Lead, Technology & Innovation

Position Overview

​​As the Lead, Technology & Innovation Director, you will serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership, Information Technology, and Retail Operations. This role champions technological advancement while embodying Ralph Lauren's Success Drivers, particularly in leading with purpose and vision. Strategy, project management, teamwork, relationship management, effective communication, coaching, and problem-solving are critical aspects of this role.​

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee business development and implementation of new technologies, managing innovation processes from concept to execution
• ​Align technology strategies with business goals, identifying market trends and fostering cross-functional collaboration
• ​Partner with field leadership to translate business requirements into technology solutions that enhance customer experiences
• ​Drive continuous improvement and innovation in the retail environment through close collaboration with the Process Optimization Team
• ​Lead day-to-day strategy and project planning, delivering results through field and cross-functional partnerships

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​Strategic Project Planning & Cross-Functional Alignment:

• ​Serve as primary liaison between Field Leaders, Finance, IT, and Executive Sponsors to align project scope, business requirements, timing, and execution.
• ​Develop and execute innovation strategies, creating roadmaps and identifying emerging trends
• ​Lead innovation projects within budget and schedule constraints and bring ideas from concept to scale.
• ​Facilitate cross-functional teams to create and implement solutions through internal/external partnerships
• ​Provide technical guidance and evaluate technology solutions and staying current with industry trends.
• ​Establish metrics to measure innovation success and report on progress to stakeholders.
• ​Resolve complex problems or problems where precedence may not exist.
• ​Oversee change management and field training plans to ensure buy in, execution and measurement of success.

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​Financial & Operational Management:

• ​Manage project budgets including forecasting and tracking for deployments by store, travel and training, vendor relationships, and all related expenses with precision and agility.
• ​Identify and coordinate service level agreements with vendors and ensure they meet the needs of our business
• ​Monitor project impact metrics including store profitability, customer satisfaction NPS, and employee engagement​​

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• ​ Demonstrated track record of progressive growth and increasing levels of responsibility related to innovation capabilities, data management, software development, or specific industry technology trends within a large scale organization.
• ​Proven ability to manage multiple, end-to-end projects simultaneously to deliver results under tight timelines.
• ​Ability to work under pressure in a fast paced environment to prioritize tasks and to delegate when appropriate.
• ​Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• ​A passion for change and the ability to lead teams and drive impact. Experience working with retail leadership and executives.
• ​Financial acumen to manage budgets, forecasting and cost optimization.
• ​Proficiency in project management tools (Smartsheet or similar); Excellent Excel & Adobe Acrobat skills; Strong Word, Outlook & Adobe Suite
• ​Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, to meet project deadlines and operational needs as required, approximately 25% of the time
• ​Ability to respond to urgent issues, or manage on-call responsibilities
• ​Ability to travel

Ralph Lauren will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance laws. Please note background checks will be evaluated individually.