Sr Manager Project Management & Strategy AlFuttaim Finance Automotive 316 views

Job Requisition ID: 160809

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:

Al Futtaim Finance (AFF) is an integral part of Al Futtaim Automotive’s ability to offer mobility solutions to grow the automotive brands.
The Head of Business Development & Strategy will be responsible for leading and delivering key projects and initiatives planned in the 3yr AFF Strategy.

–    Product development: Leading a product team to enhance or develop new mobility products
–    Project management: Leading a project management team to execute new projects/initiatives in-line with the Al Futtaim Auto 3yr Strategy
–    Process Management: Lead a process management team to enhance business processes in-line with Al Futtaim group initiatives
–    Trade Cycle Management (TCM): Leading a TCM team to develop and execute TCM strategies that increase customer retention across all brands
–    Partnerships: Lead a partnerships team to enhance existing partnerships and develop new partnerships that promote growth.

This individual will also be an integral member of the AFF Senior Management team providing key insight on the business and supporting to deliver high priority initiatives across the business.
This individual will need to consult AFF divisions as well as the wider Al Futtaim Group to ensure the mobility products offered through all AFF entities are market leading and supporting the overall objective to sell more vehicles and retain more customers.

The Head of Business Development & Strategy is a key player when it comes to providing expert advice on products, finance structures and enhancing performance within a financial services business.

What you will do:

Leadership:
•    Lead the PMO, Process, Product and TCM team, hiring and managing staffing requirements
•    Oversee the delegation of work to Project, Process, Product, Trade Cycle Manager and Subject Matter experts
•    High-level of engagement and involvement of the team in multiple areas across the business.
•    Set annual performance targets for individuals and the team and conduct performance reviews.
Partnerships:
•    Establishing new partnerships in other regions to expand the Al Futtaim Finance footprint of Financial Services, Rental & Leasing and Subscription into new markets
•    Negotiating new partnerships to establish mutually beneficial relationships to support the growth of AFF
•    Developing strategies to increase brand awareness and grow audiences for specific partners’ products or services
•    Evaluating the performance of existing partnerships to identify opportunities for improvement
•    Developing and managing effective marketing campaigns to promote specific partners’ products and services
•    Communicating with partner companies on behalf of the organization to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the status of partnerships
•    Developing and implementing strategic plans that align with partner goals and objectives
•    Monitoring market trends and competitor activities to identify potential opportunities for new partnerships

Governance of partnerships:
•    Actively manage all SLA’s and ensure these are being met
•    Actively manage all committees to ensure the partnership principles are being met
•    Track and report on open issues, agreed tasks & risks
•    Managing relationships with partners to ensure the results of the collaboration is meeting the objectives set-out by Al Futtaim
•    Establishing effective communication channels with partners to foster productive working relationships
Product Management:
•    Lead the Product Management team and operating model based on the Al Futtaim Group guidelines
•    Ensure the Al Futtaim Group Standard for product management capabilities, certifications and qualifications for Product Managers, success measurement criteria, methodologies, tools to be used, etc.
•    Lead the development of new products and services for all financial services entities
•    Develop a product management structure that supports launch of new brands and mobility solutions
Project and Process Management:
•    Lead the PMO and operating model based on the Al Futtaim Group guidelines
•    Ensure the Al Futtaim Group Standard for project & process management capabilities, certifications and qualifications for Project & Process Managers, success measurement criteria, methodologies, tools to be used, etc.
•    Create a ‘Centre of Excellence’ to nurture project and process management practitioners and share knowledge to the Al Futtaim Finance business divisions of Finance, Rental & Leasing and Subscription, across all countries.

Project and Process Management Monitoring & Reporting:
•    Summarize and report overall program status progress
•    Manage the issues, risks and dependencies, required to articulate mitigations, resolutions plans and drive path forward for high-level work items and work with service delivery leaders to take corrective action as needed
•    Oversee Project and Process Managers for the delivery of projects/programs on time, within the scope  and on budget
•    Provide strategic recommendation to enhance the success of programs/projects
Trade Cycle Management :
•    Design a clear sales and marketing Trade Cycle Management (TCM) strategy for Al Futtaim Group in order to increase retention
•    Develop TCM approach with all Al Futtaim stakeholders (departments of Brand, AFF, COEs) and partners for effective planning and mutual understanding
•    Develop a dedicated implementation plan for TCM products
•    Develop effective TCM KPI’s tracking tools
•    Design system(s), processes and collateral to increase customer centricity
•    Work closely with banking partner, Brands and COEs to deliver an aligned customer approach
•    Communicate and implement processes, policies and systems in areas of responsibility and monitor their respect
•    Be accountable for defining and driving change for in-life customer value by delivering solutions that meet customer needs and objectives
•    To organize his/her activities to have a permanent watch at the market evolution in terms of new financial offers in cooperation with the Brands

Trade Cycle Management Governance:
•    Establish a ‘center of excellence’ specializing in developing, managing, and driving new trade cycle management activities to support the Al Futtaim Finance, Brands and COEs to achieve their Retention goals
•    Establish and maintain and regular reporting and monitoring of all Retention KPIs to drive performance
•    Establish and operate a regular trade cycle management forum with all Al Futtaim Brands & COEs to drive joint retention activities.
•    Monitor Retention performance and develop clear goals, objectives and actions to improve all retention KPIs across Al Futtaim Auto Group

Required Skills to be successful:

Minimum Experience: 
•    Minimum of 10 years’ experience in dealership and automotive finance operations
•    Strong sales skills and retail sales experience
•    Proven track record of managing partnerships and influencing change amongst their C-suite
•    Proven track record of turning around low performing partnerships into high performing partners
•    People management and leadership experience with sales teams
•    Proven track record of influencing change within a Senior Management Team
•    Experience in building a PMO structure and managing Project Managers
•    Experience in building a Process management structure and managing Process Managers
•    In depth understanding of Trade Cycle Management in showroom and head office level
•    Proven record of leading TCM managers in showrooms to establish and deliver on the TCM objectives

Job-Specific Skills: 
•    Auto- captive experience
•    Product management experience
•    Full working knowledge of auto finance process
•    Full working knowledge of captive financing processes and products
•    Display strategic thinking capabilities, with abilities to juggle multiple goals and deadlines in the context of the big picture
•    Team Leadership & Development: Ability to mentor, coach and effectively transfer expertise to others
•    Facilitation, Negotiation & Problem Resolution Skills: Ability to build a strong network and relationships at executive levels with technology and solutions, customers, and vendor groups.
•    Ability to identify problems and be effective in problem resolution.
•    Ability to make a strategic recommendation to enhance the success of the projects and report to senior management on progress and development of projects with a clear indication of issues risks mitigation and dependencies.
•    Resilience and resourcefulness
•    Budgeting management skills

Behavioural Competencies: 
•    Leadership, action & consensus driven

What equips you for the role:

Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge:
•    University graduate with a degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or similar
•    Outstanding interpersonal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
•    Strong quantitative and analytical skills
•    Creative and can work under pressure
•    Knowledge about current market and customer trends
•    Understanding of the automotive sales process and finance offerings in mature markets

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 – right 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 & construction equipment.
What keeps the company moving forward is a 9000-member strong team, with inspiring possibilities for growth, throughout the career path. This is Al-Futtaim Automotive and we empower talent to move forward.