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15 Jan 2016

Full-Time Managing Director

Mata Traders – Posted by JonitBookheim Chicago, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Mata Traders is a design-driven, fair trade fashion brand helping to end global poverty. Our mission is to “fashion a better world” by creating designs that celebrate a woman’s originality and empower her to use her dollar for change. Made by artisans in India and Nepal, our uncommonly vibrant line is now sold in 50 states and 12 countries, and provides a stable source of income for families in some of the world’s poorest communities.

After 10 years of continuous growth and profitability, Mata seeks to hire a managing director with previous wholesale or apparel experience to bring additional rigor and industry best practices to the leadership of the business. While Mata has succeeded to date through organic growth and a co-management approach, the four owners recognize that the business is at the right stage to bring in the leadership of a single executive with outside expertise to accelerate growth. In addition to general leadership, the Managing Director will have primary responsibility for merchandising.

Qualifications:
• At least five years experience in apparel/accessories or related industry (either wholesale or retail), ideally in a buyer or merchant role
• Management/supervisory experience required, with proven professional experience in leading teams to successfully reach goals
• Degree in business, finance, marketing or related field; bachelor’s required, MBA preferred
• Prior success in managing product pricing, margins, markdowns, collection assortment and purchase quantities, to deliver on revenue and margin goals
• Proficiency in Excel, including data analysis and financial modeling
• Personal and professional international experience in developing countries preferred
• Interest in and strong support of Mata Traders’ mission and goals
• Highly personable, and comfortable in leading, coaching and developing a staff of young and committed employees

Job Overview:
The Managing Director will provide strategic vision and leadership to Mata Traders, including overseeing the decision-making process within the organization and planning for organizational growth. She or he will ensure that teams meet their deadlines and deliverables (sales, profitability, expenses). With direct responsibility for merchandising, the managing director will also have final signoff on wholesale and retail product pricing, margins and markdowns, and collection assortment and product quantities for purchase orders. The managing director will also manage the HR and performance review process, and will have ultimate responsibility for any HR issues that may arise.

The Creative Director, Director of Sales and Sustainable Development, Director of Operations, and Director of Finance will report directly to the Managing Director. (The director roles reflect a reorganization of responsibilities effective Feb 15, 2016.)

Duties:
Leadership/General Management- 50%
• Develop and direct the implementation of strategic business and/or operational plans, projects, programs, budgets and systems
• Ensure that all functions hit their deadlines in the company calendar to produce, market, and deliver collections on time
• Ensure communication and implementation across functions
• Provide guidance and direction to design, marketing, sales, operations and finance to improve the long-term success of the business
• Guide Mata’s management team to achieve maximum efficiency
• Take ultimate responsibility to ensure that the organization is meeting net income targets; guide management in developing plans to identify and address gaps in performance
• Identify opportunities for process improvement across all functions of the organization; guide management in evaluating options for addressing gaps, and the cost vs payoff and timing of those changes

Merchandising- 40%
• Work closely with the Directors of Creative and Finance to plan collections to meet sales and profitability targets
• Analyze past history provided by the Director of Finance to determine ideal assortments and pricing for collections
• Develop and implement markdown strategy to move end-of-season merchandise while protecting margin
• Own retail sales and GM of matatraders.com by determining proper merchandising (assortment), pricing, promotion and markdowns

HR- 10%
• Lead Mata’s annual review process, developing and implementing review and feedback tools as needed to identify and reward excellent performance, and identify and address areas for improvement
• Lead Mata’s annual salary review process in conjunction with performance reviews
• Lead management in developing staffing plans for the organization
• Serve as the primary contact in the organization for any HR issues or complaints that arise among staff

How to Apply

To Apply: Please submit a resume (cover letter optional) to Jonit Bookheim, Communications Director, at [email protected]. No phone calls please.

Job Categories: Social Entrepreneurship. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: ethical fashion, fair trade, fashion, small business, women's cooperatives, and women's empowerment.

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