AddressKennedy – At a Glance
Kennedy was founded in 1976 and has continued to redefine its carefully edited collection of fine jewellery and luxury men’s and women’s watches over four decades, to reflect a considered balance of heritage, elegance, and modern innovation. The business has grown from its original Sydney, Australia store to currently 9 stores nationally, with a commitment to providing a personalised in-store and after sales experience for its clients, offering impeccable service that is paired with exceptional product knowledge. Our vision is to be Australia’s finest destination for watches, jewellery, and accessories and leading purveyor of the world’s finest luxury.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Product Director, the Brand Specialist – Beauty & Accessories is responsible for strategic input and acquisition of new high end luxury brands and the rollout of existing brands into new locations. With an entrepreneurial mindset and a holistic understanding of the business, this role contributes to the overall strategic growth of the business. The Brand Specialist is a Kennedy Brand ambassador and has a dynamic understanding of the luxury market, brand buying and building relationships.
Key Responsibilities include but not limited to:
- Ensure that Kennedy is at the forefront of market trends and brands, through constant research across various platforms: competitor shops, industry events, social media, print media and travel.
- Networking and relationship building in the industry to strengthen Kennedy’s position to acquire and negotiate with brands.
- Collaborate with the Product Director and build on business strategies; propose and strategise appropriate brand acquisition recommendations, compiling and presenting compelling business cases. This includes recommending opening assortment plans and OTB levels to the Merchandise team.
- Monitoring brand performance and providing tailored recommendations based on the findings.
- Liaise and negotiate with new and existing brands on all aspects of roll out including terms of trade and range building, as well as collaborating with marketing on all advertising aspects of the deal.
- Maintain impeccable records pertaining to all brand relationships.
- Act as the conduit between the brand and internal stakeholders; preparing communication decks and presenting to teams.
- Assist with the provision of new and existing brand training materials to ensure internal head office and retail teams have the necessary information and resources to build strong product knowledge of each brand.
- Maintain an understanding of broader business strategies such as new store openings, architectural plans. and work closely with merchandise and retail to build commercial new brand strategies.
- Work closely with internal teams to foster a collaborative environment that enhances brand partnerships.
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
- Tertiary qualifications in Merchandising, Marketing or Business.
- At least 3 year’s experience in Buying and/or Merchandising extensive in a luxury retail environment.
- Strong computer literacy skills within a Microsoft Office environment.
- Understanding and experience with negotiations and fluency in commercial agreements.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously.
- Strong relationship building and communication skills across various channels, with a collaborative mindset.
- Excellent verbal and written interpersonal skills.
Key Attributes
- Highest standards of professionalism and presentation.
- Adaptable, resilient, and champion of change in a continually evolving business.
- Highly organised, with proven ability to work autonomously in a high volume, deadline driven environment and show strong initiative.
- Possess an entrepreneurial spirit and continuously innovates to achieve with a strategic mindset.
- A passion for luxury brands and an understanding of the luxury market dynamics.
