Senior Marketing Manager

Job description / Role

About the Company:

About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE)
Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) is the real estate development and operations arm of Al-Futtaim group which is headquartered in Dubai. AFGRE is responsible for the origination, conception, development, procurement and construction of mega projects and the leasing, sales and operation of these projects after completion.

In addition, AFGRE develops and operates an extensive multi-million dollar portfolio of individual corporate real estate and investment assets across the MENA region.
The two current flagship mixed use urban communities under the Festival City brand are the award winning, Dubai Festival City (5.2 million square metres) and Cairo Festival City (3 million square metres).

About Dubai Festival City Dubai Festival City is an Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate development project which covers 5.2 million sq m and stretches 3 kilometres along the historic Dubai Creek that optimizes the thriving and visionary spirit of Dubai.

Dubai Festival City is an established creek side, mixed use destination and premier waterfront community interconnecting finest residential, shopping, dining, leisure & entertainment, international hotels, schools, golf course, automotive park and offices. It is formed into three distinct districts and connected by a 30 kilometers internal road network and creek side promenade. This existing community offers freehold villas and apartments for sale and lease which combine traditional and contemporary architecture. Upon completion, the community will be home to 50,000 residents living in 20,000 villas and apartments, and ideal place to work for 50,000 office staff.

Dubai Festival City has recently won 3 top recognitions at The Arabian Property Awards 2010, in the categories of Best Mixed Use Development for Dubai Festival City, Best Residential Development for Al Badia Hillside Village, Dubai Festival City and Best Retail Development for Festival Centre, Dubai Festival City.

About Festival Centre
Festival Centre is home to Dubai's premier concerts and festivals and has hosted world class entertainers such as Carlos Santana, Maroon 5, Tamer Hosni, Amr Diab, Shah Rukh Khan and Kylie Minogue. It has also presented Dubai with a wide array of festivals from the Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature through to Dubai Desert Rock and Dubai Bike Week. Festival Centre hosts events, parades, entertainers and musicians each week ensuring families are always engaged and rewarded for their visit.

Festival Centre is a landmark 2m sq ft urban retail resort which forms the epicentre of Dubai Festival City now acknowledged to be one of UAE's most exciting retail, dining and leisure attractions. Set on the historic Dubai Creek, Festival Centre, offers over 400 world class retailers, 90 restaurants, cafes and bistros, a 12-screens Grand Festival Cinemas complex and a parking for more than 10,000 cars. It also boasts a stunning Marina and some of the emirate's most photographed sunset vistas.

The award winning Festival Centre has recently added the Five Star award Best Retail Development at the Arabian Property Awards 2010, and two other prestigious Retail City awards - Mall of the Year and Best Retail Destination of the Year.As Senior Manager for Retail, it is the prime duty to ensure that through direct involvement with the Retail Marketing team, our in-house creative Marketing and Communications agency (GMASCO) and all parties and companies within Festival City, whether owned by the Al-Futtaim Group or a supplier, the strategic Marketing and Communications plan is delivered in a professional and timely fashion. This role is also required to contribute into the overall Festival City site wide marketing.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

* Branding: At all times ensure that the brand image, brand personality, brand equity and brand proposition is protected.
* Marketing and advertising: Interpret, design and implement focused marketing, advertising, on-line and PR strategies.
* Public Relations: Co-ordination and preparation of annual communication plans, supervising timely briefing of campaigns and tactics that support the strategy.
* Budgetary control: Plan and manage marketing resources according to agreed budgets. Ensure cost efficiencies in budgets by constantly reviewing procurement of media buying, production and creative supplies with internal and external agencies. 
* Staff: Recruit, manage, train and motivate all staff in the retail marketing department according to company procedures, policy and employment law. Develop internal staff motivation and coaching sessions with a specific aim to improve staff presentation techniques to third parties. Employ and supervise both internal and external resources.
* Digital and direct media: Involvement in all on-line digital execution, including search engine optimisation (SEO) and successful communication with all internal and external stakeholders in the process.
* Strategise: Work in conjunction with the Director of Shopping Centres to develop short, medium and long term marketing strategy for retail and plans to support revenue generation and sales growth.
* Corporate Responsibility: Have first-hand awareness of the corporate direction, mission, aims and activities.
* Reporting: Consistent and meaningful reporting metrics to distinguish important trends and inform future decisions/activities.
* Research: Consistent and meaningful methodology to inform appropriate decision making.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge:
* Minimum Bachelor's degree in marketing from an accredited institution.

Minimum Experience:
* Minimum 15 years marketing experience in a large corporate institution.

* Job-Specific Skills:
* At least 5 years experience in the MENA region.

Competencies :
* Research, insights & analysis.
* Obtain & analyse information through effective intelligence gathering systems and interpretation of results.

Strategy & planning:

* Influence strategy formulation and ensure an effective marketing planning process and plans.

Brands and products:

* Manage the company brands.
* Create, build and manage competitive products, portfolios & services.

Marketing programme implementation:

* Develop and implement integrated marketing communications strategy and activities.
* Create competitive and sustainable pricing policies, use pricing strategically and creatively.
* Establish and develop effective channels for your business and support for channel members.
* Deliver and manage effective customer relationships and infrastructure for same.
* Establish, plan and manage programme and project frameworks and plans against objectives and budget.

Measuring effectiveness:

* Establish, promote and use metrics to improve effectiveness.
* Create and use a system of critical review to make more informed future decisions.

Managing people:

* Manage self and a marketing team.
* Manage cross-functional relationships effectively.
* Develop teams and self to enhance marketing performance.

About the Company

Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region. Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.

The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario. The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.

The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.