Head of Operational Quality | Al Futtaim Automotive | Operations Performance & Planning

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:

This role reports to the GM – Operational Performance within the wider Business Operations function of Al Futtaim Automotive. The role holder will be accountable for creating a suite of standards for Al Futtaim Automotive and managing a team to ensure the maintenance of such standards across central teams, our brands, markets and branch operations, whilst in parallel rigorously assessing our processes and ways of working to identify and unlock efficiency and value.

What you will do:

Operating Standards

• Define and manage consistent operating standards across Al Futtaim Automotive covering central functions and our network of dealerships in the UAE and international markets
• Define and manage checks and measures processes for ensuring adherence to operating standards and creating tooling/ approaches to lower the barrier to adherence and make it easier for our people to be successful
• Assess and onboard agency to support in the creation and refreshes of operating standards moving forward

Brand/Market Standards

• Be the central (and neutral) point of co-ordination to ensure that best practice is shared and experiences are optimized across the markets and brands
• Review and assess OEM directives and standards mandates (in conjunction with Managing Directors) to understand what is required for operating standards
• Does not extend to network strategy and/or CI standards

Operational Processes & SOPs

• Create overarching framework for how operating processes are captured, reviewed and deployed, creating an efficient delivery pipeline that engages people throughout each stage to drive buy in and accountability
• Oversee routine reviews on organizational RACI across Al Futtaim Automotive teams and functions, ensuring that we have clarity on who is accountable for each step of the experience
• Manage Process Value Manager(s) in the review of processes and the identification of areas we can improve how we operate as a business:
• Identify efficiencies
• Remove waste and non fit for purpose process steps/activities
• Quantification and attribution of fiscal values to the work undertaken in process assessment

Training & Change Management

• Curate a programme to reinvigorate our people around operational change and high performance (Change Champion Network), enabling our people to actively contribute to ideation and be rewarded for contributing to business success via their ideas/efforts
• Including establishing the framework for way of working, interactions, accreditations/pathways, reward and steering/coaching
• Work with Al Futtaim Training Centre and trainers on a high performance programme for how we can accelerate the capability of our people
• Work with Al Futtaim Training Centre and trainers on a high performance programme for how we can reduce the barrier/skill level required to operate in our businesses and dealerships by encouraging pilots and deployments of better tools, process, checklists, bitesize training and ways of doing business.

Mystery Shop Programme

• Upgrade and optimize the existing Al Futtaim Mystery Shop programme (for new, used and aftersales)
• Upgrade and optimize the existing Al Futtaim NPS (Net Promoter Score) programme, including the establishment of effective used vehicle NPS tracking
• Create proposal and business case for ‘back office’ mystery shop activities (ie review of our central functions) to ensure we have visibility of the Al Futtaim Automotive end to end picture (Contact Centre, COE operations, Finance etc)
• With clear, data led output to enable change to happen
• Oversee and steer mystery shopping agency(ies) in the routine programme delivery, ensuring the most effective inputs and outputs for our spend

Required Skills to be successful:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience
• Process management experience
• Business improvement expert
• Operational process planning and execution

About the Team:

You will be working in a fast-paced and diverse environment, reporting directly to the GM – Operational Performance & Planning. This newly established function is responsible for creating and maintaining the highest operational standards across our business to create greater profitability for our business. Our remit is wide. Across the team, we work with central executive leadership and every Managing Director of our portfolio of automotive brands to deliver programmes and initiatives that have a direct impact on the experiences of our customers and our staff.

The culture within the team is dynamic and entrepreneurial. Across all of our team members we actively foster inquisitiveness, ideas and challenges to the status quo. We know that the operations of ‘traditional automotive’ is shifting and we want new joiners to make their mark and play a big role in how we achieve success in the coming years as part of a multi-billion AED global business. With this in mind, you do not need to have worked in automotive all of your career. We are much more focused on your talents, capabilities and motivation to roll up your sleeves and get things done.

If you think you are up for the challenge, can make a mark and see your ideas through to fruition, then you would be a perfect fit for the team and for our organization.

What equips you for the role:

Education:

• A business or technical university degree is preferred.

Minimum Experience and Knowledge:

• Minimum 10 years overall experience in a multinational environment in leading brands (automotive not essential)
• Quantifiable experience of driving operational improvement across an organization(s), clearly exhibiting the upside generation and impact on EBIT (via revenue upside or cost optimization efforts)
• Highly skilled in operational process planning and execution, with clear examples of leading operational teams in the planning and delivery of continuous improvement backlogs (+ training functions desirable)
• The candidate should have experience leading teams, both through direct line management and in a matrix set up
• Experience and clear examples of creating and delivering operating standards in a global, multi-market and multi-brand context (standards strategy, buy-in, execution, digestible materials creation, change management)
• Commercial acumen, clear strategic thinking and ability to create buy-in and influence at a senior level.

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.