Director - Corporate Communications

Majid Al Futtaim invites you to join us in our quest to create great moments for everyone, everyday! We are the leading shopping mall, residential communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, serving over 560 million visitors a year. For the past two decades, we have shaped the consumer landscape across the region, transforming the way people shop, live and play, while maintaining a strong sustainability track record and the largest mall in the world to attain LEED Gold EBOM Certification. We have over 45,000 team members in 17 international markets representing over 100 nationalities – all keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do. If you enjoy being BOLD, PASSIONATE and TOGETHER, then Majid Al Futtaim is the destination for you.

Role Purpose:

The Director of Communications is responsible for positioning, promoting and protecting the external reputation of Majid Al Futtaim Retail and its Carrefour franchised brand across all the markets in which it operates (Middle East, Africa and Asia) and to relevant international audiences. This includes communicating value propositions and initiatives to all relevant audiences (business to: customer; business; governments; talent), while ensuring communications leads across all markets adhere to set communications guidelines and build the desired brand equity and reputation through local activities.

The role is expected to set the overall company (corporate and consumer) communications strategies and ensure its execution. The role will drive the corporate thought leadership engagement programme, enable senior leadership to champion the business’ vision and values, and deliver communications to positively impact our stakeholders and community. The Director will lead a team of communications experts at a Corporate level and functionally lead communications teams across all markets Majid Al Futtaim operate Carrefour in.

Role Details – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

Strategic Planning

• Define and deploy a company-wide communications strategy. Communications will include both the corporate Majid Al Futtaim (Retail) brand and the customer facing Carrefour brand. The role will also oversee the development and execution of localized communication strategies in each market
• Drive a retail focused communications strategy and ensure consistent alignment between Majid Al Futtaim Holding, within Retail, and its markets - where messages are tailored to the organization’s overall strategy to ensure a unified brand voice.
• Drive the strategic communications associated with partnerships, sponsorships and the articulation of the company’s sustainability agenda and initiatives.
   

Integrated communications

• Define and deploy tailored stakeholder communications to secure buy-in and advocacy across all relevant audiences (business to: customer; business; governments; talent)
• Drive multi-stakeholder, multi-channel and format communications engagements that promote the Majid Al Futtaim corporate narratives and Carrefour brand’s communication and content pillars

Corporate Thought Leadership

• Work with Majid Al Futtaim Holding’s Communications team to define and deploy a corporate engagement strategy for regional, international and trade platforms and partnerships that include the World Economic Forum, Consumer Goods Forum, World Retail Congress and Gulfood.
• Lead, support and manage the thought leadership engagements of the Majid Al Futtaim Retail corporate executive team and personally support the company CEO’s public engagements
• Ensure regular support is provided to markets in mapping and executing in-market thought leadership communication opportunities
• Drive or provide oversight on the creation and execution of all corporate events in line with the company’s stringent event brand guidelines
• Work closely with the Holding Corporate Communications team to communicate the group’s corporate narratives and thought leadership agenda through the Carrefour lens.

Communications Center of Excellence

• Develop and activate a Centre of Excellence that directs the communications functions across all markets to operate at a consistent high standard, driven by insights and results. This includes directives, guidelines, templates, content houses and best practices.
• Hire and performance manage communications capabilities both at corporate and country level. Provide mentorship and support to build capacity and technical skills.
• Lead a corporate team that will guide, counsel and approve on all country communications strategy setting, planning and activities across the markets in which Carrefour operates
• Work closely across the Marketing department to develop a regional brand with local relevance via both top down and bottom up integrated campaigns for commercial and engagement campaigns, as well as new service offerings
• Set KPI’s and performance tracking metrics and tools that all markets report on and provide executive summaries, insights and recommendations to business leadership

Issue and Crisis Management

• Develop, update and deploy an issue & crisis communication manual across the markets
• Enforce the Majid Al Futtaim group-wide issue & crisis communications strategy at Majid Al Futtaim Retail level
• Provide training, counsel, support and approval on the management of issues and crisis across all Carrefour markets, ensuring markets follow the set protocols and response recommendations

Human Capital Responsibilities:

• Lead core team of communications experts at corporate head office, and act as functional head of all communications teams across the markets.
• Ensure the implementation of the performance management process for all communications personnel at Corporate and in-market levels.
• Provide mentorship for the purpose of developing a continuous talent pipeline for the communications function
• Identify training needs and coordinate with the HC department to ensure facilitation of training requirements
• Oversee the development and implementation of on the job-training both at Corporate and in Carrefour markets

Definition of Success

• Development and delivery of communications strategy and operating model both at corporate and market level
• Shaping and protecting the desired reputation, awareness, understanding and appreciation of Majid Al Futtaim Retail and its customer brand, Carrefour across all markets in which it operates
• Demonstrate results according to set communications and business metrics

Qualification, Experience & Skills:

Minimum Qualifications/education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration or Marketing
• MBA is preferred

Minimum experience

• A minimum of 15 years of relevant, demonstrated experience with proven track record in a similar role for a minimum 3 years preferably in the consumer goods, retail, consumer or technology sectors

Skills

• Ability to work well in a dynamic, multicultural environment, leading teams both at corporate and market level across multiple, diverse geographies
• Good communication skills to engage and influence internal and external stakeholders
• Strategic thinking and sound judgment with focus on impact and an ability to work effectively and succeed in a fast-paced working environment
• Ability to develop and execute strategic communications plans aligned with business and brand needs and goals
• Ability to track results and provide measurable success
• Ability to develop standards, processes and best practice guidance then brief and train colleagues.
• Punctual, organized and ensure smooth function of regional communications.
• Excellent people skills when dealing with all levels of stakeholders, including managing and advising business leadership
• Track record in function building, nurturing talent and developing capacities and capabilities
• Knowledge of multi-media including best practice, video, audio production, as well as performance
• Enthusiastic self-starter with well-developed administrative, organizational and self-management skills
• Deep understanding of media, influencer and stakeholder landscape across the wider region
• Crisis and issues management
• Solid understanding social and digital media communication principles
• Ability to work under pressure and manage several parallel work streams, deadlines and internal stakeholders simultaneously
• English (Full professional proficiency - Required)
• Arabic (Full professional proficiency – Required)

Disclaimer: This role description reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the principal responsibilities of the role identified and shall not be construed as an exhaustive description of all the work requirements inherent to success in the role.