Associate Director - Retail Development
Job description / Role
Employment: Full Time
About the company
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 world's most admired and innovative brands.Al-Futtaim Group's 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 day.
Overview of the role
This role is responsible for overseeing and managing the end-to-end development of mall/retail real estate projects from conception through to completion. It requires close collaboration with key stakeholders across finance, marketing, asset management, design, and project delivery to ensure the successful execution of assets within defined timelines and budgets.
What you will do- Develop and implement strategic plans for real estate development projects in alignment with the organization's overall strategy.
- Conduct thorough market analyses to identify development opportunities and evaluate project feasibility.
- Manage the financial aspects of projects, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis.
- Create comprehensive development plans outlining key milestones, timelines, and resource allocation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with finance, design, project management, and other departments to execute development strategies effectively.
- Oversee the full project lifecycle from inception to completion, ensuring adherence to timelines, quality standards, and budget constraints.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support successful project delivery.
- Proactively identify project risks and challenges, and implement effective mitigation strategies.
- Provide senior leadership with regular, detailed updates on project status, key risks, and emerging opportunities.
- Prepare and present accurate, timely reports and presentations to stakeholders and executive teams.
- Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and innovative work environment to drive team and project success.
- Minimum of 10+ years in real estate development, including at least 5 years in a leadership role and 3+ years specifically in retail development.
- Proven track record in managing cross-functional teams across the full development lifecycle.
- Strong ability to analyze, structure, and negotiate complex financial deals.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
- Proven track record of delivering super regional malls or similar-scale retail assets.
- Strong understanding of GCC retail and real estate markets.
About Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate
The real estate development and operations arm of Al-Futtaim, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate is responsible for a multi-billion-dollar portfolio across MENA. With high-quality residential, business, retail, tourism, educational, and healthcare developments, the master developer caters to the diverse needs of cities and communities in the region.From origination, conception, development, sales, procurement, and construction of mega-projects to the leasing, operation, and management of these projects after completion, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) has been developing and managing owned landbanks, unlocking the economic potential of the region and contributing to future development for more than 40 years.
Our focus is to enable and invest in meaningful relationships to make our properties the best places to live and work, build additional products and services, and enable partnerships to create true value to our customers throughout their entire experience with us.
AFGRE is responsible for master planning of all projects in its portfolio, including two large-scale mixed-use destinations: Dubai Festival City and Cairo Festival City.
About the Company
Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region.Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.
The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario.The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.
The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.
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