Regional General Manager Operations | Retail | Marks & Spencer MENA

Regional General Manager Operations | Retail | Marks & Spencer MENA

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 organisation 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 Regional General Manager Operations drives business profitability by maximizing sales, managing costs, and ensuring an exceptional customer shopping experience. He/she supports team growth to maintain high retail standards and exemplary customer service across all stores, ensuring a brand-aligned customer experience that delivers our customer promise.

What you will do

1. Drive sales, maximize profit and Business Steering
   1. Develop and execute strategic plans to achieve top-line growth and bottom-line profitability.
   2. Drive the retail agenda in line with commercial priorities, taking a fully integrated cross-functional view to secure the long-term business direction of the markets and contributing insights in order to secure the overall performance of the business.
   3. Contribute to the Business overall direction, business plan process, business transformation and change agenda, with the M&S Leadership team.
2. Deliver retail agenda
   1. Lead retail strategy to maximize daily commercial opportunities, driving both sales growth and profitability aligned with business objectives.
   2. Drive operational excellence and efficiency across all stores to enhance customer experience and performance.
   3. Ensure consistent adherence to high operational standards and compliance with local regulations in all store operations.
   4. Oversee and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to meet market/region specific commercial compliance and process requirements.
   5. Implement operational strategies to optimize resources and enhance business operations.
   6. Establish KPIs for monitoring performance and driving continuous improvement.
3. Customer Experience, Marketing, VM
   1. Champion a customer-centric approach to enhance and maintain high standards in the in-store experience.
   2. Strengthen brand representation by increasing Blue presence across all stores.
   3. Ensure a seamless, positive customer experience across all channels, consistently aligning with the M&S customer promise.
   4. Set clear, ambitious targets for all marketing activities, monitor performance, and adapt plans based on insights.
   5. Collaborate to gather insights and refine strategies for effective marketing and branding of new and existing products.
4. Corporate & Brand Management
   1. Foster brand values and consistent practices across all stores, ensuring alignment with M&S standards and corporate governance.
   2. Collaborate closely with the brand principal to strengthen partnerships, address challenges, and drive commercial priorities.
   3. Set and uphold operational standards across stores, maintaining brand integrity and adapting customer experience strategies to local market needs.
5. Team Management
   1. Benchmark people KPIs with HR to drive productivity and hold line managers accountable for performance and continuous improvement.
   2. Ensure succession for General Manager role is a key responsibility, by identifying critical roles and developing talent.

Required skills to be successful

• Strategic, analytical and tactical abilities.
• Proven leadership abilities and lead by example.
• Budget management skills with a focus on value for money/return on investment.
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics.

What equips you for the role

• Experience of leading retail and commercial operations in a sizeable retailer with extensive technical knowledge and related experience in Food, Clothing.
• Strong commercial knowledge in Clothing and Food.
• In-depth knowledge of diverse business functions and principles (e.g. buying, supply chain, finance, customer service etc.).
• Ability and experience in setting, monitoring and reporting against targets to key internal and external stakeholders.
• Managed to deliver Best in Class Customer Service/Store Standards & Operational Excellence.