Al-Futtaim Hiring for Visual Merchandising Specialist & Expansion x2 Job at Dubai Full Time

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 have the ability to combine commercial, aesthetic and practical skills. You can generate, visualise and present new ideas. You can work together with others in a team and confident in approaching and communicating clearly with different people in various situations. You are flexible, hands-on approach to responsibilities and able to meet set deadlines.

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

• Live and share the IKEA values every day
• Degree in Interior Design
• 4+ years of IKEA Interior design or Visual merchandising experience
• Proven ability to visualise, design and communicate home furnishing and retail solutions
• Has thorough knowledge of the role and responsibilities of the Communication & Interior Design department.
• Has a passion for visual merchandising, display solutions, interior design, home furnishings and design.
• Understands customer buying behaviour and buying decisions.
• Knows the competition on the local market.
• Has experience in incorporating the commercial calendar into the Communication & Interior Design action plan.
• Has thorough knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a store visual merchandiser.
• Good knowledge of IKEA layout principles, the new IKEA Media structure and the IKEA Range presentation principles.
• Computer skills in AutoCAD, REVIT and Microsoft Office
• Basic knowledge in tools (can use a drill etc). & IMS racking solutions.
• Knowledge in the IKEA commercial lighting principles
• Presentation skills & Business Acumen
• Time management and basic administration skills
• Mentoring skills
• Sustainability and cost conscious
• Healthy and safety knowledge

About the role

You contribute to positioning the IKEA store as the “Leader in life at home” in our market in order to maximize sales and long-term profitability. I do this by securing the effective implementation of global solutions using my knowledge of people’s life at home, sustainability and consumer buying behaviour in my market, trends in design and materials, and my home furnishing competence to adapt these to meet our national needs.

Key responsibilities are:

• To ensure we visualize the uniqueness of the IKEA product range within specialty shops, compacts, self-serve furniture area and the Swedish Food market to distance us from the competition.
• Optimizing the use of the IKEA store layout and store media by developing and implementing range presentation solutions, working with the price and quality ladder, which strengthens the connection between the IKEA offer and every life of people.
• Securing a very accurate and detailed planning of the assigned area during the commercial planning and to secure a very accurate implementation of the assigned area during the commercial build up.
• Securing a deep knowledge of all store media as a specialist and clarifying the main purpose of each media and display techniques used.
• Reflecting the IKEA brand identity and creating visual impact in all commercial, sales support and co-worker areas.

Key Specific Accountabilities

Regional Support

• Production of the detailed commercial plans package of the assigned area in a commercial planning and build up.
• Actively support the Expansion Visual Merchandising Manager in implementing the country business plan and the country Com&In plan to support the optimization of sales and our long-term growth in our new stores.
• Support the stores to ensure the uniqueness of the IKEA Brand identity in range presentation and store communication in order to distance us from the competition. Taking ownership for how we are working with visual merchandising in my country.
• Using range presentation solutions that are relevant to the many peoples life at home in my national market and that it accurately reflects demographics, living conditions and our visitors needs and wants.
• Securing that our solutions reflect a wide variety of style expressions and functions to meet individual tastes and stimulate our visitors to change their home furnishings more often, using IKEA style groups and IKEA living situations, supported by a good level of knowledge in design and material trends.
• Develop the store layout and support the stores to ensure it is used to create optimal visual impact, a good overview and supports our commercial priorities.
• Working with Service office Com&In colleagues, Expansion team, Sales leaders, In-store Logistics and other SO functions to agree on our national priorities. Together developing solutions that present and communicate the IKEA product range in a way that reflects its width and depth, price and quality and strengthens our low-price profile on all levels and local market needs.
• A good understanding of working with home furnishing lighting and commercial lighting as a sales steering tool, commercial lighting and home furnishing lighting to support medias, compacts and specialty shops.
• Working with IMS racking solutions in line with health and safety requirements. Working with sales and logistics to find the most aesthetic and functional solutions to achieve optimal merchandising.

Store Support (New Stores)

• Demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of people’s needs and wants, their living situations and living conditions, sustainability, market trends in design and materials, and consumer buying behaviour in my national market and I am inquisitive and responsible to find out more.
• Analyze the IKEA Customer Satisfaction survey (ICSS), IKEA Brand Capital, home visits data and other visitor feedback and use these insights to work with the store Com&In teams to improve the experience of our visitors and convert them into satisfied customers.
• Work with the SO Com&In colleagues and other SO functions to provide the specific, relevant support which enables the stores and other IKEA units.

• Working with the Expansion Graphic Communication Specialist, Expansion Interior Design Specialist to ensure consistency in how we communicate throughout our new stores.

• Supporting the new stores to ensure the implementation of store communication using the layout to create optimal visual impact, a good overview and support our commercial priorities.

• Working with my SO Com&In colleagues to ensure that all we communicate to the stores is consistent, understandable and cost-effective for them to implement.

Coaching

• Sharing specialist knowledge, good solutions and ideas, coaching and mentoring visual merchandiser’s in new and current stores to improve their competence.
• To have a good level in presenting skills to share ideas, knowledge, and present plans and drawings.
• Work with manuals, global directions and tools within my area of responsibility, keeping up to date with all developments to maintain a high level of specialist knowledge.

Projects

• Coordinate with the regional expansion plans whenever necessary including commercial planning, build up and opening phases.
• Supporting with current ways of working and business practices.

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.

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