Senior Manager - Product Planning | Al Futtaim Automotive | Toyota & Lexus

Job Description

Job Requisition ID: 159075 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 worlds most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Groups 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 dayOverview of the role At Al Futtaim Motors, a leading player in the automotive sector, we are seeking a highly skilled and dynamic individual to join our team as Senior Manager - Product Planning to support Toyota & Lexuss long-term sustainability by developing and managing Product concept proposals including powertrain and connectivity requirements according to market needs to positively influence the principals (TMC) product strategy.As Senior Manager - Product Planning, you will develop and manage long term Product Planning to secure AFM voice for future product offer for UAE with all necessary market intelligence and liaison to TMC ensuring optimization of product and powertrain for the UAE market.What you will doMarket Situation Analysis

• Leads & develops market intelligence analysis/content
• Understands and defines current market segmentation and related product/system/service positioning
• Identifies potential gaps in portfolio, both against competition and new market opportunity

New Product Planning

• Define target customer profile & size & expectations
• Conduct competitive analysis, market trend research
• Segment market in clusters
• Direction on Program assumptions, product positioning, pricing analysis, options/equipment packaging, source of sales analysis, sales volume forecasting, business case development, and other related activities
• Contributes to development of new portfolio by leading customer need and value analysis, planning the roadmap to create maximum value
• Prioritizes new product/service development projects with responsibility for achievement of targets (volume, revenue and image contribution)
• Articulates recommendations to OEM

Existing Product/Customer Intelligence

• Owns the technical and market specification for the product
• Sets the framework, tools and methodology to develop the life cycle management process, analyses current product/services
• Maintains and develop Product portal for the AFM organisation needs
• Initiates and runs all necessary surveys to collect market and product intelligence both ad hoc or on going

Connectivity & Mobility as a Service Initiatives

• Responsible for all connectivity related initiatives with Principal including the pen rate performance in UAE
• Co-ordinates all Mobility related projects from Principal with multiple stakeholders of AFM for successful implementation

Required skills to be successful

• Minimum 5-10 year work experience in an Automotive OEM, of which minimum of 3 years in Product Planning/strategy function
• Must have UAE experience in the automotive industry. Good understanding of distributor, dealer and or OEM works.
• Strong business acumen with excellent analytical and financial skills with the ability to use data to build a compelling business case
• Team Player

About the team The role will report to the GM - Product and Pricing. This job has a key impact in AFMs relationship with the principal - Toyota Motor corporation as the job holders team is in direct liaison with Principals key departments. Ability to develop a network of knowledge and information source is key, governmental affairs.What equips you for the role

• MBA or other Marketing advanced degree Engineer background is preferable
• Multi Market experience is an advantage
• Toyota Way Business Practice is an advantage
• Understanding of business complexity and OEM upstream environment
• Passion for product
• Strategic and structured business planning with sales & marketing understanding
• Experience with financial modelling and business case development
• Able to consider available facts, constraints, competitive circumstances, probable consequences to distill them into actionable recommendations
• Excellent Interpersonal Skills, able to build string relationships, mutual respect and trust
• Ability to turn complexity into simple concepts & ideas - effective communicator / visualization

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 worlds 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.

Keyskills :
Visualization product strategy Business Acumen Product Management Analytical Skills business case development Relationship Building Product Planning Communication Skills Product Development Mobility Services Connectivity Competitiv

About Company

The Al-Futtaim Group is a large conglomerate based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.As a family-owned business, we take a long-term view in everything we do, because we believe that sustainable success requires uncompromising commitment.
That’s the reason why some of the world’s most admired and innovative brands from the USA, UK, Japan, Sweden, France, Germany and Switzerland – from sectors as diverse with each other as automotive, retail, real estate and finance – trust Al-Futtaim with their own reputation and commercial success since the 1930s.
And through our inherent customer-centric approach and relentless pursuit of perfection, we add significant value – connecting consumers in 20+ markets with these brands in contemporary, powerful, meaningful and emotional ways that create longstanding relationships based on loyalty and mutual trust.