Planning Manager | Al-Futtaim Automotive

Job description / Role

About Al-Futtaim Group

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 enable the organisation 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

As the Planning Manager, you will always maintain a focus on our overall profitability, ensuring the right level of supportive interrogation of our brand, model, and mix level planning, whilst in parallel laying down the foundations and structure for better processes and governance.

What you will do:

• Develop and maintain accurate sales forecasts based on historical data, market trends, and industry insights
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Product teams to understand demand drivers and incorporate market intelligence into forecasting models
• Work closely with senior management to develop sales strategies aligned with business objectives and market dynamics
• Monitor sales performance against forecasts and targets, identifying deviations and implementing corrective actions as necessary
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations teams to align forecasting efforts with production planning, inventory management, and financial planning processes
• Conduct thorough market analysis to identify emerging trends, competitive threats, and growth opportunities
• Continuously evaluate and enhance sales planning and forecasting processes, leveraging automation, data analytics, and best practices
• Prepare and present sales forecasts, performance reports, and insights to senior management and key stakeholders
• Support special projects and initiatives related to sales planning, forecasting, and business development, as assigned
• Implement the Automotive Division's monthly sales, production, and stock planning to look for opportunities to improve sales and mix: optimizing revenue opportunities and mitigating any risks
• Support and contribute to a shift towards more predictive, data-led planning and forecasting, in turn driving more profitable decisions and better stock ordering and handling
• Deliver a central intelligence suite for all Al-Futtaim Automotive brands to drive consistency and rigor to sales planning and forecasting across Al-Futtaim owned brands and competitor brands

Market Forecasting & Insights

• Run and maintain the models and data to facilitate accurate and effective forecasting and planning, with central suites of reporting and intelligence for the Al-Futtaim Automotive brands
• Be an active contributor to the distribution of intelligence materials and engage the brand teams (notably Sales Planning) on all topics related to volumes and forecasts
• Ensure consistency (format, depth, accuracy) in the creation of reports and intelligence across all of Al-Futtaim Automotive
• Ensure consistency (format, depth, accuracy) in the creation and submission of volume forecasts across all of Al-Futtaim Automotive, ensuring rigorous questioning and analysis of forecasts versus budget and quarterly target positions (including sustainable action plans where required to rectify deviations)
• Initiate and lead discussions with key stakeholders across the business units to develop and execute actions to grow sales revenue and mitigate risks
• Drive and evolve insightful market, competitor, and economic reporting, demonstrating a significant depth of knowledge and increasing the quality of information available to key stakeholders
• Lead the research and analysis of vehicle markets to deliver accurate forecasting of competitor actions and market trends in relation to sales planning, forecasting, and stock actions - identifying risks and opportunities for the Automotive Division and business units
• Prepare regular sales reports and presentations for senior management, highlighting key performance metrics, sales trends, and opportunities for growth

Budget Planning Cycle & Quarterly Reforecasts

• Work across the Automotive Division to agree the economic and market forecasts broken down by segment and subsegment, and provide guidance and planning templates for the business units to undertake their short and mid-term volume planning
• Analyse business unit planning sales volumes and challenge the sales planning teams in order to optimise vehicle mix, profitability, production, and stock. Contribute to the annual budget sales planning process across the division, providing clear direction and controls that influence the annual budget setting
• Optimise and maintain documents, files, and materials in relation to managing the consistent planning structure and governance for budget and planning cycle
• Work with stakeholders across Al-Futtaim Automotive on shifts to more predictive, automated, and accurate planning capability through better data utilization and models (with external support where required)

Planning & Process Management

• Provide regular sales forecasts and sales, production, and stock reports to senior management for performance tracking purposes
• Assess business unit sales opportunities and risks using sales and stock simulations. The purpose is to identify revenue growth opportunities and risks, achieve ideal stock indices, and reduce aging stock
• Implement process change and improved data capability across the Al-Futtaim Automotive brands to enable a shift towards predictive forecasting, working collaboratively with stakeholders to access the data, analyse, model, and activate automated or semi-automated models and intelligence

Required skills to be successful:

• Knowledge of predictive forecasting models and automation methodologies for sales planning
• Performance reporting and visualization (including underlying data integrity)
• Excellent analytical skills, with strong attention to detail to identify key trends
• Focus on driving commercial results through the management of intelligent and measurable KPIs
• Strong oral and written communication skills with proven ability to influence others and negotiate outcomes
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• Self-starter with the ability to take ideas from creation to delivery through a complex organization
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
• Excellent commercial acumen and awareness, including automotive market trends and emerging consumer trends

About the Team

The Planning Manager will be reporting to the Pricing Manager.

What equips you for the role:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in pricing or costing function essential
• Bachelor's degree in accounting or similar fields
• Strong communication skills
• Self-motivated, analytical, team player
• Experience in automotive is a plus

We're here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click "apply": Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, and excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.

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.