Reporting to the Hermès Perfume & Beauty Middle East, India and Africa Managing Director and working closely with the Headquarters Operations teams based in France, your role as Business & Operations Manager Middle East, India and Africa is to oversee all key aspects of Operations for the regional business. You will actively contribute to the construction and deployment of the regional operational strategy by monitoring forecasts, product availability management, business tracking and budget preparation.

This is a permanent contract, the position is based in Dubai in our Middle East, India and Africa Regional office.

As a true Business Partner, you will evolve within a dynamic and growing area, comprising more than 52 local markets, 23 agents and 26 Travel Retail operators.

You will have daily interactions with the Middle East, India and Africa Regional and COP (UAE, Qatar and Kuwait Business Unit) operational teams: Commercial, Retail, Marketing, Finance, Training...

As well as with all the different Central Operations/Supply Chain departments based in France: Operations, Planning, Client Services, Information systems

Core Responsibilities:

1. Operations

• Lead forecast process in conjunction with the Commercial Team:
  • Build accurate forecasts for new product launches, promotional and one-shot items for the full scope through:
    • Preparation of the forecast files
    • Challenge of the market forecasts
    • Consolidation and final review / recommendation with MD
    • Submission to HQ
  • Follow up of actual orders versus forecasts for both saleable and POSM items
• Ensure "convergence"/consistency with HQ:
  • Ensure preparation and data accuracy during meetings with HQ teams
  • Prepare and maintain H-Track file at all times with bi-yearly update
  • Share MEIA Demand by Line / Olfaction for our best estimate plan and budget
  • Track on quantity gaps between HQ forecasts and our best estimate and adjust
  • Defend MEIA needs with all HQ counterparts
• Follow up Market Demand on Catalogue items and in DSCP tool
• Ensure good communication between HQ and Local Team
• Share the right signals on key references (Saleable and POSM) to the supply department in France to limit risks of out of stock
• Create and update FMF file on a regular basis
• Convey key products information to ensure optimum level of sales and avoid disruptions:
  • Centralize, summarize and provide information to customers and sales force (update on products, update on availability dates, change in formula of a product, unexpected out of stock.)
• Assist Commercial team with daily support on quota management, availability dates, stock transfers
• Lead, in conjunction with the MEIA Finance team, monthly Pack-H meetings with each sales team to highlight key business data and points of concern
• Ensure accurate new launch follow up through:
  • Checking that all novelties are well ordered by each client in accordance with the forecasts calendar
  • Flagging under and over consumption and challenge the team
  • Communicating all cancelled/delayed SKUs and other changes
  • Monitoring the monthly postponement process if needed in DCSP or release of forecasts

2. Budget preparation

• Build Turnover by line and POSM by client budget (budget of the year and B+2 = twice a year), making sure it is aligned with the turnover by region
• Make sure budget preparation files are easily consolidated with finance files

3. Ad hoc projects

• Elevate existing Power BI dashboards to track and follow up Forecasts and POSM consumption and propose new dashboards
• Drive process improvements and operations efficiency in order to support business evolution (growth of business, new tools, new projects) with a focus on higher consistency with finance team files for streamlined consolidation

Education and Experience required:

• Proven minimum 5-year work experience in both finance and operations field is a must

Knowledge / Skills:

• Strong analytical, and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with all teams and areas of the business
• Excellent organizational and multitasking skills. Lots of rigor.
• Computer tools (Excel & Powerpoint are a must have / VBA is a plus / Power BI is highly recommended)
• Solution-oriented and strong attention to details
• Entrepreneurial, driven and deadline-oriented
• Accountable and reliable
• Fluency in English, French is a plus

"Créateur, artisan et marchand d'objets de haute qualité, Hermès est, depuis 1837, une maison française, familiale et indépendante qui emploie près de 23 200 collaborateurs dans le monde. Animé par un esprit d'entreprendre continu et une exigence constante, Hermès cultive la liberté et l'autonomie de chacun grâce à un management responsable. L'entreprise perpétue la transmission de savoir-faire d'exception par un ancrage territorial fort dans le respect des hommes et de la nature - source de matières d'exception. Seize métiers artisanaux irriguent la créativité de la maison dont les collections rayonnent dans près 300 magasins dans le monde."