Director - Operations & Commercial

Job description / Role

Building Fun
Join the team of the first LEGOLAND Park in the Middle East and help us create amazing experiences for families from around the world. At LEGOLAND Dubai we rely everyday on our Model Citizens (employees) in meeting our ultimate goal of bringing the LEGO values of creativity, imagination, learning, quality and fun to life and deliver truly memorable experiences to our guests.

With over 40 interactive rides, live shows and attractions you will be able to find a diverse range of career opportunities in one of the most unique and stimulating work environments you could imagine.

Come and work where work is PLAY. At LEGOLAND we make every child a HERO!

Play Your Part
In this role you will be will be responsible for ensuring health and safety excellence, delivering projects to drive operation efficiency, and providing operations support for commercial, marketing, sales, accommodation, and promotional activity.

You'll be supporting the delivery of a guest first Resort culture, implementing new data driven approaches to gather customer feedback, and rolling out best practices to maximise opportunities to accelerate growth.

This is the role for someone with a strong operational and commercial background, who can solve long term operational challenges, while executing Merlin change programmes, driving efficiencies, and driving guest expectations in line with the Merlin vision, values and standards.

Main Duties:

- Ensures required improvements and maintenance undertaken to ensure brand consistency
- Implements new data driven approaches to gather customer feedback and increase loyalty
- Delivers training in guest-facing behaviours to drive increases in employee engagement scores
- Provide operational support for commercial, marketing, sales, accommodation and promotional activity
- Supports delivery of a guest first Resort culture
- Operationalise innovations that enhance the Resort and delight the guests
- Operates Park/Resort with reference to the cost base, keeping operating costs low and driving revenue through efficiencies
- Delivers projects, products and programmes on time and on budget and ensure financial controls are in place to drive operational efficiency
- Consult with external parties and governing bodies
- Provide operational input into innovations that provide revenue earning opportunities and profit streams
- Proactively support the sites through agile problem solving
- Roll out Merlin best practice to maximise opportunities to accelerate growth of the business, leveraging the operating model
- Responsible for Health and Safety excellence including business continuity, risk and crisis plan
- Lead and develop Operational Teams to drive efficiencies and ensure the Resort exceeds guest expectations in line with the Merlin vision, values and standards
- Cascade all relevant information and drive culture of openness and safety
- Execute Merlin change programmes and projects
- Leverage opportunities to improve operational standards
- Solve long term operational challenges in line with strategy

Health & Safety:

- Managers are responsible for all aspects of Health, Safety & Security within their department, in line with the Group Policy (HS001).
- In particular, they must ensure that risk assessments have been carried out, that safe working procedures are in place for all work activities and that all employees under their management are aware of the Group Health, Safety and Security Policy and their obligations under it.
- They must ensure that safe working practices are monitored, and that risk assessments and procedures are reviewed regularly.
- Where incidents do occur, they must ensure that they are investigated appropriately and that where necessary, corrective action is taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.

Requirements

Are You a Star?

In order to be qualified for this role you should possess the below criteria:

- You will have at least a Bachelors degree in a relevant subject
- Strong leadership qualities including clear and concise communication to convey our goals and vision clearly and hold teams accountable for delivery.
- A solid background in operations management (at least 3 - 5 years). So not only will you be financially and commercially astute, and know operations inside out, you'll also understand the impact they have on your business partners - Finance, HR, and Marketing.
- An impressive record of delivering to targets, you'll be comfortable working collaboratively with, and as an integral part of our Senior Leadership Team.
- An eye for detail, high standards and a focus on results are all essential.
- Experience of having managed a significant budget.

Market & Geography Experience:

- Developing businesses in markets at different stages of growth
- Exposure to businesses in other markets (desirable)

People and Teams Experience:

- Experience managing leaders of independent teams to cascade vision and strategy of a wider remit
- Developing a diverse talent pipeline and succession planning
- Building performance-based cultures
- Working in matrixed environments

Other Job Requirements:

- Must be able to work flexible hours, with regular weekend work as standard
- Must have a valid driver's license
- Must be willing to travel locally, regionally and internationally

Personal Qualities:

- Burning drive to achieve success
- Resilient and robust self-belief with the confidence to challenge
- Charismatic and creative; able to excite and inspire innovation
- Has the energy and discipline to 'make things happen'
- Able to adapt quickly and flexibly to changing circumstances.
- Operates with integrity and a sense of purpose
- Talent for building relationships, influencing and negotiating effectively
- Self-aware, with a growth mindset
- Empathetic towards others, draws deep insight into people and how they behave
- Financially astute and highly commercial, with an operational mind-set
- Analytical and investigative with strong attention to detail
- Maintains a focus on the bigger picture

The Best Part of The Story:

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package which includes; housing allowance, comprehensive medical coverage, life and accident insurance and other generous allowances. We also care about your career development supported by Learning opportunities for those seeking a long-term future in the Company.

About the Company

Dubai Parks and Resorts offers new heights in experiential entertainment through an inspired concept that brings the best of the east and the west in the entertainment industry. Conceived and developed by Meraas Holding, Dubai Parks and Resorts articulates the Dubai leadership’s vision of positioning the emirate as a compelling global tourist destination.

The first phase of Dubai Parks and Resorts will comprise three theme parks: motiongate™ Dubai, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, and LEGOLAND® Dubai. The development will also feature Riverland - a grand entrance plaza and Lapita, a family themed hotel. The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2016. Ground work commenced on site in February 2014