Workshop Planner

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 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 Workshop Planner is responsible for managing and controlling workshop planning to ensure the optimal allocation of technicians, lifts, and resources to meet daily operational targets. The role involves ensuring a balanced workload distribution, accurate job card scheduling, and continuous communication between reception, parts, and workshop teams. The position is crucial for achieving maximum productivity and customer satisfaction by optimizing workshop throughput and revenue performance, while aligning with OEM and company standards.

What You Will Do

• Plan and distribute daily workload among technicians based on skill level, job priority, and available bays.
• Review and monitor progress of all active job cards to ensure timely completion and avoid delays.
• Coordinate with service advisors, parts, and DMTs to ensure smooth job flow and minimize idle time.
• Monitor and update DMS scheduling board, ensuring real-time job status accuracy.
• Support Aftersales Manager in tracking workshop KPIs such as efficiency, productivity, and recovery rate.
• Ensure warranty and internal repair jobs are properly scheduled to reduce bottlenecks.
• Maintain HSSE standards in the workshop and ensure safety compliance during operations.

Required Skills to Be Successful

• Strong communication and coordination ability.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and DMS systems.
• Commitment to HSSE and operational excellence.
• Data-driven approach to planning and reporting.

What Qualifies You for the Role

• Diploma in Automotive Technology, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 5-7 years of automotive customer service/reception experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory role.
• Knowledge of workshop operations, job card flow, and DMS (SAP, Kerridge, Autoline preferred).
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

About Al-Futtaim Automotive

A major division of the UAE-based Al-Futtaim Group of companies, Al-Futtaim Automotive is an industry leader with presence in 10 countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Our core business activities at Al-Futtaim Automotive include distribution, manufacturing, leasing, and aftersales, and we are firmly established as the regional representative of some of the world’s most iconic automotive brands: Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Volvo, and RAM.

We are driven by a customer-centric approach, constantly pushing the boundaries on innovation, quality standards, and value-added service across our vast universe of customers—from motoring enthusiasts to fleet operators to contractors. Our mission is to become the leader in custom-made mobility solutions by delivering nothing less than world-class omni-channel experiences.

We channel our local expertise and global trust to deliver one of the most comprehensive portfolios of mobility products and solutions, from passenger cars to SUVs, electric vehicles to high-performance motorbikes, commercial vehicles to industrial and construction equipment.

What keeps the company moving forward is a 9,000-member strong team, with inspiring possibilities for growth throughout the career path. This is Al-Futtaim Automotive and we empower talent to move forward.

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.