Regional Sustainability Leader - Retail

Job description / Role

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview of the role

Regional Sustainability lead secures the integration and implementation of the IKEA Al Futtaim sustainability strategy - People & Planet Positive, by both putting demands on the business and being a competent sustainability business partner, while securing localised relevance. The voice and influencers of sustainability both internally and externally, sitting close to the business where decisions are made. Enable the transformation and growth of the IKEA business by being a business partner and within applicable areas of the organisation to secure and future proof a sustainable business. The Regional Sustainability lead will contribute and support others in the consistent and effective execution of the Al Futtaim IKEA sustainability People & Planet Positive strategy.

What you will do
- Collaborate and align with applicable country functions and internal as well as external stakeholders to secure sustainability is integrated across all country functions in delivering their sustainability contribution to the agreed frameworks and strategies.
- Secure local country adaption of the global direction and ambitions, to drive sustainability initiatives, processes and projects that deliver to the total business agenda and a more People and Planet Positive IKEA
- Ensure that alignment, budget, and resources are in place to move the sustainability agenda forward in applicable areas within your country - progression through agreed methods and tools and closing the performance gap.
- Enable and follow-up sustainability performance and progress based on the country business plans, Group tools and methods.
- Facilitate the integration and implementation of sustainability by supporting the country functions with the right information, best practice solution, tools & methods, and ways of working.
- Develop a strong understanding of specific sustainability situation in your country and contribute to country business agenda, to feedback and share across sustainability matrix.
- Proactively identify challenges and opportunities and/or supporting units to overcome challenges and optimize opportunities.
- Documenting and evaluating initiatives and activities with a view to capitalize on learning, sharing and promote continuous improvement.
- Collaborate and align with applicable regional functions and internal as well as external stakeholders to secure sustainability is integrated across all regional functions in delivering their sustainability contribution to the agreed frameworks and strategies.
- Secure local country adaption of the global direction and ambitions, to drive sustainability initiatives, processes and projects that deliver to the total business agenda and a more People and Planet Positive IKEA.
- Ensure that alignment, budget, and resources are in place to move the sustainability agenda forward in applicable areas within our region- progression through agreed methods and tools and closing the performance gap.
- Enable and follow-up sustainability performance and progress based on the regional business plans, Group tools and methods.
- Facilitate the integration and implementation of sustainability by supporting the regional functions with the right information, best practice solution, tools & methods, and ways of working.
- Develop a strong understanding of specific sustainability situation in our region and contribute to regional business agenda, to feedback and share across sustainability matrix.
- Proactively identify challenges and opportunities and/or supporting units to overcome challenges and optimise opportunities.
- Documenting and evaluating initiatives and activities with a view to capitalise on learning, sharing and promote continuous improvement.
- Inspired by our vision "to create a better everyday life for the many people"
- Passion for sustainability and highly motivated about making IKEA People and Planet Positive
- Eager to learn and develop new skills
- Result oriented and change driven
- Strong desire to lead business and people
- Share and live the IKEA culture and values

Requirements

Required skills to be successful
- Planning & Organising- Coordinates and directs activities to help achieve business objectives
- Driven for results - Accomplishes goals, completes tasks, and achieves results.
- Relationship building - Develops virtual and other collaborative relationships to facilitate current and future objectives
- Teamwork - Collaborates with others (incl. virtual) to achieve goals.
- Dealing with ambiguity- Comfortably handles unclear or unpredictable situations
- Flexibility- Changes direction as appropriate based on new ideas, approaches, and strategies
- Inspiring others- Motivates others to accomplish organisational goals

What equips you for the role
- Minimum 5 years of work experience in sustainability and/or business preferably retail
- Preferred: Retail market experience
- Preferred: Knowledge of the Brand, culture, values and way of working

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer's in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

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.