Associate Director - PR & Communications

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 role will play a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining the public image of our AF Real-estate. The role holder will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive PR campaigns, managing media relationships, and ensuring effective internal and external communication strategies.

What you will do
- Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies aligned with the company's overall goals and objectives.
- Ensure consistency in messaging across all communication channels.
- Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and influencers.
- Proactively pitch and secure media coverage for company announcements and real estate projects.
- Plan and execute strategic PR campaigns to enhance the company's visibility and reputation.
- Monitor and measure the success of PR initiatives, adjusting strategies as needed.
- Develop and implement crisis communication plans to effectively manage and mitigate potential issues.
- Oversee internal communication strategies to ensure consistent and transparent messaging within the organization.
- Coordinate with various departments to disseminate important information to employees.
- Lead the development of engaging and relevant content, including press releases, articles, blog posts, and other communication materials.
- Collaborate with the marketing team and the business leaders to align content with overall marketing strategies.
- Work closely with the events team to develop communication plans for company events and initiatives.
- Ensure effective communication before, during, and after events
- Monitor and manage the online and offline reputation of the company.
- Respond to inquiries, comments, and reviews in a timely and professional manner
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including executives, marketing, and sales teams, to align PR and communication strategies with business goals.
- Optimize spending on media relations activities, including press releases, media kits, and events, to maximize impact.
- Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of media placements and partnerships.
- Develop, justify, and manage the annual PR and communication budget.
- Allocate resources effectively to support various communication initiatives, campaigns, and events.
- Provide regular financial reports on PR and communication expenses, detailing budget versus actual spending and variances.
- Communicate financial performance and impact to relevant stakeholders, including executive leadership.

Required Skills to be successful
- Proven track record of successful media relations and PR campaign management.
- In-depth understanding of the real estate industry, market trends, dynamics and crisis communication experience.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

What equips you for the role
- Minimum 10+ years of experience working with developers and agencies.
- Bachelor's degree in public relations, Communications, Journalism, or a related field. Master's degree is a plus.

About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate
The real estate development and operations arm of Al-Futtaim, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio across MENA. With high-quality residential, business, retail, tourism, educational and healthcare developments, the master developer caters to the diverse needs of cities and communities in the region. From origination, conception, development, sales, procurement and construction of mega-projects and the leasing, operation and management of these projects after completion, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) has been developing and managing owned landbanks, unlocking the economic potential of the region and contributing to future development for more than 40 years.

Our focus is to enable and invest in meaningful relationships to make our properties the best places to live and work, build additional products and services and enable partnerships to create true value to our customers throughout their entire experience with us.

AFGRE is responsible for master planning of all projects in its portfolio, including two large scale mixed use destinations: Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City.

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.