General Manager - Furniture

Harvey Norman is a high-profile, leading-edge retail brand with over 300 stores worldwide selling furniture, bedding, appliances, and technology from the leading brands in the World. We are now expanding our business in the UK. We already have two stores in Belfast and are opening our first store in the West Midlands in October, with more to follow. We are growing and have plenty of opportunities for talented people. If you think you have what it takes to thrive in a dynamic retail environment, we want to hear from you.

The General Manager is a member of the Executive Management Committee (EMC) of Harvey Norman UK. The Executive Management Committee report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Harvey Norman UK & NI and the board of Harvey Norman Holdings Limited - a publicly quoted company in Australia.

The management responsibilities of the General Manager are as follows:

• To ensure the Furniture Division strategy is aligned to the overall company strategy and is directly linked to the Harvey Norman Intellectual Property (IP) Model.
• To ensure all operational objectives are achieved.
• To achieve agreed financial performance goals with extreme ownership of the furniture retail divisions within UK & NI, including full responsibility for the furniture retail division P&L.
• Adequately resource the division with the requisite skills and infrastructure in place to achieve the strategic plan.
• To build a sustainable and viable model for Harvey Norman in the long term within UK & NI
• Effectively manage risk of all divisional activities.

Key areas of responsibility are as follows:

Supplier Negotiations

• To identify and manage the correct range of products to achieve growth in the UK & NI.
• To manage the negotiations with new and existing suppliers and to enter into partnership agreements with preferred suppliers.
• Focus on building long term relationships with locally based companies. Look to expand the base of UK & NI suppliers. Provide support and expertise to our partners wherever possible.
• To manage the negotiations of Harvey Norman’s Trading Terms and Rebate Structures with new and existing suppliers. Also negotiate special and exclusive offers.
• Ensure compliance with local accounting and legal requirements.
• To manage the seamless integration of Harvey Norman’s systems into the Supplier’s back-office systems to provide online ordering, inventory reporting and sales reporting.

Financial Management

• Full P&L responsibility for the Harvey Norman’s furniture retail divisions in UK & NI.
• Responsibility for setting the overall budget for the furniture retail division and implementing a store-by-store budgeting and forecasting process.
• Reporting on key metrics for the retail division on monthly basis to the Executive Management Committee.
• To review and manage the reporting process for the retail division. The main areas of focus are sales, margin, and operating expenses.
• Manage the inventory requirements across all furniture retail divisions. Set stock holding targets and reorder levels by store and manage aged stock levels with the relevant support teams.

Marketing

• To develop innovative marketing campaigns to help establish and grow Harvey Norman as a brand in the UK & NI.
• To develop and manage the branding of the Furniture Division in the UK & NI to further develop the uniform presence of the Harvey Norman brand in accordance with our worldwide brand, and to implement best practice from other countries. Branding and marketing campaign concept management and execution to be consistent with Harvey Norman worldwide methodology.
• To manage all aspects of the advertising and promotional plans through traditional and digital media.
• Review the effectiveness of all marketing campaigns and promotions and provide feedback to the EMC. Responsible for the implementation of any changes required as a result of review.

Business Development

• Further development of the business expansion strategy for Harvey Norman in the UK& NI ensuring that this strategy is in line with the overall Harvey Norman IP strategy.
• Assess all opportunities to grow the Harvey Norman brand in the UK & NI.
• To work as part of a team to manage the identification and development of new sites to meet the requirements of the Harvey Norman business expansion plan.
• Working with the EMC to complete a detailed financial and operational assessment of all expansion proposals. Produce reports and present findings to the board of Harvey Norman Holdings Limited.

Human Resources

• To manage the recruitment and training of staff throughout Harvey Norman UK & NI ensuring that that the core vision and values of Harvey Norman are adopted by all staff members.
• To put in place a robust succession planning process to ensure that all management and staff are recruited from the local labour market. This is in line with the stated strategy of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
• To manage, review and implement the resource plans for all furniture retail divisions. Ensure the required training programs are implemented in line with these plans.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE -

• 5+ years’ experience in a similar role and industry.
• Experience with problem solving, root cause analysis, managing investigations and corrective and preventative actions.
• Proven success in previous roles.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Car owner with a full clean driver’s license.
• Ability to work on own initiative and to meet strict deadlines.
• Must be commercially focused and highly organised.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent MS Office Suite skills.

WHY PEOPLE JOIN US -

• We’re dynamic and growing!
• Fun, high energy work environment.
• Culture of developing and promoting from within the company.
• Our entrepreneurial spirit.
• Generous staff discount.

Additional Information

This is a permanent contract subject to a six-month probationary period.