique in Paris in 1992. An artist and craftsman with a true passion for shoes, his designs are unique and instantly recognizable, thanks in part to their signature and now trademarked red lacquered soles. The collections for both men and women combine wit, glamour, elegance and technical proficiency like no other. 2014 welcomed the launched of Christian Louboutin Beaute with its first nail color, Rouge Louboutin. The collection has continued to diversify since then with the launch of lip in 2015, fragrance in 2016 and more recently a wonderful eye collection in 2017. With an extensive range of collections, Christian Louboutin now counts more than 160 boutiques globally.

Our people are at the heart of our brand.

We celebrate individuality and allow the freedom to have responsibility, autonomy and creativity within your role. Our colleagues have in common the passion and dedication to our Brand, and its continued success.

We live by our values:

We are down to earth – we stand with authenticity, integrity and respect. We have passion – we drive our business with agility, commitment and care. We have happiness in all that we do – we collaborate with positivity, open-mindedness and fun. We work with inspiration – we envision the future with confidence, creativity and freedom.

If the shoe fits, walk with us…

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Maison Christian Louboutin is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to recruitment practices that do not discriminate against any job applicant because of their race, color, gender, age, nationality, culture(s), religion, sex, physical or mental disability, or age. We believe that a culture of diversity and individuality fosters our core values we listed above. So, if you also share this mindset and these values and you dream of coloring your soles red as part of the Louboutin adventure, please join us

After receiving your application and if selected, our recruiters will ask you to do a pre-recorded video interview.

Please note that if you don’t hear from us within 3 weeks after having submitted your application, you should consider your profile has not been selected.