Deputy Communication & Interior Design Manager

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

The main responsibilities of the Deputy Communication and Interior Design Manager include creating and executing strategy aligned with the Country strategy, leading and developing the Communication and Interior Design team, increasing home furnishing interest, and ensuring store layout and communication align with IKEA brand positioning. Additionally, they are accountable for aligning department action plans with store goals to provide an inspiring shopping journey and maximize sales.

What you will do

Range presentation/Design/Commercial
- Ensure commerciality, vitality, and seasonality in the store by creating and implementing a store commercial calendar with the store management team.
- Understand store needs and employ regional guidelines effectively, ensuring a balance that maximizes commercial and sales results with minimal compromise on either requirement.
- Responsible for following up on and reviewing the planning, preparation, and implementation process of planned changes with the ID, VM, and Activity functions.
- Lead the store Com&In team in securing relevant and inspiring range presentation solutions, an optimal store layout, and effective store communication that builds the IKEA Brand and distinguishes IKEA retailers from competitors.
- Ensure that the store commercial team has a thorough understanding of store layout, range presentation, and store communication, contributing to the range presentation work method. "10 steps of presenting the range"
- Contribute knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behaviour to the creation and implementation of the store business plan.
- Lead the IKEA way to present the range process with Sales Managers and Logistics Manager.
- Follow up on sales need to change range presentation due to a range change, sales drop, or out-of-stock situation, as a Com&In expert to achieve optimal range presentation and sales goals.
- Be the creative leader by initiating and facilitating workshops to generate "Creative direction" directions.
- Take charge of any expansions plans related to designated store (Example; seasonal stores, SISAN plans, new CMPs)
- Lead and inspire the store Com&In team to use knowledge of IKEA home furnishing and people's life at home for business growth.
- Identify current and future business needs based on the country competence development plan, recruiting, developing, and retaining a high-performing and passionate store Com&In team.
- Lead and challenge the Com&In team to consistently take actions that exploit commercial opportunities in the short and long term.
- Oversee the daily and weekly operational work of Comin leaders and their specialist co-workers in the Com&In department, ensuring continuous competence development.

Financial:
- Responsible for maintaining the store budget for the Com & In department
- Contribute with your expertise to achieve the store sales target
- Optimize the utilization of our team resources to meet commercial requirements effectively.

Customer:
- The IKEA store should provide a vibrant and exciting atmosphere that convince the visitors to come back for more repeat visits
- Contribute with knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behaviour in the creation and implementation of the store business plan.
- Guarantee that all store communication, services, and customer guidance on the floor are customer-centric and locally relevant to enhance the mechanical sales system.

Operational:
- Get involved in other projects relating to activities that are carried out in the store from time to time. This may include rebuilding business area, based on feedback from range relating to changed priorities, or poor performance of the area.
- Co-ordinate with the planned marketing activity of the commercial calendar. While not all activity will affect a change in the room sets, major activities like Christmas will influence the decor of the room and modifications will have to be made accordingly. Changes are done to highlight the new or the activity related articles that the sales want to push, or even in case of giving boost to products that are not performing well and need to be displayed in a manner to catch the customer's imagination.
- Will be focused on aligning the Com&In action plan considering business commercial calendar, rebuilds of room settings, homes, specialty shops, and compacts.
- will ensure continues alignment with the different works between the different functions to eliminate overlapping of the agenda with carpentry, graphic, assembly, electrician, and IT requests.
- Trinity working with Sales and ISL.

People and Development:
- Works closely together with the Com&In Manager and substitutes the manager in his/her absence.
- Make sure all co-workers having properly trained including development programs to secure the store performance and succession needs
- Participates in Com & In department meetings and seminars.
- Responsible for the good relation between Com&In and other departments.
- Regards as potential successor for the Com&In manager.
- Secure a successor for the Com&In manager deputy.
- Ensure that all Com&In co-workers have receive the necessary training in safety and security aspects related to the use of this equipment so they are able to follow the rules and regulations and prevent accidents

Required Skills to be successful
- 7+ years of experience in interior design or visual merchandising, preferably within the retail or commercial sector.
- Previous experience at IKEA is highly desired.
- Extensive background in design-oriented roles such as interior design, graphic design, visual merchandising, or store planning, along with demonstrated design management skills.
- Possession of a design-based education is required.

Requirements

Job-Specific/Technical Skills required to complete the tasks:
- Deep interest in and highly developed knowledge of home furnishings and the way people live
- Project management experience
- Store layout planning experience
- Strategic Planning and Analytical Skills, Effective Communication, Excel competence.

Behavioral Competencies:
- Customer Focused
- Individual Accountability
- Continuous Improvement
- Personal Leadership
- Teamwork

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.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference...

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.