Fashion Universe Lead

Job Description: Fashion Universe Lead

Function: Business Development

Reports To: Head of Business Development

About S&S

S&S is a vertically integrated textile solutions provider based in Ruiru, Kenya. We design, produce and distribute textile consumer solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa under our butterfly®, texStyle® and Asili brands. Our purpose is to Empower Africa's Potential and Authenticity. We are a team of purpose-driven individuals committed to proactive solutions that make customers feel valued and fulfilled.

The Opportunity

A leadership opportunity to build and scale S&S's Fashion universe across texStyle, Asili and Brand Works. The foundations exist; the next leader must turn traction into differentiated, profitable and repeatable growth. This is a hands-on commercial leadership role connecting consumer insight, product and range, customer routes, manufacturing, margin, cash and people.

Leadership Mandate

• Give texStyle, Asili and Brand Works distinct brand, product, customer, price and route plans.
• Build consumer-facing retail and partner routes, repeat wholesale and reseller anchors, and planned, deposit-led B2B work.
• Own Fashion revenue, gross profit, pricing, customer quality, repeat demand, pipeline, partner productivity, cash conversion and controlled exposure.
• Turn consumer and market learning into ranges, collections, styling, finishes and new opportunities; test and cost ideas before scaling.
• Build Kenya growth first, add regional routes only when customer fit, repeat demand, GP, cash and operating capacity support them, and develop selected global opportunities over time.

Core Responsibilities

1. Revenue Growth and Commercial Ownership

• Own the Fashion commercial plan and translate it into clear revenue, GP, cash and customer outcomes.
• Build a balanced customer portfolio across retail, partners, wholesale, resellers and deposit-led B2B opportunities.
• Improve repeat demand, customer depth, pipeline quality and partner productivity.
• Control pricing, discounting, exposure and commercial risk.

2. Brand, Product and Range Leadership

• Create distinct plans for texStyle, Asili and Brand Works rather than operating them as one undifferentiated range.
• Build a viable product and collection calendar informed by customer insight, route needs, cost and operational capacity.
• Test concepts, styling, finishes, price points and customer response before scaling.
• Work with the Brand Lead to create clear expression and reasons to choose each brand.

3. Customer and Market Intelligence Discipline

• Build direct learning from consumers, buyers, wholesale partners, resellers and B2B customers.
• Maintain a weekly view of customer demand, sell-through, pipeline, price response, product gaps and competitor movement.
• Turn learning into product, range, route, partner and investment decisions.

4. Operating Rhythm and Cross-Functional Delivery

• Build the weekly customer, pipeline, range and operating rhythm.
• Align stock, sampling, quality, production and delivery with Finance, Production, Operations and QA.
• Make decisions in an imperfect system, escalate constraints early and protect reliable customer delivery.
• Build team capability, delegation and decision ownership so the business is not dependent on one individual.

Role Ownership and Cross-Functional Partnership

Fashion Lead owns: Fashion commercial choices, brand and product priorities, customer and route plans, revenue, GP, pricing, customer quality, repeat demand, pipeline, partner productivity, cash conversion, controlled exposure and team direction.

Cross-functional partners support: The Brand Lead co-creates brand expression. Finance, Production, Operations and QA support costing, controls, production, quality, stock and delivery. The Fashion Lead remains accountable for the Fashion business outcome.

Monthly Accountability

• Revenue and gross profit: deliver the agreed Fashion plan with clear gap and recovery actions.
• Repeat demand: grow repeat customers, order frequency, partner sell-through and customer depth.
• Pipeline quality: maintain a qualified pipeline by route, customer type, probability, value and next action.
• Product and range: track range performance, newness, sell-through, product gaps and product calendar milestones.
• Partner productivity: measure active partners, sales contribution, repeat behaviour and support needs.
• Cash and exposure: track deposits, receivables, cash conversion, payment performance and controlled risk.
• Operating reliability: review stock, sampling, quality, production and delivery commitments weekly.
• Capability: show decision ownership and improved capability across the Fashion team.

First 90-Day Proof Window

Performance will be reviewed in six two-week cycles, followed by a final consolidation window to Day 90. Each cycle must show evidence and decisions, not activity alone.

CycleRequired Proof / OutputDays 1-14Complete a Fashion business diagnostic across texStyle, Asili and Brand Works covering revenue, GP, cash, customers, routes, products, team and operating constraints.Days 15-28Separate the three brands by customer promise, product role, price logic and route; identify immediate commercial risks and quick wins.Days 29-42Build a prioritised customer, pipeline, range and partner plan, including deposit-led B2B rules and a first product calendar view.Days 43-56Activate priority customer and partner actions, test selected product or route ideas, and establish the weekly operating rhythm.Days 57-70Show early progress in pipeline quality, repeat demand, partner productivity, GP protection, cash discipline and delivery reliability.Days 71-84Refine the plan using evidence, strengthen team ownership and make clear scale, adjust or stop decisions.Days 85-90Present proof of the Fashion opportunity and a 12-month execution plan covering brands, customers, products, routes, economics, people and dependencies.

Key Deliverables

• Clear separation and usable commercial plans for texStyle, Asili and Brand Works.
• Stronger repeat orders, customer depth and partner sell-through.
• A higher-quality pipeline and disciplined route choices.
• Protected gross profit, pricing and cash conversion.
• A viable product and collection calendar linked to customer evidence and operating capacity.
• A reliable cross-functional operating rhythm and less dependency on one individual.
• A credible 2027-2028 scale plan based on proven economics and capability.

What You Bring

• A hands-on commercial brand builder, not only a creative or product specialist.
• Brand-sensitive, commercially brave, curious and structured.
• Able to make sound decisions without waiting for a perfect system.
• Calm under pressure and clear on priorities, trade-offs and accountability.
• Strong understanding of customers, product economics, routes, margin, cash and people.

Our Expectations

• Understand and passionately execute the Company's strategy.
• Own outcomes, make clear decisions and maintain a dependable operating rhythm.
• Remain commercially focused and protect customer value, gross profit and cash.
• Use customer and market evidence to challenge assumptions and improve decisions.
• Build capability in others and avoid becoming the operational bottleneck.
• Collaborate across functions with clarity, trust and disciplined follow-through.

First-Year Proof

• Clear separation and usable commercial plans for texStyle, Asili and Brand Works.
• Stronger repeat orders, customer depth and partner sell-through.
• A higher-quality pipeline and disciplined route choices.
• Protected gross profit, pricing and cash conversion.
• A viable product and collection calendar linked to customer evidence and operating capacity.
• A reliable cross-functional operating rhythm and less dependency on one individual.
• A credible 2027-2028 scale plan based on proven economics and capability.