Food Trading Manager Jobs in Dubai, UAE | Marks & Spencer | Retail Careers.

Job Purpose

The Food Trading Manager is responsible for maximizing food retail trading opportunities across the MENA region for Al-Futtaim Retail’s Food Business Unit. The role focuses on developing and implementing trading strategies, maintaining high merchandising standards, improving store performance, and delivering an exceptional customer experience across Marks & Spencer food stores.

The position works closely with regional leaders, store managers, retail teams, and support functions to deliver trading initiatives, transformation projects, and operational improvements. The Food Trading Manager also plays an important role in coaching retail teams and ensuring consistent execution of commercial and visual merchandising standards across stores.

Key Responsibilities

Trading Strategy and Retail Operations

• Develop and maintain a clear Food Retail Trading Calendar to establish a consistent trading rhythm across stores.
• Prepare and manage Trading Management Information (MI) and trading guidelines to support commercial decision-making.
• Establish clear trading standards and guidelines for food halls and ensure store teams understand and implement them effectively.
• Work with retail teams to maximize sales opportunities, improve store execution, and enhance customer experience.
• Lead the implementation of trading initiatives across multiple stores and markets in the MENA region.
• Monitor trading performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Manage multiple live projects with different timelines, priorities, and operational requirements.
• Resolve trading challenges and adjust implementation plans to achieve business objectives.

Retail Team Development and Coaching

• Coach and develop store and retail teams to achieve consistent, high-quality trading and merchandising standards.
• Support teams in delivering right-first-time implementation of trading initiatives.
• Identify trading issues and work with store teams to develop effective solutions.
• Guide Regional Managers and Store Managers through transformation projects from initial concept through implementation and post-project review.
• Build strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the Food Business Unit.
• Champion a customer-focused retail culture across food stores.

Visual Merchandising and Store Standards

• Ensure high visual merchandising standards across food retail stores.
• Support successful product launches and ensure products are presented effectively on the sales floor and in back-of-house areas.
• Monitor store execution against agreed visual merchandising and trading standards.
• Coach store teams on effective product presentation, merchandising, and retail execution.
• Ensure stores consistently deliver best-in-class food retail standards.

Project and Change Management

• Lead and coordinate retail transformation and trading projects across multiple locations.
• Manage project timelines, priorities, stakeholders, and implementation activities.
• Work with Regional and Store Managers to ensure successful adoption of new trading initiatives.
• Identify operational challenges and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to measure results and identify further improvement opportunities.
• Support continuous improvement and change management across the Food Business Unit.

Stakeholder Management

• Develop strong working relationships with senior stakeholders, store leadership, regional teams, and support functions.
• Communicate trading strategies, project requirements, and performance expectations clearly.
• Influence stakeholders and retail teams to achieve agreed commercial and operational objectives.
• Work collaboratively across functions to ensure effective execution of food retail initiatives.

Required Skills

• Strong leadership and team coaching capabilities.
• Advanced retail project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of food retail trading.
• Ability to analyze trading information and make commercially informed decisions.
• Strong visual merchandising and retail execution knowledge.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage change and deliver transformation initiatives.
• Strong customer-focused approach.
• Ability to work effectively across multiple stores, markets, and business functions.

Qualifications and Experience

• Proven leadership and store management experience within food retail or a similar retail environment.
• Experience working with leading food retailers is highly relevant.
• Strong experience in visual merchandising and coaching retail teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders professionally.
• Proven commercial acumen with the ability to make strategic decisions under pressure.
• Experience managing transformation projects, trading initiatives, or retail improvement programs.
• Experience working across multiple markets or regions is advantageous.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail is a major retail business operating across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The company partners with internationally recognized brands across sectors including food, fashion, home, and lifestyle.

Its portfolio includes Marks & Spencer, IKEA, ACE, Toys R Us, and brands from the Inditex Group, alongside other international retail partnerships. Al-Futtaim Retail is also a major partner of Marks & Spencer across the Middle East and Asia, operating stores offering both fashion and food.

The business continues to expand its portfolio through new brand launches and retail development while focusing on an agile, diverse, and customer-focused workforce.

Job Location

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Job Category

Food Retail | Trading Manager | Retail Management | Merchandising | Marks & Spencer