Operational Excellence Manager | Al-Futtaim Automotive | Business Planning

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:

Al Futtaim Automotive is a leader in the Middle East Automotive landscape, operating an umbrella of brands across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

We are seeking an Operational Excellence Manager to help drive forward our spirit of continuous improvement and operational excellence. You will be highly knowledgeable in process improvement frameworks and principles and you will take this knowledge into your day to day job.

You will also be comfortable engaging with stakeholders of all levels across our markets, brands and dealers. Within the team, you will be the lynchpin for how we engage and gather feedback from our people and your skills of change management will ensure that all of the programmes and initiatives we deliver address a direct issue/opportunity with clear measurement to ensure successful delivery and long term impact.

Your approach will also extend to the performance management of our dealerships. You will be able to source data, create standardisation and use the data/reporting to have performance conversations with dealers and drive incremental improvement with every conversation and visit you undertake.

The role exists to:
- Communicate and govern programmes that we deploy to our markets, brands and dealerships
- Oversee the change management of our businesses (governance, engagement, impact)
- Be the conduit between the shop floor and the head office (clear two way communication and teamwork)
- Deliver the quantifiable value of process change and improvement (with Process Value Managers)
- Develop a culture of continuous process improvement across operations

This role reports to the Head of Quality and sits within a wider team responsible for:
- Process & quality improvement
- Performance management - HQ and dealer teams
- Product lifecycle & pricing
- Sales planning

The role is exciting and the successful applicant will take a leading role in driving our businesses forward.

What you will do:

Process Improvement
- Identify areas for improvement within existing processes, policies and DOAs (approval flows/RACI)
- Monitor and analyze process performance metrics to identify inefficiencies (on the ground)

Project Management
- Lead and manage projects aimed at improving operational efficiency
- Coordinate with cross-functional teams to implement changes (with clear direction and data tracking)

Data Analysis and Reporting
- Collect and analyze data related to operational performance.
- Generate reports and dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Provide insights and recommendations based on data analysis.

Training and Development
- Develop training materials and conduct workshops (to drive best practices)
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the organization

Quality Assurance
- Implement quality control measures and best practices (in line with Manufacturer and Al Futtaim standards)
- Conduct visits/ assessments to ensure consistency and growth across all of our operations

Change Management
- Lead change management initiatives to support new processes and technologies
- Initiate stronger relations between head office and the wider teams through Change Champion programmes

Cost Reduction
- Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency gains across our markets, brands and dealers
- Implement cost-reduction strategies (govern, plan, communicate, implement, sustain)

Risk Management & Audit
- Lead and govern the action and closure of identified audit actions (including governance/structure)
- Identify potential risks associated with operational changes across our markets, brands and dealers
- Develop risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans (with quantified impact analysis)

- Minimum 5 years' experience in related filed
- Experience in operating process value analysis methodologies
- Experience in running complex process improvement
- Experience in operating data visualization tools

About the Team:
You will be reporting to Head of Quality

What equips you for the role:
- A business or technical university degree is preferred. A background in Change Management or hands on experience in delivering large scale operational initiatives in complex environments would be beneficial and support the candidate with creating and managing the ask of this role.
- Minimum 5 years experience working in highly structured, process led organisations
- Proven examples of operating process value analysis methodologies and quantification of upsides
- Proven examples of running complex process improvement in a multi-functional environment
- Comfortable operating data visualization tools (ie PowerBI)
- Comfortable creating analysis and management level briefing documents and materials

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.

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.