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Country Manager

  • Location:

    Iraq, Baghdad

  • Sector:

    Retail

  • Contact:

    Omid Miri

  • Job ref:

    5522

  • Published:

    about 1 month ago

  • Expiry date:

    2026-06-11

mselect is seeking an experienced Country Manager to lead operations for a retail client in Baghdad, Iraq. The ideal candidate must have a minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience within the consumer goods, luxury retail, beauty, or cosmetics industry, with a strong track record of driving commercial performance and business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Growth:
  • Execute the country strategy to deliver sustainable revenue growth from $5M to $20M over the 2025–2029 period
  • Identify, negotiate, and onboard new beauty, cosmetics, and fragrance brands to expand the portfolio
  • Lead the expansion of the retail and distribution network across Iraq, ensuring strong market positioning and long-term competitiveness
  • Develop strategic partnerships with key suppliers, distributors, and retail stakeholders to accelerate market penetration
Cultural & Commercial Transformation:
  • Transform the organisation from a sales-driven structure into an integrated sales and marketing business model
  • Establish and develop a fully functional marketing department to enhance brand visibility and consumer engagement
  • Build strong brand equity through structured marketing campaigns, digital presence, and in-store activation strategies
  • Implement data-driven decision-making across wholesale, retail, and distribution channels to improve forecasting and performance tracking
  • Drive customer-centric initiatives to strengthen market share and brand loyalty
Operational Excellence:
  • Professionalise operational processes while maintaining an agile and entrepreneurial business culture
  • Ensure full legal, regulatory, and corporate compliance by 2027, including taxation, labour laws, and statutory reporting
  • Optimise end-to-end supply chain operations, including stock management, working capital efficiency, and cash flow control
  • Strengthen financial governance, reporting accuracy, and cost optimisation initiatives
  • Implement scalable systems and processes to support long-term business growth
Leadership & People Development:
  • Lead, manage, and develop a multi-functional team of 20+ professionals across sales, marketing, finance, retail, and logistics
  • Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, results, and continuous improvement
  • Attract, retain, and develop key talent within the organisation
  • Drive organisational change while maintaining engagement and alignment across all levels
  • Act as a role model for leadership, discipline, and execution excellence

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree required; a master's degree (MBA) strongly preferred
  • A minimum of 15–20 years of progressive leadership experience in consumer goods, luxury retail, beauty, or cosmetics industries
  • Strong experience in luxury fragrance and/or selective beauty distribution is a significant advantage
  • Proven track record in full P&L ownership and delivering revenue growth in emerging markets
  • Experience managing and leading cross-functional teams of 20+ employees
  • Strong expertise in change management and organisational transformation
  • Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
  • Strong commercial acumen with a bottom-line and results-driven mindset
  • Willingness to relocate full-time to Iraq (Erbil or Baghdad)
  • Fluency in English and Arabic is mandatory


*Only applicants meeting the strict criteria outlined above will be contacted as part of the shortlisting process.