Franchise Account Manager - EMEA at AbercrombieAndFitchCo

Job Description Driving our Franchise business in the Middle East a well as connecting us to potential partners as we expand across EMEA.  This role will focus on onboarding new partnerships, establishing operational excellence, and driving process evolution to ensure sustainable growth potential in this channel.  This individual will focus on bringing key internal functional teams, in London and at the Global home office and 3rd party partners to align priorities and growth strategies. They will work to provide the framework for our partners to be successful in representing our Brands within their Territory and drive execution of all identified strategies. Our goal is a seamless Brand representation that reaches our customer and drives growth across all brands/genders.    This job is located at our London office.    What Will You Be Doing? • Commercial Growth & Strategy: Develop and deliver long-term growth strategies to drive sales, margin, and profitability across the portfolio, maintaining forecast input against annual plans with finance and 3P stakeholders.  • Partner Relationship Management: Act as the primary liaison between the internal brand team and external partners (franchisees) to ensure high-quality brand experience. Take the lead in B2B setting to drive the commercial agenda while ensuing all contractual obligations are met and driving accountability for constant evolution.   • Market Expansion & Onboarding: Lead the onboarding of new partners and support expansion, including location assessment, site selection, and launch readiness. Engage potential partners regularly, as we develop a roadmap for expansion into new territories to ensure strategic connectivity & overall market knowledge.  • Retail Operations & KPIs: Analyze performance (sales, KPIs, stock levels) to identify opportunities and enhance performance.  • Brand Consistency: Ensure all franchise locations follow uniform standards for product, Visual Merchandising (VM), and store layout to maintain brand identity.  • Marketing & Training: Support franchisees with tailored local marketing plans, marketing toolkits, and regular training sessions.  • Internal champion: Connect cross‑functionally to bring best practice to the partners as well as to highlight strengths and opportunities within the franchise model. Identify critical operational and process opportunities.   What Do You Need To Bring? • Bachelor’s Degree or related experience • 6+ years prior experience working in relevant industry roles  • Understanding of retail product development timeline/calendar  • Experience working well in a cross-functional team environment as well as with external partnerships  • Strong communication skills, including comfort in presenting and collaborating with all levels of leadership  • Openness to work across international time zones  d • Motivated by business profitability and prospect of business growth  • Organizational skills & ability to manage many simultaneous workstreams  • Curiosity & eagerness to creatively solve problems  • Strong leadership skills. Comfortability leading change  • Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office programs – esp. Excel, PowerPoint, and Word • Desire to learn & hunger for more!  Our Company  Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs. The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, YPB, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates over 750 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com, and hollisterco.com. At Abercrombie & Fitch Co., we lead with purpose and always put our people first. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.    Benefits & Perks As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you’ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F Co. is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive benefits that align with our company’s culture and values, but most importantly – with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:  • Incentive bonus program • Annual companywide review process • Medical, dental and vision insurance • Life and disability insurance • Associate assistance program • Paid parental and adoption leave • Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot • Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace • Paid time off and one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community • Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are “work from anywhere” days for most roles and six work from anywhere weeks per year) • Seven associate wellness half days per year • Merchandise discount on all of our brands • Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within • Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups • Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!  Additional Information ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER