Marketing Manager – GCC | IKEA | Service Office | Jebel Ali | Dubai

No two days are the same at Al-Futtaim, no matter what role you have. Our work is driven by the desire to make a difference and to have a meaningful impact with the goal of enriching everyday lives . Take our engaging and supportive work environment and couple it with a company culture that recognises and rewards quality performance, and what do you get? The chance to push the limits every single day.

As a humble family business that started on the banks of the Dubai Creek in the 1930s, Al-Futtaim has expanded to a presence in 31 countries, a portfolio of over 200 companies, and 42,000 employees. You’ll find us in industries ranging from automotive and retail, to finance and real estate, and connecting people with international names like Lexus, Ikea, and Adidas. Our team is proudly multicultural and multinational because that kind of diverse representation gives us the global mindset to grow and impact the people, markets, and trends around us.

About Al-Futtaim IKEA

GROWING TOGETHER…

We are a values-driven company with a passion for life at home. Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people.

Al-Futtaim IKEA holds the franchise rights for IKEA in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

About You

You want to lead, inspire and build a strong team. You have excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and appropriately with others at all levels. You have the ability to effectively juggle multiple projects at one time. You want to create a better life for many individuals at their homes.

What’s more, we believe that you have the following knowledge, capabilities and motivation:

• Live and share the IKEA values every day
• 7 to 10 years digital marketing experience in a management role, ideally from retail industry in GCC region
• Extensive experience in digital marketing to lead the digital marketing agenda, loyalty/crm marketing
• Strong experience in finance and budget management, knowledge of consumer behaviour to develop effective communication and media communication and marketing techniques
• Ability to evaluate creative solutions, based on IKEA values and give clear feedback to marketing team and external agencies
• Ability to set and implement plans, set budgets and follow up goals
• Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and appropriately with others at all levels
• Strong influencing, interpersonal and communication skills – particularly stakeholder management
• Proven digital passion, experience and success
• Customer-focused commercial awareness – “gets” what is important in a Retail business

About The Role

You strategically lead the marketing of IKEA to help transform the company into a leading omni-channel retailer. You have overall responsibility and accountability to build the brand using external communication channels, help position IKEA as a market leader, help acquire the biggest market share and make IKEA the natural first choice for consumers for home furnishing. You support the business in existing markets and help the development of the business in new markets. You lead the customer engagement – loyalty agenda to insure the success transformation.

Key Specific Accountabilities

Brand Management

• Manage the brand to ensure that the IKEA Brand identity, Brand values and key benefits are communicated properly and contribute to fulfilling the IKEA concept & Brand objectives, in all digital and traditional channels and all our markets
• Using traditional and digital tools and channels to ensure awareness of the IKEA Brand; understand the IKEA concept; impression of the IKEA range & IKEA personality; Position of the IKEA Brand; preference of the IKEA Brand.
• Liaise and maintain good relation with the “principle” (Inter IKEA Systems BV) on marketing and communication related projects and matters at the same time ensuring the company’s own “local” business objectives are met.
• Using all external channels to ensure top of mind awareness of the IKEA brand.
• Ensure the alignment of internal and external
• Contribute to the yearly business plan.

Strategic Planning

• Create and implement the IKEA 3 years marketing strategy to achieve the brand objectives as well as the IKEA business plan.
• Contribute to the creation of IKEA long term business and yearly plan
• Contribute to creating the business calendar for the yearly activities
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of the home furnishing market (competitors, digital and marketing communication trends, how people live) in order to promote and develop the IKEA identity.
• Plan all marketing communication projects and campaigns, oversee the execution of all these plans to make sure they meet the deadline for all existing and new markets.
• Guide the marketing communication team to create digital, external and PR – Campaign yearly strategies
• Lead the marketing team to prepare and implement the new stores opening campaigns, based TTP and business strategies.
• Develop a Consumer and Customer Engagement approach/strategy and plan that covers mass communication across paid/owned/ earned channels, digital/social engagement, personalised and one to one engagement solutions as well as media and loyalty performance tools, in cooperation and integrated with key stakeholders.

External Communications

• Work with all the business functions and lead the marketing team to ensure the successful planning and execution of business calendar activities together with the Communication Manager
• Media management on macro and micro level to create a comprehensive media plans for all activities
• Work and manage creative, media and all other agencies to create effective external marketing communications that fulfil the business and marketing objectives of the business
• Work with GM marketing and communication and comm&in to ensure the synergy of all communication externally and in-store
• Lead the marketing team and local store marketing managers to keep the brand on trend and following communication best practices.

CRM – Loyalty Management

• Drive the design, execution and improvement of Consumer and Customer Engagement frameworks and plans, covering all the media processes of paid, owned, and earned media (including Commercial PR, influencer marketing and social media integration).
• Build an innovative, customer centric loyalty approach and loyalty management schemes including the development of IKEA’s Member Clubs (IKEA FAMILY and IKEA Business) to increase customer life time value and the emotional connection with IKEA Brand, in line with Global Frameworks and guidelines.
• Overall coordination and alignment of Consumer and Customer Engagement activities with the Communication team, Matrix counterparts in the stores and the Web team

Digital and Omni-channel

• Work with digital and website team to develop a comprehensive digital strategy for in and out of store
• Ensure the brand full exposure on search engines, social media and in all different external digital touchpoints
• Work with all internal and external stakeholders to build the brand omni—channel experience to redefine IKEA customer and shopping experience
• Create a digital engaging platforms to drive brand engagement and loyalty
• Ensure that the IKEA brand is always staying on trend, and ensure the constant knowledge update of all internal stakeholders
• Promote and support the online shopping sales and help create the online shopping yearly strategy
• Work with the web team to ensure that the IKEA website and apps are always updated with global and local priorities
• Work with the digital marketing specialist to ensure the best use of social media for brand engagement and loyalty

Public Relations

• Work with PR and external communications specialist to promote IKEA sustainability and CSR agenda
• Create a yearly PR strategy to full IKEA brand objectives
• Use PR to support all business calendar activities
• Create talk of the town activations to keep IKEA at top of mind
• Utilize PR channel to create word of mouth and earned media value
• Work to create long term relationships between the brand and journalists and bloggers in all markets

People and Development

• Ensure clear career growth and comprehensive development plans to all marketing communication teams and store marketing mangers
• Grow the competency of the team and ensure that more of the internal vacancies are filled internally
• Ensure team engagement and well being
• Act as the ambassador of change to omni-channel environment for all internal stakeholders
• Ensure the best practices are followed when hiring new recruits, which should fit with the team needs and business requirements
• Matrix partner to the store, support and coach the store IKEA Family manager/Local Marketing Manager in the area of competence and succession (i.e. store reviews, recruitment and training).

Budgetting & Finance Return on Investment

• Prepare and control the annual marketing budget for all markets so all activities planned are carried out and goals are achieved
• Measure the success of communications through analysis of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and research studies (eg. Brand capital results, customer satisfaction index, visitor performance and sales)
• Prepare and control all preopening marketing budgets for all new markets and new stores.

A few more things for you

Interest? Then please join us for a rewarding career journey!

We are here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click, “apply”: Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our Values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.

Apply now