Business Navigation and Operations Manager

Job description

Navigate the growth and secure sustained profitability of IKEA, in line with and building on the IKEA Direction, Strategies and customer demand.

• Provide accurate, relevant and user-friendly business information for effective decision-making;
• Analyze business information and identifying business opportunities;
• Be an active business partner and contribute to business development initiatives;
• Establish follow-up mechanisms for projects;
• Work with other functions to assure the alignment of business information;
• Secure the business steering process works well in the store and that the store management is working towards agreed upon goals;
• Lead and develop leaders and teams in the areas of responsibility of the BNO function. Identify and develop talents and secure succession planning;
• Lead the store Business Plan process together with the store manager and management team and proactively working with local market data to understand people’s life at home and our customers experience in our different touch points to provide relevant insight;
• Drive and coordinate the financial business planning process and secure that the financial dimensions are aligned with the store challenges and priorities while involving and creating commitment among stakeholders when setting goals;
• Together with the commercial team identify commercial opportunities and promote the use of business case thinking when evaluating and acting on these;
• Provide a safe and secure environment for our customers, suppliers and co-workers. Secure implementation of relevant rules and guidelines in the areas of risk and compliance;
• Supporting the management team to create Actions Plans for their areas of responsibility. These are based on the store business plan, agreed goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Take responsibility to summarize and communicate our Financial Goals (including P&L) to ensure that they are agreed, communicated and clearly understood by everyone.
• Proactively working to develop the Scenario Plans based on how we will take fast action if the performance is better or worse than planned. You ensure these scenarios are well documented, realistic and communicated.
• Driving the follow-up process to ensure we focus on delivering the business plan. You support your colleagues to achieve their goals.
• Responsible for co-coordinating and agreeing updated forecasts throughout the year. You ensure the Business navigation team at Service Office is up-dated.
• Responsible for securing that the costs are in line with goals and to highlight deviations and potentials, in order that we can take action to achieve our goals.
• Encourage your team and colleagues to discover even more effective and cost conscious ways of working to make us quicker, leaner and simpler, and through this lower our cost structure.
• Negotiate cost effective contracts with external service providers under your direct responsibility and support your colleagues to do the same, always using the tools and competence provided by Indirect Material & Services (IMS). When you do this you always consider the sustainability aspect and the environmental impact.
• Work with your colleagues to analyze benefits, costs and investments and develop business cases. You do this to ensure that we invest in projects that give a good return on investment, exceeding our customers’ expectations, whilst securing our long-term profitability.
• Communicate relevant business information and goals to managers and co-workers, in a way which engages and inspires them to create meaningful actions to achieve our agreed goals.

Qualification

Knowledge

• Interest in people’s everyday life at home and in home furnishing
• Experience of working in a customer-focused service industry
• Experience of setting and implementing long-term strategic plans, setting budgets and following up goals
• Ability to prioritise and organise work and make the most efficient use of time available
• Understand profit and loss and how to affect its result through departmental actions
• Ability to set expectations and provide clear direction
• Experience of using knowledge of customer behaviour to develop business plans

Motivation

• Responsible for implementing, and maintaining compliance and audit programs, policies, and procedures that promote a corporate culture that fosters ethical and compliant behavior and provides the basis for ensuring adequate internal controls and compliance with all laws and regulatory requirements

Capabilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Highly-analytical with strong attention to detail
• Interested in home furnishing, people’s life at home and the IKEA product range
• A passion for developing people and talent
• Driven to exceed goals through people
• A passion for sales & operations and working in a fast-paced and constantly changing retail environment

Ideal experience & education (for external and internal employment)

• BSc or MSc in Finance or Business Controlling
• Previous experience in a Business Controlling/commercial role with proven strong analytical and numerical skills
• A thorough understanding of the profit and loss and key performance measurements that we use to plan, follow up and steer the business
• Proven record of consistently meeting agreed budgets and goals, and working on plans over a number of years. Setting and implementing action goals and providing clear direction and following up goals
• Ability to develop knowledge of the national and global market and business conditions, and take commercial decisions based on this information
• Ability to communicate confidently and clearly in English, both verbally and in writing
• Experience of working in a fast-paced retail environment
• Experience and interest in retailing and/or home furnishing
• Experience of leading and managing a team preferably gained in retailing and/or sales
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (especially Excel)
• Experience of adapting to different styles of working to get the best out of all the team (situational leadership)