Company Description The A&F Co. Middle East Franchise Buyer will work as part of our EMEA team to grow the Middle East franchise business through the development of a localized product strategy for the A&F family of brands. This role will drive regional assortment architecture and product selection, partnering closely with the Buying and Planning teams at our franchise partner Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) in Dubai, our EMEA Buying and Planning teams in London, as well as the Global Home Office to ensure our global brand is regionally relevant. Though the role will be primarily focused on our omnichannel business in KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, the Middle East Buyer is expected to partner closely with our direct team in UAE and Kuwait to build product synergies across the Middle East region. Success in this role will be highly dependent upon building and maintaining exceptional relationships with internal and external teams across regions and thus requires regular travel to Columbus, Ohio, USA and London, UK for key business milestones.This role is based in Dubai, UAE and reports to the Managing Director of Middle East.What Will You Be Doing?

• Drive Middle East franchise business growth by partnering with Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) to create and execute a regional product assortment architecture for the A&F brands including:

• Influence product selection, plans, and allocation
• Leverage market knowledge to distort product assortment set cadence, breadth, and depth to local consumer preference and align with competitive landscape
• Ensure assortments are consistent with global brand strategy and identity
• Be the expert in current selling and historical selling knowledge for the region, translating in-season analyses to decisions and actions to maximize sales and margin
• Leverage financial and strategic capabilities by influencing promotions, pricing, visual merchandising, and inventory flow
• Intimately understand regional shopping behavior, brand perceptions, and product preferences and interests by regularly patterning the market and visiting our stores
• Execute against key milestones and seasonal processes, including:
• Detailed seasonal hindsight and strategic line review process at the department and style level to inform future strategy and identify line list needs
• Present weekly selling updates as part of a regular Monday Business Review process, evaluating performance and identifying strengths, opportunities and recommended actions
• Travel to A&F's Global Home Office in Columbus, Ohio to make seasonal assortment decisions in Assortment Reviews quarterly, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys
• Leverage monthly Chase, Buy, Cut Reviews to fine-tune assortments virtually and respond to trend
• Participate in monthly MPC meetings to reconcile current performance with future merchandise plans, identifying upside and downside strategies

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Bachelor's or undergraduate University degree equivalent
• 4+ years of Merchandising or Buying experience, preferably in apparel
• Proven leadership experience and ability to thrive in team-based settings
• Passion for the merchant role, fashion retail, customer research, and the A&F brand
• Desire to take ownership for a portion of a multi-billion-dollar business
• An acute eye for product and trend
• A deep understanding of sales analysis and financial metrics that relate to your business
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate confidently to leadership
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed by the department
• A high comfort-level with analytical sales tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
• A collaborative approach to working with cross-functional partners to achieve the vision of the brand

Our CompanyAbercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global retailer of iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. At A&F Co., we're here for our associates, customers and communities on the journey to being and becoming who they are - and because no journey is the same, we strive to create an inclusive culture, where everyone is free to share ideas.Our ValuesWe lead with purpose and always put our people first, which is evidenced by our Great Place to Work Certification, as well as being a 2021 recipient of Fortune's Best Workplaces in Retail, and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for 16 consecutive years. We're proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.What You\'ll GetAs an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you\'ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F is committed to providing simple, competitive, and comprehensive benefits that align with our Company's culture and values, but most importantly - with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:

• Incentive bonus program
• Annual companywide review process
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Associate assistance program
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
• Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
• Paid Caregiver Leave
• Mobile Stipend
• Paid time off & one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
• Merchandise discount on all of our brands
• Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
• Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
• Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!

Additional InformationABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Abercrombie & Fitch