Senior Planning Manager | Al-Futtaim Automotive | Business Planning

Job description / Role

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 a detail orientated Senior Planning Manager to execute a robust, data led approach to forecasting, planning and profitability. This will cover new vehicles, used vehicles and overall performance management and reporting across our markets, brands and dealers. You will form part of a central function with oversight across all of our Al Futtaim Automotive brands and your efforts will ensure consistency and accuracy in our sales planning.

You will always maintain a focus on our overall profitability, ensuring the right level of supportive interrogation of our brand, model and mix level planning, whilst in parallel laying down the foundations and structure for better processes and governance.

This role reports to the Head of Sales Planning 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:

Market Forecasting & Insights:
- Run and maintain the models and data to facilitate accurate and effective forecasting and planning, with central suites of reporting and intelligence for the Al Futtaim Automotive brands
- Be an active contributor to the distribution of intelligence material(s) and engage the brand teams (notably Sales Planning) on all topics related to volumes and forecasts
- Ensure consistency (format, depth, accuracy) in the creation of reports and intelligence across all of Al Futtaim Automotive
- Ensure consistency (format, depth, accuracy) in the creation and submission of volume forecasts across all of Al Futtaim Automotive, ensuring rigorous questioning and analysis of forecasts vs budget and quarterly target positions (including sustainable action plans where required to rectify deviations)
- Initiate and lead discussions with key stakeholders across the business units to develop and execute actions to grow sales revenue and mitigate risks
- Drive and evolve insightful market / competitor and economic reporting, demonstrating a significant depth of knowledge and increasing the quality of information available to key stakeholders
- Lead the research and analysis of vehicle markets to deliver accurate forecasting of competitor actions and market trends in relation to sales planning, forecasting and stock actions - identifying risks and opportunities for the Automotive Division and business units
- Prepare regular sales reports and presentations for senior management, highlighting key performance metrics, sales trends, and opportunities for growth

Budget Planning Cycle & Quarterly Reforecasts:
- Work across the Automotive Division to agree the economic and market forecasts broken down by segment and subsegment + provide guidance / planning templates for the business units to undertake their short/mid term volume planning
- Analyse business unit planning sales volumes and challenge the sales planning teams in order to optimise vehicle mix, profitability, production and stock. Contribute to the annual budget sales planning process across the division, providing clear direction and controls that influence the annual budget setting
- Optimise and maintain documents/files/materials in relation to managing the consistent planning structure and governance for budget and planning cycles
- Work with stakeholders across Al Futtaim Automotive on shifts to more predictive, automated and accurate planning capability through better data utilization and models (with external support where required)

New Car Planning & Carflow:
- Provide regular sales forecasts and sales, production and stock reports to senior management for performance tracking purposes
- Assess business unit sales opportunities and risks using sales and stock simulations. The purpose is to identify revenue growth opportunities and risks, achieve ideal stock indices and reduce aging stock
- Implement process change and improved data capability across the Al Futtaim Automotive brands to enable a shift towards predictive forecasting, working collaboratively with stakeholders to access the data, analyse, model and activate automated/semi-automated models/intelligence
- Lead on the standardization and maturity of planning tools and processes for our developing markets and businesses (taking UAE approach as best practice)

Used Car Planning & Carflow:
- Lead the end to end used car planning cycle covering:
- Strategic outlook (3-5 year plan)
- Carflow
- Budget and forecast co-ordination
- Network planning
- Buyback and defleet controls (+ monitoring)
- Demo unit controls
- Provisions and impairments
- Residual values
- Market pricing and gross margin optimization
- Trade ins
- Performance reporting (inc. dashboards)

Performance Management:
- Lead the co-ordination and analysis of all board papers and related insights required for the General Manager of Commercial Performance & Lifecycle
- Oversee the transformation of data analysis and performance reporting for all aspects of:
- New vehicle planning and stock controls
- Used vehicle planning and stock controls
- Asset visibility (impairments, provisions, ageing)
- Discounting
- Incentives
- Accessories and add on products
- Lead management
- Financing and insurance
- Implement performance management governance and structure to set the right KPIs, the right baselines and the right uplift targets that keep our brand teams and dealer teams motivated and focused

Required Skills to be successful:
- Minimum 5 years' experience leading an Automotive Sales Planning role
- Expert knowledge and experience in volume planning across new and used vehicles
- Good knowledge of complete automotive business model and value chain
- Commercial acumen

About the Team:

You will be reporting to Head of Sales Planning

What equips you for the role:
- A business or technical university degree is preferred.
- Minimum 5 years' experience leading an Automotive Sales Planning role or similar role
- Expert knowledge and experience in volume planning across new and used vehicles
- Experience and expertise in the Automotive field is preferred with knowledge of complete automotive business model and value chain
- Commercial acumen, clear strategic thinking and ability to create buy-in and influence at a senior level (past experience as a Technical Assistant to board members would be desirable)
- Knowledge of predictive forecasting models and automation methodologies for sales planning
- Performance reporting and visualisation (including underlying data integrity)
- Excellent analytical skills, with strong attention to detail to identify key trends
- Focus on driving commercial results through the management of intelligent and measurable KPIs
- Strong oral and written communication skills with proven ability to influence others and negotiate outcomes
- Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
- Self-starter with the ability to take ideas from creation to delivery through a complex organisation
- Strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management skills
- Excellent commercial acumen and awareness; including automotive market trends and emerging consumer trends

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.