Retail Operations Manager

Job description / Role

Company Overview

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 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

The Retail Operations Manager is responsible for driving strategic retail initiatives and optimizing operational productivity to achieve outstanding revenue growth and exceptional customer service. The role entails providing leadership and guidance to showroom managers and overseeing the commercial development of the business by maintaining high professional retail standards across all showrooms. A strong focus is placed on maximizing sales and profitability, ensuring operational standards, managing people performance, leveraging market intelligence, controlling inventory, ensuring effective visual merchandising, optimizing store space, planning promotions, and facilitating store openings and closures. This position demands a blend of strategic oversight, people management, and execution of retail operations to realize both sales objectives and customer satisfaction.

What You Will Do

• Maximize sales productivity by driving KPIs such as Sales per Square Foot, Average Transaction Value (ATV), Conversion Rate, and Upselling.
• Analyze strengths and weaknesses per store using financial Profit & Loss reports and provide corrective action plans.
• Deploy sales budgets with showrooms on a monthly basis and manage controllable operating costs within budgetary guidelines.
• Ensure showroom managers conduct effective communication sessions regarding sales targets and performance.
• Identify internal and external commercial opportunities within each showroom.
• Guide showroom managers on effective staff deployment on shop floors.
• Monitor and manage rosters, leaves, and store rotations to maximize store and staff productivity.
• Provide support with accurate replenishment plans and monitor stock allocator executions.
• Drive brand performance on a monthly basis in each location.
• Propose incentive schemes for frontline teams to motivate and boost sales.

• Inculcate a culture of customer centricity within frontline and reporting teams.
• Ensure all stores exceed service levels expected by customers and enhance shopping experience.
• Implement and manage DSES Service Standards, aiming for consistently high scores across stores.
• Manage customer escalations ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Ensure adherence to brand visual merchandising standards across showrooms.
• Manage store operations, backend retail administration, and SOPs for operational efficiency.
• Ensure data capture and e-receipts targets are met at retail level.
• Ensure health and safety regulations are followed by showroom managers.
• Monitor housekeeping standards to maintain professional store image.
• Ensure stores submit petty cash statements and maintain a monthly maintenance tracker.
• Coordinate with FM corporate teams for repair and maintenance works.
• Plan and schedule regular R&M jobs for store visits to complete pending repairs.
• Formulate and implement strategies for optimizing sales and customer service through initiatives like staff uniforms, in-store music, and fragrances.
• Ensure strict adherence to SOPs for audit reports.
• Conduct quarterly retail operations checks.

• Develop retail skills within the team by direction, coaching, and support to achieve targets.
• Motivate and inspire collaborative, high-performing teams.
• Optimize MPC planning for sales and operational efficiency within the budget.
• Collaborate with HRBP for selection and recruitment of diverse talent.
• Identify training needs and plan annual training calendar in coordination with L&D, HRBP, and BMs.
• Ensure selling, customer service, and brand trainings are conducted regularly.
• Manage frontline team performance with mentoring and coaching for commercial understanding.
• Ensure showroom managers understand their performance and accountabilities.
• Conduct regular meetings and coaching to enhance team performance.
• Share and seek feedback from teams for growth plans and management expectations.
• Plan team activities to boost motivation and teamwork.
• Formulate a succession plan with management for talent pipeline.
• Conduct regular performance management of store teams.

• Provide management with market insight on competition, sales, footprint, and expansions.
• Liaise with brand managers for implementation of brand strategies at showrooms.
• Ensure relevant management information is communicated to regional showroom managers.
• Conduct operational meetings and showroom visits monthly.
• Ensure showroom managers conduct regular communication meetings with their teams.
• Coordinate with marketing, finance, logistics, store development, and services for effective operations.

• Monitor and control store inventory ensuring regular brand inventories.
• Maximize stock replenishments through proactive showroom and brand manager relationships.
• Display and highlight slow-moving stocks and manage stock security SOPs.
• Ensure zero pilferage in annual inventory audits and control shop floor ageing stocks.

• Oversee and ensure implementation of brand visual merchandising standards.
• Implement visual graphics and key merchandise highlights for incremental sales.
• Monitor seasonal VM plans with budget control.

• Agree on brand mix and space allocation within showrooms to maximize ROI.
• Plan space optimization using brand contribution and retail density reports.
• Review store layouts to maximize sales.
• Provide guidance and support during setup and merchandising of new showrooms.

• Plan retail marketing calendar and seasonal promotions with marketing team.
• Manage annual sale events with marketing and BM teams.
• Ensure promotions and campaigns are implemented across all locations.
• Ensure store teams understand promotion mechanics.
• Secure ED permits for promotional rollout.
• Partner with banks, government bodies, and companies for promotions.

• Prepare IAN documents for Capex approval and ensure timely completion of store projects.
• Liaise with related teams for store openings and closures.
• Monitor project expenses to stay within Capex budget.

• Manage additional projects such as mega sales, concession store management, CRM implementation, and brand displays according to standards.

Required Skills to Be Successful

• Leadership and team management skills with ability to inspire performance.
• Strategic planning and execution capabilities in retail operations.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective stakeholder management.
• Proficiency in data analysis and use of KPIs for driving sales and performance.

What Qualifies You for the Role

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in retail operations management with experience in team leadership.
• Proven track record of achieving sales objectives and optimizing operational efficiency in a retail setting.
• Strong analytical and strategic planning skills with proficiency in financial performance management.

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.