Director - Marketing (Retail)

The role holder is responsible for leading the development and execution of the retail portfolio marketing strategy across 30 or more assets, operating under the strategic direction of the VP – Marketing, Digital and Communications, including shopping malls, lifestyle destinations and community retail centres. The role drives footfall, customer engagement, brand relevance and marketing’s contribution to tenant trading performance and commercial growth. The role holder leads the development and delivery of marketing plans, budgets, integrated campaigns, media investment, events, activations and partnerships, in line with the VP’s direction and approval framework, and leads a marketing team of approximately 15 employees. The role works closely with the Heads of Communications, PR, Digital and other relevant functions to deliver coordinated programmes across the portfolio, aligned with leasing, asset management and operations priorities.Strategic ResponsibilitiesDevelop the retail portfolio marketing strategy in collaboration with the VP – Marketing, Digital and Communications, aligned with DHAM’s business objectives and asset priorities.Establish differentiated positioning and annual marketing plans for each asset, reflecting its catchment, customer segments, tenant mix, competitive environment and stage of maturity.Ensure ongoing brand awareness and positive perception of the brand and its offering to diverse stakeholder audiences to drive footfall, stimulate lead generation opportunities, and grow relationships with influential entities in both the public and private sectors, Use consumer insights and market research to identify opportunities to increase visitation, strengthen destination appeal and support tenant trading and leasing objectives.Translate strategic priorities into clear delivery plans, investment recommendations and measurable objectives; establish consistent marketing policies, processes and brand governance.Core ResponsibilitiesMarketingOversee the development of marketing plans, events, sponsorships, and partnerships activities for the residential brands and ensure execution in line with corporate guidelines that would help protect the brands’ representation in the public.Oversee the development and execution of the annual calendar (local and international) of retail and residential marketing initiatives by liaising with other departments (operations, sales and leasing).Collaborate with Strategy and Leasing teams in the acquisition and analysis of market research to determine target audiences and evolve the marketing strategy for the business units through all channels.Review the scope of work to ensure that all marketing projects commence with a robust written brief and approved budget and that all stakeholders are clear on the project deliverables and resources required to complete the project. Lead the delivery of customer experiences that increase visitation, dwell time and repeat visits, with clear briefs, approved budgets and delivery plans.Oversee event production quality, branding and operational readiness, coordinating implementation with asset teams and relevant support functions.Identify and negotiate partnerships with brands, retailers, tourism bodies and entertainment providers; secure sponsorship income, co-marketing investment and cost-sharing opportunities.Build tenant engagement programmes that support store openings, retailer promotions and joint campaigns, and assess partnership and event performance against agreed objectives.Campaign ManagementGuide the development of a commercially focused, value-adding program of integrated marketing campaigns, working closely with internal and external teams to utilize all channels to raise portfolio brand awareness.Provide input to the development of brand compliant marketing collaterals – flyers, advertisements, corporate gifts etc.Evaluate summary performance report (Post Campaign Summary) that demonstrates how the projects marketing objectives were met to identify and improve gaps in the marketing processes.External Agency ManagementDefine agency and supplier scopes, deliverables and performance standards; lead selection and commercial negotiations with Procurement in line with approved procedures.Manage marketing and event agencies against agreed budgets, timelines, service levels and creative standards, ensuring value for money and clear accountability.Assess agency performance regularly and coordinate specialist support with the relevant functional heads to avoid duplication of scope and fees.Internal Relationship ManagementWork closely with the Heads of Communications, PR, Digital and Branding & Services to align campaigns, content, media relations, destination announcements and customer communications.Provide timely, approved briefs and asset information to support coordinated website updates, social media activity, publicity and English and Arabic content as required.Collaborate with Communications and PR leadership on reputation management and crisis communications, providing asset context and coordinating marketing responses.Partner with Leasing, Asset Management and Operations to align initiatives with tenant needs, business priorities and the customer experience.Coordinate event approvals with Legal, Security, HSE, Facilities Management and relevant authorities; establish clear responsibilities and delivery timelines across all participating teams.Present consolidated performance reports to leadership covering footfall trends, campaign outcomes, brand visibility, digital performance, events and partnerships, drawing on inputs from the functional heads.Budgetary ManagementOwn the development, allocation and management of annual marketing budgets across the retail portfolio, prioritising investment by asset needs and expected commercial impact.Manage expenditure, commitments, forecasts and variances with Finance; maintain accurate reporting and compliance with financial controls and delegated approval limits.Agree return on marketing investment measures with VP – Marketing, Digital and Communications, distinguishing attributable outcomes from wider portfolio performance influenced by other business factors.Optimise channel spend, production costs and agency fees; recommend reallocations and efficiencies supported by performance evidence.Continuous ImprovementMaintain a real-time understanding of the competitive landscape to help determine market positioning and messaging and communicate relevant competitive trends to the broader DHAM team regularly.Stay up to date with developments in marketing technology and techniques to implement relevant technologies and techniques for DHAM that will enhance user and customer experience for audiences.Suggest enhancements of DHAM’s various marketing channels based on stakeholder feedback and analytics.People ManagementLead a marketing team of approximately 15 employees under management of VP- Marketing & Comms, setting clear objectives, responsibilities and performance expectations across the portfolio.Allocate resources according to asset priorities and workload; coach team members, provide regular feedback and manage appraisals, development and succession planning.Build a collaborative team culture that encourages creative thinking, financial discipline and timely delivery, while working with the functional heads on shared objectives and coordinated vision that leads to enhanced staff motivation and retention.Minimum Qualification:Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Management or Administration or a related discipline.A relevant master’s degree or MBA is preferred.Experience: Minimum 10 years of relevant marketing experience, including at least 5 years in a senior marketing leadership position.Proven expertise in shopping malls, retail real estate or lifestyle destinations, with experience managing marketing across multiple retail assets.Demonstrated accountability for substantial marketing budgets, integrated campaigns, major events, partnerships and measurable commercial outcomes.Experience with a major mall operator, retail property group or destination business is preferred. Strong knowledge of the UAE and GCC retail landscape is an advantage.Technical CompetenciesRetail and destination marketing, catchment analysis, consumer behavior and tenant engagement.Portfolio brand positioning, annual planning and marketing for launches and repositioning programmes.Budget planning, forecasting, expenditure control and return on marketing investment analysis.Integrated campaign development, media planning, events, activations, sponsorships and partnership negotiation.Digital marketing, social media, CRM and analytics knowledge sufficient to brief and evaluate specialist functions.Practical knowledge of AI-enabled marketing tools, automation and predictive analytics to improve customer insights, campaign personalisation, content development and marketing effectiveness.Agency management, procurement, project delivery and executive performance reporting.Excellent written and spoken English; Arabic is an advantage.Behavioural CompetenciesStrategic thinking and commercial judgementCustomer focus and results orientationLeadership, coaching and empowermentCollaboration and relationship buildingCreativity and curiosityAccountability and financial disciplineNegotiation and clear communicationPlanning, prioritisation and timely deliveryAdaptability and sound decision-making under pressure