Business Developer - Fabric & Cover (Start ASAP)

Your Role

Job Description:

As a Business Developer, you will be an informal leader of a 3-member micro-team, with a Production Engineer, who takes care of the production process and quality, and a Supply Planner who handles logistics. Based on the analysis, you will draw up an action plan once a year to reduce production costs and to develop better designs for the customers, all within the framework of sustainability and ethical business practices.

You also can expect to:

• Develop partnerships with suppliers – The micro team travels regularly, in order to solve production issues and to provide suppliers with feedback and help with the implementation of the action plan.
• Create production calculations – Look for cost-saving opportunities for both existing and new products.
• Operation – Communicate with suppliers, and the management in team meetings regarding project implementation and data entry.

About You

To be successful in this role, the below competencies are important for you:

• The art of dealing with people – empathy and great communication skills to coordinate your micro-team. This comes in handy when collaborating with suppliers and stakeholders in the IKEA supply chain.
• An interest in production and discovering the latest technologies in home furnishing.
• You know economics and finance – Understanding of company financials: cash flow, P&L, income statements, and cost breakdowns.
• Passion for business and the end goal – Both will come in handy when negotiating with suppliers, where you are to be strict but fair. A solution-oriented person, concentrating on problem-solving regular business issues.
• Analytical skills - working with numbers, negotiating prices, or setting priorities for your work, in a usually high-paced and demanding environment.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken. You are comfortable in presenting and engaging with stakeholders at all levels.

Benefits

Once you join IKEA, you can enjoy the following benefits: 

• Tack! co-worker loyalty program
  • Tack! gives all the eligible co-workers an extra contribution to their pension funds. Unit, position, or salary don’t matter – everyone receives the same amount.
• One IKEA - Bonus program
  • The One IKEA Bonus program is a bonus system for all IKEA Group co-workers based on performance based on the values of simplicity and togetherness, with everyone in the same unit working towards the same objectives. Sharing goals helps them to work together as one IKEA.

Training & Development

IKEA offers exceptional career and learning possibilities. You will be encouraged to try different roles, change between functions, and even move abroad (if that´s what you want). IKEA believes in its people, involves people, and cares about them to make everyone feel important. Your personal development is important for IKEA too. Please note that this position will be based in Shanghai and traveling is a part of the assignment since IKEA works closely with its suppliers.

Career Progression

When you work with IKEA, you have opportunities to not only do what you do now and learn to do it better but also to explore new things you’ve wanted to do and try things you never knew you could do. You can add to your skills, shift gears, change directions, travel or even move around the world. All while you’re ‘working at IKEA’ – that is, for one of the many companies that make up the IKEA brand, opening the doors to a lot of possibilities.

Sources

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• ikea.cn/cn/en/this-is-ikea/work-with-us/benefits-pub8c6da021
• jobs.ikea.com/en/explore-ikea
• ikea.cn/cn/en/this-is-ikea/work-with-us/many-ways-to-grow-pubb2c269a1
• youtube.com/@IKEA