About the Role: Responsibilities, Skills, and Requirements
Ever wondered how a beloved retail brand keeps every store looking sharp and running smoothly? As a Project Manager - Store Projects & Maintenance at Alrifai UAE, you’ll be the cornerstone ensuring our stores are built and maintained to perfection. This is more than a typical project management job — you’ll navigate the lively landscape of UAE’s retail scene, steering everything from new store launches to critical maintenance fixes. If you thrive juggling varied tasks and love seeing tangible results in bustling retail spaces, this could be a standout step in your career.
About Alrifai UAE
Alrifai isn’t just a household name in roasted nuts and specialty snacks — we’re a close-knit team that’s deeply invested in every customer’s experience. You’ll join a culture that values detail, flexibility, and integrity, whether we’re brainstorming the next product launch or arranging a quick team breakfast at our Investment Park 2 hub. We move quickly, support one another, and take immense pride in seeing our spaces evolve. It’s not uncommon for maintenance wins or on-time project completions to become the stories shared at our Friday check-ins.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Spearheading all store fit-outs, refurbishments, and maintenance activities across the UAE, ensuring each project reflects Alrifai’s high standards.
- Collaborating directly with mall management and landlords for obtaining approvals, scheduling works, and managing permits — a bit of diplomacy often goes a long way!
- Liaising with contractors, engineers, and vendors to keep workflows seamless and handle any unexpected surprises on the job site.
- Monitoring project budgets and timelines, stepping in swiftly to realign resources when hiccups arise.
- Conducting regular site visits to oversee progress and quality — you’ll be the eyes and ears on the ground.
- Coordinating scheduled and ad-hoc maintenance, sometimes troubleshooting the odd leaky pipe or flickering light (or at least ensuring the right person gets there pronto).
- Keeping detailed records, reports, and as-built documentation — your work will help inform future projects.
- Acting as a knowledge hub for all things compliance, safety, and brand standards.
What You’ll Bring
Must-Haves:
- Proven experience managing retail store projects and maintenance (ideally in FMCG or fashion/food retail environments).
- Strong project coordination skills with a knack for problem-solving under pressure.
- Solid understanding of UAE regulations, mall approval processes, and permit requirements.
- Excellent communication and negotiation abilities — you’ll be balancing a lot of stakeholder voices.
- Willingness to travel across UAE store locations and spend time on site as needed.
Nice-to-Haves:
- Engineering or construction management background.
- Familiarity with fast-paced retail rollouts or multi-brand environments.
- Proficiency in project management tools/software.
Not sure you tick every box? We’d still love to hear from you.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
- Competitive compensation, plus allowances for travel and site visits.
- Flexible work culture: while some things need on-site attention, we respect your need for balance.
- A supportive team that actually celebrates your wins (and understands the realities of project life).
- Opportunities to grow as Alrifai expands — whether it’s mastering new tools or leading bigger initiatives.
- Regular team outings (who says maintenance can’t have a sweet side?) and an open-door policy at our Investment Park 2 office.
At Alrifai UAE, your work shapes the spaces where thousands enjoy our products every day. If you want your next project management move to have a real, visible impact, you’ll fit right in with us.
Common Interview Questions and Tips
To help you prepare and feel confident, here are some questions you might encounter during the interview process for this role.
- Can you walk us through a recent retail store fit-out or refurbishment project you managed, including any challenges you faced and how you overcame them?
- What steps do you take to ensure a store project remains compliant with UAE regulations and mall approval processes from start to finish?
- How do you prioritize and coordinate scheduled vs. emergency maintenance requests across multiple store locations?
- Which project management tools or software are you most comfortable with, and how have they helped streamline your workflow?
- Describe your approach to liaising with contractors, engineers, and vendors when timelines get tight or unexpected issues arise on-site.
- Give an example of how you successfully managed a project budget under pressure — what trade-offs or decisions did you make to deliver results?
- Share a time you acted as a central point of contact between multiple stakeholders with differing priorities. How did you navigate the situation?
- How do you stay motivated and maintain attention to detail during routine site visits, especially when project milestones are approaching rapidly?
- Tell us about a moment you celebrated a “win” with your team — what was the achievement and how did it impact the project or company?
- What strategies have you found effective in building trust and open communication with landlords or mall management?
- If you were troubleshooting a recurring maintenance issue that keeps cropping up in stores, how would you tackle its root cause rather than just the symptoms?
- Our team values flexibility and balance alongside high standards. How have you managed your workload in environments where priorities can shift quickly?
- In what ways do you ensure your projects consistently reflect brand standards while adapting to the practical realities of different store locations?