Sr. Director, Strategy

Major Responsibilies:   Leads the Gap Brand Execution Planning Process, coordinating across the Brand, BU?s and Execution Functions and integrating into a comprehensive Execution Plan that aligns with the Brand Creative Direction, Product-to-Market process, and the BU strategies. Leads the Integrated Brand Execution Forum, sponsored by the BU GMs, to develop the Brand?s Execution Plan in alignment with the Brand Creative.
Supports the GMs as GET Captains of the Execution Planning Process, actively managing the process, recommending resolutions to cross-BU and Brand issues, driving closure, and deciding where optimal solutions are required.
Leads seasonal brand-wide seasonal execution initiatives including Brand Promotions. Provides leadership direction and support to the BU execution planning forums so the overall execution planning process delivers exceptional results.
Provides support to the individual BUs and the Group Functions (Marketing, Visual, Store Ops, Distribution, etc) to align their execution timelines to the Brand Calendar, synchronizing milestones and deliverables across the brand.
Continuously improves our approach to execution planning so it becomes a long term competitive advantage.
Ensures Execution Planning is an integral and functioning part of Gap Brand?s overall business operating model. 
Lead the Integrated Brand Execution Forum to develop the comprehensive, integrated Brand Execution Plan in alignment with the Brand Creative Direction 
Integrate the Business Unit Execution Plans into a Brand Execution Plan that is comprehensive and meets our Brand and BU financial objectives. 
Support the GMs as GET Captains of the Integrated Brand Execution Planning Process: 
Actively managing the execution planning process, 
Identifying and resolving any interdependencies between business units, recommending resolutions to cross-BU and Brand issues, driving closure, and deciding, where optimal solutions are required and decision authority is empowered by the GMs. 
Lead seasonal brand execution initiatives. 
Partner with the Brand President, CFO, GMs, Marketing and Inventory Management leaders to develop the plan for Brand Promotions and trigger contingency plans when appropriate. 
Facilitate recommendations from the Integrated Brand Execution Planning forum for GM, CFO, and Brand President endorsement. 
Provide frameworks, methods, and tools to plan agendas, document decisions, issues actions, and final plans. Ensure Execution Plans are fully aligned with the Brand Calendar and with the Brand Creative Direction. 
Develop comprehensive Brand communication around Execution Plans to ensure alignment and coordinated action. 
Lead the Brand?level seasonal hindsighting. 
Provide leadership direction and support the work in the BUs to build execution plans in alignment with the Brand Creative and their business strategies. 
Guide the BU Leadership Teams to develop their long term Execution Plans as an integral part of their ongoing leadership work. 
Partner with the Head Merchant in their leadership role at the weekly Execution meeting (formerly Battleplan) by providing frameworks, methods, and tools and by assisting in identifying issues, proposing resolutions, planning agendas, documenting decisions and actions, and driving closure. 
Assist the Business Units in documenting their plans, decisions, and actions. 
Assist BUs in representing their execution plans at the Integrated Brand Execution Forums and identifying and resolving the interdependent issues that must be resolved. 
Ensure that BU Execution Plans are tracking to the cross-functional and Brand milestones. 
Help the teams adjust the execution plan to accommodate in-season decisions and course corrections.  
Provide leadership direction and support the Group Functions (Marketing, Visual, Store Ops, Distribution, etc) to align their execution timelines to the Brand Calendar, synchronizing milestones and deliverables across the functions, with the BUs, and with the Brand seasonal initiatives.
Provide leadership and staff support to an ongoing cross-functional execution forum that meets once a quarter to: 
Continuously improve the cross-functional process and synchronize points of integration 
Maintain accurate documentation of process, milestones, checklists, and operating agreements Evaluate need for and sponsor cross-functional training and teambuilding where needed. 
Coordinating cross-functional initiatives to enable through people, process, and technology. 
Build the Gap Brand Execution Planning capability, coordinating across the Brand, BU?s and Execution Fnctions: 
Establish and support the execution planning forums to build execution plans within their charter and deliver clear decision making and accountability 
Establish the linkages between execution planning forums and define clear roles, responsibilities, and decision authorities. 
Lead the cross-functional design and adoption of execution frameworks, methods, and tools that build sustainable execution planning capability in the BUs, Execution Functions, and the Brand: process for updating calendar and coordinating data collection for cross functional use: structure for documentation and communication of evolving information, decisions, and actions and actively manages the process to enable quick decision making. work flow processes, and - process for continuously improvement. 

 

Minimum Qualifications: 
Retail experience within large retail organizations, organizational change experience and very strong facilitation skills. 
Exceptional relationship skills to build consensus and rapport with business partners 
College degree or above. Masters preferred 
12+ years PMO experience, 6-8 years retail experience, management experience as well 
Heavy phone and computer use

 

EOE