Retail Field Initiatives Lead

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview
The Retail Field Initiatives Lead serves as a strategy creator, business driver and innovative solution-oriented leader within the Retail Field. This role will work to plan and direct financial, administrative, and operational activities for the North America Head of Retail Stores. Supporting both the Polo Factory Store (Outlet) and Ralph Lauren Stores (Full Price) in the development and execution of projects, workstreams and presentations that have been identified as strategic initiatives. This role provides strategic project management and drives communications in the development and execution of cross-functional strategies around product, store operations, talent, business process, and consumer insight.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

* Support field and store operations leaders in prioritizing cross-functional initiatives to meet business objectives, customer expectations and profitability standards.
* Participate in ad-hoc projects, tasks and initiatives
* Identify business trends, provide analysis and make recommendations to leaders to increase brand equity, improve operational effectiveness and improve speed-to-action across the Retail leadership teams
* Subject matter expert on processes, communication and ways of working within the field organization
* Organizes and prioritizes key projects and tasks that help facilitate decision making
* Provides key communication framework for initiatives that support the field
* Is a primary decision maker on key initiatives that support the business
* Develops business strategies that address store, district and region national objectives
* Serves as a strategic partner in execution of important initiatives, including determining necessary resources and tools, analysis & relevant performance metrics to utilize, timelines and deliverables, and cross-functional partnerships necessary to exceed results
* Ensure cross-functional strategic initiatives, projects and objectives are accounted for in RLS planned activities as they may rely on, operate in conjunction with, or potentially impact cross-functional divisions, partners or teams
* Take complex and matrixed decisions and communicate them in a concise, easy to understand manner

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

* Project Management, Retail/Store Operations and/or Business Strategy/ Planning Experience
* Extremely creative and innovative in both thought process and execution
* Ability to simplify information for a variety of audiences, linking initiatives and strategy and communicating in a clear manner
* Excellent communication skills, written and oral
* Extremely results and impact orientated, passionate about success and the customer
* Possess strong presentation, listening, verbal and written communication skills
* Think strategically, conceptually and creatively - have a vision while maintaining flexibility and agility to evolving market climates and business objectives
* Possess knowledge of financial measurements & Key Productivity Indicators
* Proven ability to creative effective partnerships with both retail field and corporate partners
* Exceptional experience in building credibility across business partners
* Demonstrated interpersonal leadership skills, including peer leadership and upward management, preferably within a fast-paced, cross-functional collaborative environment
* In store retail experience preferred
* Highly skilled in PowerPoint and Excel and other Office Suite Applications