Director, Brand & Creative Strategy (15 Month Contract)

Holt Renfrew offers you an inspiring, fashion-driven environment with opportunities to learn and grow. From our incredible partnerships with iconic luxury brands, to our commitments to corporate social responsibility, you will be inspired every day.

A job at Holt Renfrew offers a competitive total compensation, a generous employee discount, pension, and health & dental benefits, tuition assistance, and continuous learning and development.

At Holt Renfrew, our mission is to empower self-expression and ignite positive change. We achieve this by living our Brand Spirit, demonstrating Holts' values:

• Warmth - Be open, welcoming, and respectful to others.
• Unity - We are one team, one community, sharing one planet.
• Passion - Passion is what drives us to be curious and think creatively.
• Excellence - We constantly encourage ourselves to be better.

Holt Renfrew's Brand & Creative Strategy department offers mission and cause based partnerships with iconic, sustainable and socially responsible brands, rooted in our commitment to Sustainability.

Director, Brand & Creative Strategy

As the Director Brand & Creative Strategy (15 Month Contract) you support the Vice President, Brand & Creative Strategy in leading the development and planning of the Holt Renfrew brand. The Director, Brand & Creative Strategy liaises between various business units within the company, as well as vendors to strengthen business relationships and maintain the brand image. You oversee the development, execution and ongoing implementation of H Project initiatives, Charitable Product programs, H Project marketing, internal and external programs that build the Holt Renfrew brand, and other creative projects. These programs deliver on divisional sales targets, brand health targets, experiential (Pop-up/Events) and visual targets working cross-functionally across marketing, creative, merchant and store teams to ensure all aspects of programs are delivered with excellence to our stores.

Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:

• In conjunction with the Vice President, Brand & Creative Strategy, work to develop and implement internal and external projects that build our Brand Spirit in our employees and customers
• Oversee the execution of Brand & Creative Strategy projects both major and minor
• Liaise with buyer on all buys, ensure the timely delivery of product in store and online
• Work with vendors and all internal teams on collaborations that strengthen our brand pillars
• Build and maintain relationship with vendors to manage design and production and keep track of project status
• Continuously research new vendors to partner with, including new product design for capsule collections
• Work alongside various teams on Brand projects ie. H Project Uncrates, Holt Renfrew milestones, sustainable and socially responsible pop ups, Holiday Bears annually etc.
• Assist Vice President, Brand & Creative Strategy in ongoing strategy to develop Holt Renfrew and H Project as a platform for positive change
• Ideation and implementation of special programs with stores and oversee management of the process
• Work with store planning to manage renovation of permanent H Project departments
• Represent Vice President, Brand & Creative Strategy when needed
• Attend cross-functional meetings to develop roll out plan for products, collaborations and executions
• Contribute to Marketing Campaign and inspiration decks when needed
• Remain up to date on Sustainability initiatives and inform Vice President, Brand & Creative Strategy
• Setting and overseeing annual budget, attend budget meetings with finance
• Liaise with Marketing and Fashion Office teams for reporting and insights
• Work with internal legal team on building contracts
• Maintain relationships with other business units

The ideal candidate:

• A post-secondary Degree or Diploma in Marketing or within a Business-related discipline
• A minimum of 8 years of Marketing, Brand Manager or Strategy experience with client relations
• Enthusiastic, high-energy and takes a 'hands-on' approach as a leader
• Self-motivated, strong quantitative skills, attention to detail, a high aptitude for problem solving and a natural interest in understanding customer behaviour
• Demonstrated understanding of all marketing related media and promotional vehicles
• Demonstrated leadership and influencing skills with the ability to get things done
• Excellent interpersonal skills; a team player who is able to act as both a leader and an individual contributor as required
• Confident and effective communication (written & verbal) and interpersonal skills
• Is adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Highly service-oriented with exceptional organizational and follow up skills
• Passionate about sustainability, fashion and luxury retailing
• Retail experience, fashion, accessories background an asset
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Demonstrated financial and budget planning skills; CRM knowledge an asset

The measures of success:

• Contribution to financial objectives
• Individual objectives linked to the achievement of department goals
• Feedback from internal and external clients

Holt Renfrew is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our future success depends on the perspectives and contributions of all our employees -- their diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences make our business stronger. If you are contacted for a job opportunity and require accommodation, please email careers@holtrenfrew.com and let us know so we can ensure you have an accessible candidate experience throughout the recruitment process. All requests are confidential and used only to meet candidate needs.