The world is changing and the IKEA business is changing with it. For IKEA though, one thing will always remain the same ─ our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people.

We will strengthen and develop competences in order to meet the needs and dreams of the many people around the world and to be accessible, wherever and whenever they wish to meet IKEA.

We are looking for people who have experience from diverse retail organizations and other parts of the value chain ─ from supply to product design, development to manufacturing and everything in between. We offer a unique opportunity to develop a holistic view of the IKEA business. When you grow, IKEA grows too. Do you want to contribute?

 About Inter IKEA Systems and Core Business Franchise

Inter IKEA Systems B.V. is the franchisor and the owner of the IKEA Concept, including the IKEA trademarks.

In Core Business Franchise we are responsible for the IKEA strategic framework and keeping it together through an IKEA Concept which is updated, relevant, implemented and followed-up together with all IKEA trademark users.

We enable IKEA people in the value chain by developing new ways of working supported by processes, methods, tools and services, and we also develop the business by leading:

• The development of solutions that will ensure a unique and successful meeting with existing and new IKEA customers.
• When and how IKEA expands, enabling one common way of working with high impact at a low cost.

We offer an open working environment where everyone feels comfortable to experiment, try new ways and dare to ask: “What if…?” And we offer possibilities for you to develop yourself and your career globally. Read more about us at franchisor.IKEA.com

About the role

IKEA Retail Experience has the assignment to secure a successful, consistent, and relevant IKEA experience across all customer meeting points that are developed together with Core Business Range & Supply and all IKEA franchisees in order to create a common and unique IKEA way to engage our customers and offer them relevant services. It is an exciting time as IKEA transforms from a single channel to multichannel retailer.

Within IKEA Retail Experience, the Development & Franchise Offer area works with the common development and Franchise Offer processes, methodologies and follow-up of the customer meeting and retail business solutions. We provide project, innovation, process, development, design and portfolio resources, and work closely with the business to enable the development of a successful, consistent, and relevant IKEA customer meeting.

In these exciting times, we are now looking for a candidate who wants to be a major contributor in developing the IKEA future retail experience by leading development projects related to the meeting with the customer.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience from leading global and organisation-wide projects (medium in size and complexity) in global companies/consultancies
• Recent experience from the IKEA value chain or similar experience.
• Experience working in innovation/lean development processes.
• Proven track record of interdependent leadership, leading business agendas across IKEA in a collaborative way and delivering results through others.

As a Project Leader, you will:

• Effectively lead and execute development projects related to Meeting the customer.
• Apply agreed processes, principles and governance for innovation and development.
• Monitor and manage projects including; scope, cost, time plan, quality, resources and risks. Set and control the budget.
• Adapt initiatives to changing directions, ensuring speed (develop, iterate and verify approach). 
• Analyse quality and initiative performance, identifying areas of improvement and driving appropriate action to resolution.
• Effectively manage stakeholders and communication across functions and organisations, building relationships and engaging in relevant networks within and outside IKEA.
• Secure effective deployment and requirement handling for receiving organisations.
• Identify and manage dependencies and interfaces between projects.
• Lead project resources, including external consultants.

In this role, you report directly to the Development Support Manager. That said, it’s critical to work cross-functionally with other colleagues, stakeholders in Core Business Franchise and other organisations, and to collaborate closely with business leaders across IKEA. As we are in the process of changing the way we are organised in Core Business Franchise, additional responsibilities may arise.

About you

You are passionate and curious about the assignment of Core Business Franchise. You are driven by creating business impact and developing a unique IKEA retail experience together with stakeholders. You are a down-to-earth team player who is eager to take initiatives and achieve results with people.

We also believe that you have a combination of the following knowledge, capabilities and motivation:

• Solid Project management knowledge
• Knowledge of how to successfully pitch projects and effectively manage significant change components.
• Knowledge of design thinking, innovation and lean development processes.
• Knowledge of the IKEA Range Strategy, the IKEA Concept, the IKEA vision and business idea, IKEA culture & values and the IKEA business model. 
• Knowledge of the IKEA franchise system and IKEA value chain.
• Strong verbal and written English language skills.
• Ability to understand the business needs for each project and make ongoing decisions based on what’s best for the organisation, even if that means challenging senior stakeholders on critical success factors.
• Good leadership skills and the ability to secure buy-in, realise benefits and deliver business impact.
• Good problem-solving and communication skills.
• Good organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Visionary leadership with the ability to make complex tasks and processes understood and actionable. 
• Good strategic and analytical skills.
• Capability to navigate and lead in a complex, unknown and fast-changing environment.
• Capability to collaborate and work in processes, engaging different IKEA competences in the network.
• Capability to build a knowledge-sharing network to enable constant learning in the total IKEA system.
• Capability to build and engage in trustful and sustainable relationships with stakeholders, business partners and IKEA franchisees and ability to deal with organisational complexities.
• Tech-savvy-ability to grasp and lead digital projects.
• Ability to apply an outside-in perspective, putting the user in the centre of development.
• Motivated by delivering business results and targets.
• Excellent example of living and nurturing the IKEA values.
• Passionate about the IKEA vision and the IKEA direction.
• Always siding with the many people and getting inspiration from their everyday life.
• Customer-focused.
• Healthy competitive spirit, with a forward-looking, strategic and creative mindset.
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, global, multicultural and changing environment.

Does this sound like your next challenge? We welcome your application!

It is a full time position (40h/week). Travel will be required.

Please send your application – CV and letter of motivation – in English by 28 January 2019. We really want to get to know you, so make sure you tell us why you want to work at Inter IKEA Systems and why you would be a good fit for this role.

If you have questions about the role, please contact Fredrik Axén, Development & Franchise Offer Process Manager. If you have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Sofia Samuelsson, HR generalist for IKEA Retail Experience.