Who you are
You are a dynamic leader who inspires your team to optimize the shopping experience, ensuring satisfied customers and driving increased sales and profitability in the market. With extensive experience working as a Sales Manager or a Deputy Sales Manager preferably in IKEA, your in-depth knowledge of the IKEA product range, local market dynamics, competition, and customer preferences, you lead with confidence and insight. Your leadership style focuses on performance and delivery while fostering continuous learning and development of your team. You effectively utilize IKEA tools and leverage the expertise of your team and peers to support your goals. Your strategic approach always considers the omnichannel retail environment, particularly the IKEA store and website, to steer the business forward.
You will bring to the role:
A business-minded and result-driven approach, with a strong focus on customer satisfaction. Proven leadership skills and a passion for developing people, driving them to achieve outstanding results. Expertise in setting and implementing action plans and budgets, coupled with a solid track record of goal follow-up. A deep understanding of profit and loss, with the ability to influence departmental outcomes effectively. Commercial decision-making aptitude, informed by local market insights. Strong ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously and efficiently. Communication skills in English, with the ability to engage and inspire colleagues and stakeholders. The capability to effectively address and manage performance issues. Strong analytical skills, with a proven ability to understand the cause and effect of decisions.
Your previous experience and proven skills:
✔ Strong understanding of creating business opportunities in an omnichannel retail environment, particularly within IKEA. ✔ Proven leadership (Minimum 5 years) with a passion for developing people and talent, driving high commercial performance. ✔ Experience in securing a strong retail foundation and positive results in reviews (Concept Review, Retail Topic Reviews). ✔ Passion for people's everyday life at home and home furnishing, with a keen interest in home furnishing trends. ✔ Knowledge of the business plan process within the store, with analytical and numerical skills. ✔ Ability to build a quick understanding of the local market and competition, and its implications for the local market focus. ✔ Ability to set budgets, implement action plans, and follow up on goals. ✔ Capability to lead business through people by demonstrating strong leadership skills, including leading, managing, coaching, and mentoring. ✔ Ability to make things happen by championing flexibility, speed, and simplicity.
A day in your life with us
You will have a proven track record in the following areas:
• Successfully securing a consistent, seamless positive customer experience across all channels by ensuring your department continually fulfills the three IKEA customer motivators: "Is it worth it?", "Can I trust IKEA", and "Is there something for me?" • Ensuring shopkeepers have the right number of co-workers in the right place at the right time, facilitating smooth operations and readiness to serve and assist customers. • Leading the delivery of the commercial action plan for your store, incorporating team and matrix manager input to support country goals, maximize sales, and achieve sustained long-term profitability. • Effectively implementing country priorities and facilitating the sharing and adoption of successful solutions. • Ensuring shopkeepers understand and leverage the omnichannel retail environment and how it can best be worked with to serve different consumers when and how they want to shop in the most commercial way (efficient, inspiring, profitable) • Analysing store performance using IKEA research tools to enhance the mechanical sales system and streamline the buying process across all channels. • Identifying local market potential and collaborating with your team and other functions to ensure local relevance through various sales channels. • Diligently following up on financial goals, KPIs, and costs, taking proactive measures to address deviations. • Motivating and developing team members through clear goal setting, expectations, and regular follow-ups. • Building competent and high-performing teams and leaders who inspire and empower co-workers, recognizing and nurturing talent for succession planning. • Understanding IKEA sustainability goals and performance, actively contributing to sustainability efforts.
Together as a team
In our team we take pride in seeing everyone around us grow and develop, and we encourage people to experiment, test, try - and sometimes fail. As long as they learn along the way! We know that everything is changing more rapidly today and that we sometimes need to lead in the unknown. So we throw ourselves out there to explore new possibilities and ways of doing things to make both our people and our business prosper
Questions and support? Let's connect!
The role is full time (37,5h/week) and is located at IKEA Raisio, Turku. Starting in the role in July or by agreement.
Please attach an updated CV & motivation letter (in English) with your application and salary request latest on 6.4.2025, so we can get to know you better. First interviews will start at the end of April.
If you have job specific questions, please contact VAPS Market Manager Annie Chandler, annie.chandler2@ingka.ikea.com.
Warmly welcome with your application!
IKEA, more than a job ✨
World needs more people like you. So do we. Come to work with us just as you are. Working at IKEA is more than just a job – with us you are part of an equal and diverse working community. A sense of belonging is important to our employees, and team spirit is at the heart of what we do. IKEA offers a variety of career paths and opportunities to develop yourself in roles that are right for you. We give you the opportunity to bring your ideas to the table to help us develop our work, and to create new IKEA success!
We value all our employees equally and our pay is in line with the collective agreement for the retail sector. Your salary level will depend on your job role, your previous work experience and any relevant qualifications. In addition to your salary, you will also enjoy a wide range of comprehensive staff benefits, including flexible Smartum saldo, staff discounts on our products, healthy and delicious breakfast and lunch menus at very low prices in our staff restaurants, One IKEA Bonus, gifts on special days and at Christmas, and much more!
