Assistant Communication & Interior Design Manager | Retail | IKEA RSO Jebel Ali

Job Requisition ID: 159180 

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 A”rab 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 Assistant Communication & Interior Design Manager leads, develops, and inspires the Com&In team to increase interest in home furnishing and demand for solutions and knowledge in the local market.Responsible for store layout, range presentation, and communication to position the IKEA Brand as a leader in home life.Supports the Com&In manager in ensuring smooth operations aligning the department's action plan with the store to create an inspiring shopping experience and maximize sales.This role requires overseeing resources, managing a budget, and supporting sales through creative store solutions.

What You Will Do:

Range Presentation and Design

• Lead and inspire the store Com&In team to use knowledge of IKEA home furnishing and people's life at home to grow the business.
• Be the creative leader by initiating and facilitating workshops to generate creative directions.
• Secure vitality and seasonality in the store by creating and implementing a store commercial calendar together with the store management team.
• Lead the Com&In team to ensure relevant and inspiring range presentation solutions, optimal store layout, and effective store communication that builds the IKEA Brand.
• Ensure the commercial team understands store layout, range presentation and store communication to contribute to range presentation methods.
• Participate in creating the store business plan by contributing knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behavior.
• Participate in presenting the range process along with Sales Managers and the Logistics Manager typically using the IKEA way.
• Follow up and review planning, preparation, and implementation processes of planned changes with ID, VM, and Activity functions.

Financial Management

• Responsible for maintaining the store budget for the Com & In department.
• Contribute with expertise to achieve the store sales target.

Customer Experience

• Ensure that the IKEA store provides a vibrant and exciting atmosphere to encourage repeat visits.
• Contribute with knowledge of people's life at home and consumer shopping behaviour to create and implement the store business plan.

Operational Management

• Get involved in projects relating to activities carried out in the store, including rebuilding business areas based on feedback and priorities.
• Coordinate planned marketing activities with the commercial calendar to align store changes with major activities like Christmas.
• Focus on aligning the Com&In action plan taking into account rebuilds of room settings, homes, specialty shops, and compacts.
• Ensure continuous alignment with different departments to avoid agenda overlaps with carpentry, graphics, assembly, electricians, and IT.

People and Development

• Ensure Com & In co-workers receive necessary safety and security training related to equipment use.
• Ensure all co-workers are properly trained and developed to secure store performance and succession needs.
• Participate in Com & In department meetings and seminars.
• Recognized as a potential successor for the Com & In manager.
• Work closely with the Com & In Manager and substitute in their absence.
• Maintain good relations between Com & In and other departments.

Required Skills To Be Successful:

• Strategic and Analytical Planning Skills
• Effective Communication
• Project Management
• Excel Competence

What Qualifies You For The Role:

• 5 years experience in interior design/visual merchandising, preferably with IKEA.
• Extensive experience in design-oriented roles such as interior design, graphic design, visual merchandising, or store planning.
• Possession of a design-based education.
• Project management experience.
• Store layout planning experience.
• Deep interest in home furnishings and understanding of how people live.

We’re 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.