Local Market Manager, IKEA Batu Kawan

IKEA is the world’s largest home furnishing retailer with 460 stores across more than 60 countries. IKEA Malaysia is part of Ikano Retail, one of 12 IKEA franchisees and the only one owned by the family of Ingvar Kamprad, who founded IKEA in 1943.

IKEA Malaysia creates a better everyday life by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low, that as many people as possible can afford them. Ikano Handel Sdn. Bhd. owns and operates four omnichannel stores in Malaysia, including IKEA Damansara, IKEA Cheras, IKEA Tebrau and IKEA Batu Kawan. To learn more, visit IKEA.my

The Local Market Manager is responsible for driving regional business expansion and deepening IKEA’s market presence across a dedicated geographic area. This role exists to identify and develop new business opportunities, untapped market segments, and emerging growth areas — ensuring IKEA grows not only in physical footprint, but in brand awareness, cultural relevance, and community impact.

Local Market Manager translates country-level commercial priorities into locally meaningful, insight-driven strategies with Marketing foundation. This role leads all marketing and branding efforts across the Primary Market Area (PMA) and Extended Market Area (beyond PMA), covering local relevance in activations, events, and especially community initiatives.

The Local Market Manager acts as a brand ambassador — championing IKEA’s positioning as a company that cares for People and the Planet, supporting an exceptional in-store experience that drives loyalty and re-visitation. This role provides strategic communication counsel to store leadership while continuously spotting risks and growth opportunities across the market.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB

A. Understanding of area target audience

• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the Primary Market Area (PMA), including customer profiles, income segments, demographic composition, and behavioural patterns. Serve as the go-to market intelligence owner for the assigned area — translating who the customer is, what they earn, and how they live into actionable insights that ground brand positioning, campaign planning, and local marketing decisions in real market realities.

B.  Business Expansion & New Market Development

• Identify new business opportunities, growth pockets, and underserved market segments within the dedicated region and surrounding areas, translating findings into actionable expansion priorities.
• Conduct ongoing market observation and monitor competitor activity, shifts in consumer behaviour, media consumption patterns, cultural nuances, and emerging macro trends that signal new opportunities.
• Develop and present strategic recommendations to unlock new market potential and accelerate sustainable, long-term growth across the region.
• Translate the country commercial calendar and national marketing plan into a localised market actions that drives traffic, re-visitation, and enduring customer loyalty within the PMA and Extended Market Area.
• Continuously review and optimise current market activities — identifying areas of under-performance and recommending improvements to increase efficiency, reach, and business impact.

B.  Marketing, Planning & Execution

• Lead the development of a comprehensive annual local marketing plan aligned to national commercial priorities, regional market insights, and consumer life-at-home behaviours.
• Execute integrated marketing campaigns across online and offline channels, including activations, and in-store initiatives in especially to build visitation and brand love amongst the community.
• Ensuring ROI-driven allocation and rigorous performance tracking against agreed KPIs.
• Lead the acquisition, activation, and retention of IKEA Family and Småles members through data-led, insight-driven campaigns and membership KPI management.

C.  Market Awareness

• Drive initiatives that grow market awareness, deepen brand affinity, and firmly position IKEA as the leading and most trusted home furnishing brand in the area.
• Manage all external communications — including community-facing content — to consistently reinforce brand relevance and positive perception.
• Champion a long-term brand orientation over short-term activation; challenge assumptions and re-prioritise focus as market dynamics evolve.

D.  Community Engagement & Stakeholder Management

• Build and sustain meaningful partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, local businesses, and community organisations to drive sustainability and social impact goals.
• Position the store as a “Good Neighbour” through impactful, community-driven initiatives that reflect IKEA’s values and commitment to People and the Planet.
• Manage multi-stakeholder relationships across internal functions and external partners, aligning regional activities to country priorities with clear, consistent communication.
• Provide strategic communication counsel to the Store Management Team, including proactive guidance on operational, community, and reputational matters.

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Public Relations, Digital Media, or a related field. A Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum 6-7 years of working experience in Marketing, Brand Management, or Retail Marketing, with demonstrated involvement in market development, campaign management, or business growth.
• Experience in a regional or multi-market marketing role is highly preferred.

Criteria:

• The Local Market Manager must be based at store location Batu Kawan.
• Physical presence and working in the store is essential as the role includes Duty Manager responsibilities and participation in the store shift schedule.
• Compliance with IKEA uniform guidelines is required.
• The role follows a formal internal meeting cadence, with performance reviews jointly conduted by the reporting manager and store management team (Store Manager and Selling Manager).
• In addition to leading local marketing initiatives or market expansion, the Local Market Manager is responsible for employer branding, internal communications, and supporting the People & Planet Positive agenda to strengthen coworker engagement and awareness.

Motivation:

• Genuine curiosity about consumers, local markets, emerging trends, and the forces shaping people’s lives and homes.
• Passion for brand-building and a firm belief that great marketing drives both measurable business results and meaningful community impact.
• Deep familiarity with local communities, regional socio-cultural dynamics, and the competitive landscape of the area.
• Commitment to sustainability, responsible business, and IKEA’s vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people.
• Collaborative, people-first mindset; energised by working in a fast-paced retail environment and motivated to exceed both team and personal goals.
• Strong alignment with IKEA’s values: togetherness, care for people and planet, simplicity, and the courage to challenge convention.

Knowledge:

• Strong foundation in core marketing disciplines: strategy, brand management, campaign planning, integrated communications, and performance measurement.
• Market research methodology, consumer insight analysis, market intelligence, and situational (SWOT) analysis.
• Integrated marketing communications knowledge across digital, events, and in-store channels.
• Budget management, ROI-driven marketing planning, and KPI frameworks.
• Retail dynamics, consumer journey mapping, and life-at-home insights.
• Well-versed in local community landscape and the regional environmental scene; able to build in-depth knowledge of local market conditions and the competitive environment.
• Understanding of IKEA’s store operations, brand concept, and long-term growth ambitions (an advantage).
• Sustainability principles and ESG-driven marketing practices; a passionate believer in sustainability (in-depth knowledge is an added advantage).

Capabilities:

• Develops SWOT analysis, defines marketing and communication actions, documents strategic plans, sets KPIs, and measures results with discipline.
• Identifies market gaps and new opportunities, converting insight into clear expansion strategies and concrete marketing plans.
• Exceptional written and verbal skills; able to craft compelling narratives and present insights clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Manages and influences cross-functional and external stakeholders to align regional priorities and drive coordinated action.
• Comfortable working with data, market signals, and consumer insights to inform decisions, challenge assumptions, and re-prioritise as needed.
• Organised, self-driven, and capable of managing multiple initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Leads people effectively, inspires and clarifies direction, finds new ways of working, and enables positive change.
• Thinks ‘outside the box’, challenges conventional approaches, and adapts strategies confidently to different regional contexts.

Please apply by 15-September-2026.