Director, Retail Fashion Transformation

London (Hybrid) Permanent Typically 16 plus years, spanning consulting and fashion retail

Our client, a global tier-1 IT services and consulting firm, is expanding the senior leadership bench of its retail fashion practice. This is a founding-bench Director seat, working as the right hand to a highly respected industry Partner, co leading some of the most significant transformation programmes in fashion retail and operating on a genuine future Partner platform.

The role

You will play a pivotal part in the origination, shaping, leadership and execution of enterprise transformation programmes spanning commercial strategy, digital, merchandising, supply chain, store operations and customer experience for some of the most recognisable fashion brands in the world. You will bring deep fashion retail domain knowledge, grounded in hands on merchandising and supply chain experience, and a consulting toolkit that bridges strategy into operational reality.

What you will do

• Co lead major enterprise transformation programmes with the Partner, translating strategy into executable roadmaps with clear P&L, cost to serve and inventory impact
• Deputise for the Partner in steering committees, board sessions and client investment discussions
• Serve as trusted advisor to C suite leaders including CEOs, COOs and Chief Merchants
• Co own origination covering whitespace identification, proposal shaping and multi year relationship building
• Shape programme architecture, governance frameworks, risk management and assurance reviews
• Strengthen proprietary IP across omnichannel strategy, merchandising modernisation, supply chain resilience and customer experience
• Publish thought leadership and represent the practice at industry forums
• Build, coach and inspire blended consulting and client teams
• Manage programme commercials and contribute to practice P&L growth

What you bring

• Currently operating at Director or equivalent level inside a Big 4, strategy house or tier 1 consulting firm
• Earlier career built inside fashion or apparel retailers, with hands on grounding in merchandising, buying, allocation or supply chain
• Direct experience leading or governing large scale, multi workstream transformation programmes
• Demonstrated track record applying AI and advanced decisioning to fashion retail processes across design, buying, PLM, planning and supply chain
• Rich transformation experience spanning strategy, operating model, delivery governance and C suite influencing
• Quantified commercial outcomes such as margin growth, OTB optimisation, stock reduction, service improvement and cost efficiency
• Origination track record covering proposals won, whitespace opened and multi year client relationships built
• Gravitas with low ego, composure in ambiguity and a builder's commercial instinct
• Right to work in the UK; sponsorship is not available

Who this role is NOT for

Industry-only candidates without a current consulting base, however strong the fashion retail track record

• Strategy-only consultants without delivery and governance ownership