General Manager

Elite Corporate Solutions Private Limited · India

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: General Manager – Footwear / Business Head – Footwear

Department: Business / Operations

Industry: Footwear / Fashion / Retail

Location: Bahadurgarh

Reports To: Director / Managing Director

Experience: 15+ Years

Education: Graduate / MBA Preferred

1. POSITION OVERVIEW

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven General Manager – Footwear / Business Head – Footwear to take overall responsibility for the company’s footwear business.

The role will be responsible for business strategy, P&L, sales, retail operations, merchandising, inventory, distribution, manufacturing coordination, team leadership, and business growth .

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in the footwear, fashion, lifestyle, or retail industry , with the ability to manage multiple functions and drive business performance from strategy through execution.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Overall Business Management

• Take overall responsibility for the company’s footwear business and day-to-day operations.
• Develop and execute business strategies to achieve revenue growth and profitability.
• Work closely with the Directors / Management on business planning and strategic decisions.
• Monitor overall business performance and ensure achievement of business objectives.
• Identify new business opportunities, markets, channels, and expansion opportunities.
• Establish clear business priorities, targets, and performance measures.

B. P&L and Financial Management

• Take complete ownership of the business P&L.
• Monitor revenue, gross margins, operating costs, EBITDA, and profitability.
• Develop strategies to improve margins and overall business efficiency.
• Review MIS, sales reports, inventory performance, and financial KPIs.
• Control operating expenses and identify opportunities for cost optimization.
• Ensure business decisions are aligned with financial objectives.

C. Sales & Retail Operations

• Lead sales across Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), Multi-Brand Outlets (MBOs), distributors, wholesale, e-commerce, and other relevant channels .
• Drive sales growth, store productivity, conversion, and customer experience.
• Monitor store-wise, region-wise, and channel-wise performance.
• Develop strategies for new store openings and retail expansion.
• Ensure implementation of company SOPs, operating standards, and service standards.
• Drive achievement of sales targets and improve sales team productivity.

D. Footwear Merchandising & Product Management

• Oversee footwear merchandising, product planning, assortment, pricing, and product lifecycle.
• Analyze market trends, customer preferences, competition, pricing, and product positioning.
• Coordinate with merchandising, design, sourcing, production, and sales teams.
• Ensure the right product mix and assortment across different sales channels.
• Review product performance and recommend additions, modifications, or discontinuation based on market and sales data.
• Ensure timely product launches and seasonal range planning.

E. Inventory & Supply Chain Management

• Oversee inventory planning, stock replenishment, ageing, and product availability.
• Monitor stock movement and minimize slow-moving, excess, and obsolete inventory.
• Coordinate with procurement, production, warehouse, and distribution teams.
• Ensure timely availability and movement of products across stores and sales channels.
• Improve inventory turnover and optimize working capital.
• Establish effective stock allocation and replenishment systems.

F. Manufacturing & Quality Coordination

• Coordinate with manufacturing and production teams to ensure quality, cost efficiency, and timely delivery.
• Monitor production planning and operational requirements.
• Ensure implementation of quality systems, SOPs, and process standards.
• Coordinate with QA/QC teams to maintain product quality.
• Review and resolve customer/product quality issues.
• Work with production and sourcing teams to improve product quality, cost, and delivery timelines.

G. Distribution & Business Development

• Develop and strengthen MBO, wholesale, distributor, export, e-commerce, and other business channels .
• Identify new markets, territories, customers, and business opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, channel partners, distributors, and vendors.
• Develop go-to-market strategies for new products, markets, and channels.
• Drive business expansion and improve channel productivity.
• Evaluate potential partnerships and new routes to market.

H. Team Leadership & People Management

• Lead cross-functional teams across sales, retail, merchandising, operations, supply chain, and support functions.
• Define departmental KPIs, targets, and performance standards.
• Monitor individual and team performance.
• Coach, mentor, and develop managers and team members.
• Ensure effective manpower planning and deployment.
• Build a performance-oriented and accountable organizational culture.

I. Operations & Process Improvement

• Improve business processes, operational efficiency, and productivity.
• Develop, implement, and monitor SOPs across business functions.
• Use MIS, analytics, and performance data for informed decision-making.
• Identify operational gaps and implement corrective actions.
• Improve coordination between business functions.
• Drive continuous improvement in cost, productivity, service levels, and operational efficiency.

J. Brand & Customer Experience

• Maintain brand standards across stores and all customer touchpoints.
• Work closely with marketing, visual merchandising, e-commerce, and PR teams.
• Improve customer experience and brand presentation.
• Ensure consistent brand positioning across offline and online channels.
• Support brand-building and expansion initiatives.
• Monitor customer feedback and implement improvements where required.

3. CANDIDATE PROFILE

Educational Qualification

• Graduate in any discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Business Management, Marketing, Retail, Operations, or a related field will be preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 15+ years of relevant experience in footwear, fashion, retail, manufacturing, lifestyle, consumer products, or related industries.
• Strong experience in business leadership, retail operations, sales, and P&L management.
• Experience managing multiple retail formats and sales channels.
• Strong understanding of footwear merchandising, inventory, distribution, and customer experience.
• Experience in manufacturing, sourcing, quality, supply chain, or production coordination will be an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Business Leadership & Strategic Thinking
• P&L and Commercial Management
• Sales & Retail Management
• Footwear Merchandising
• Inventory & Supply Chain Management
• Channel & Distribution Management
• Business Development
• Team Leadership & People Management
• Negotiation & Vendor Management
• Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Making
• Problem Solving
• Process Improvement
• Customer & Brand Orientation
• Strong Communication and Stakeholder Management

4. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

The position will be evaluated on the following key performance parameters:

• Overall revenue and business growth
• P&L and profitability
• Gross margin improvement
• Retail and channel sales
• Store productivity
• Same-store sales growth
• Inventory turnover
• Inventory ageing and liquidation
• Product availability
• New market and channel expansion
• Customer experience
• Team productivity
• Operational efficiency
• Product quality
• Business process improvement
• Working capital efficiency

5. PREFERRED INDUSTRY BACKGROUND

Candidates from the following industries will be preferred:

• Footwear Manufacturing
• Footwear Retail
• Fashion Retail
• Lifestyle
• Consumer Products
• Premium / Luxury Retail
• Apparel & Accessories
• Branded Consumer Goods

6. REPORTING STRUCTURE

Reports To: Director / Managing Director

Position: General Manager – Footwear / Business Head – Footwear

Functional Scope:

Business Strategy | P&L | Sales | Retail | Merchandising | Inventory | Supply Chain | Distribution | Manufacturing Coordination | Business Development | Team Management | Brand & Customer Experience

7. ROLE OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the General Manager – Footwear / Business Head – Footwear is to lead the overall footwear business with end-to-end accountability for growth, revenue, profitability, operational excellence, customer experience, and organizational capability , while building sustainable business performance across retail, wholesale, distribution, e-commerce, and other strategic channels.