Country Buying Specialist

Role Overview

The Country Buying Specialist leads the local buying team, ensuring smooth coordination of commercial activities and serving as the vital link between the country operations and the Central Buying department. This role ensures compliance with buying processes, enforces central guidelines, and facilitates consistent delivery of market intelligence, effectively bridging local execution with overall commercial strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate all activities of the country buying team.
• Ensure strict adherence to Open-To-Buy (OTB), the buying calendar, and assortment standards.
• Serve as the primary escalation contact for Country Buyers and Junior Buyers.
• Review assortment proposals before they are submitted to Central Buying.
• Represent the local team during central commercial reviews and governance meetings.
• Lead performance reviews of the local Profit & Loss (P&L) and communicate insights and action plans to the Country Buying Manager.
• Track and report on sell-through rates, stock levels, and margin performance regularly.
• Suggest and manage pricing and promotional initiatives within central guidelines.
• Proactively identify and escalate significant commercial risks to Central Buying.
• Ensure all local purchasing conforms to central policies concerning product range, pricing, and branding.
• Manage approval processes for any local exceptions through appropriate central governance.
• Act as the country’s commercial delegate in multi-market alignment forums.
• Translate updates in central strategy into actionable plans for the local team.
• Lead and mentor Country Buyers and Assistant Country Buyers, setting objectives and fostering development.
• Promote commercial discipline, brand standards, and high-quality market intelligence within the team.
• Encourage a culture of synergy between central brand alignment and local commercial efforts.
• Oversee vendor management practices and maintain high standards locally.
• Provide consolidated market intelligence reports to Central Buying on a regular basis.
• Identify strategic partnerships with local vendors and prepare proposals for central approval.
• Uphold the company’s commercial reputation and standards among local vendors.

Performance Metrics

• Country team revenue targets.
• Compliance rates with central guidelines.
• Team performance relative to buying goals.
• Vendor performance in the local market.
• Contributions to market intelligence.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum of 5 to 8 years’ experience in buying roles, including leadership or coordination of a local buying team.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail, or a related discipline.
• Strong team leadership capabilities and awareness of local P&L.
• Well-versed in maintaining alignment between central commercial objectives and local execution.
• Proven expertise in market intelligence gathering and vendor management.
• Commercially savvy, culturally sensitive, highly organized, and credible with central stakeholders.

Company Background

Mubkhar started in Kuwait in 2015 with a vision that scent embodies identity, memory, and meaning. Initially an online business, it opened its first physical store in 2017, becoming a retail destination. Expanding regionally, Mubkhar entered Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain by 2020. After joining Floward in 2022, the brand launched in the United Arab Emirates and in 2025 expanded its offering to a full personal care line. Mubkhar has evolved into a comprehensive fragrance lifestyle brand dedicated to quality, cultural depth, and a unique sensory experience. Its unique features include the region's first design-your-own perfume experience, French manufacturing, and carefully curated ingredients—all reflecting its commitment to intentional, refined, and emotionally meaningful products.