Digital Strategy & Innovation Lead
About The Position
Ralph Lauren is seeking an experienced, customer-centric leader to join our Digital Strategy and Innovation team as the Digital Strategy & Innovation Lead. The Digital Strategy & Innovation Lead is accountable for shaping and executing the organization's digital vision by developing strategies that anticipate industry shifts, evolving customer expectations, and technological advancements. This role acts as a catalyst for innovation, ensuring the business not only adapts to change but actively defines the future of its category. Working cross-functionally with senior leaders in technology, commercial, marketing, retail, operations, finance, and corporate communications, the Digital Strategy & Innovation Lead embeds digital priorities into enterprise-wide strategies. The role emphasizes forward looking strategy development rooted in industry outlook, leveraging competitive intelligence, consumer insights, and emerging technology trends to inform executive decision-making and guide long-term investments. In addition, this role will spearhead the vision to rapidly test, validate, and scale emerging ideas, technologies, and business models. By creating a structured yet agile framework for experimentation, this role will drive faster market learning, enable proof-of-concept pilots, and accelerate the transition of successful concepts into enterprise capabilities. Through internal collaboration and external partnerships with technology providers, startups, and thought leaders, the Digital Strategy & Innovation Lead acts as the organization's digital ambassador fostering a culture of innovation, establishing a pipeline of future-ready opportunities, and ensuring the business remains competitive and relevant in a rapidly shifting landscape. This position requires great vision, technical depth, and communication and partnership skills. The ideal candidate is part strategist, part builder, and part storyteller, capable of turning forward-looking ideas into tangible value for Ralph Lauren.
Requirements
- 10 years of experience in digital strategy, product management, or innovation within retail, consumer, or technology-driven industries.
- Hands-on familiarity with AI, data platforms, and the end-to-end digital product development lifecycle.
- Ability to balance strategic vision with operational execution in a fast-paced, evolving global environment.
- Ecommerce, mobile app, and omnichannel experience with global scope
- Performance history as a direct people manager with supervisory accountability.
- High level of intellectual curiosity and comfort with bringing definition and structure to ambiguity.
- Proven track record of delivering digital transformation or innovation initiatives from concept through execution and measurable impact.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to build business cases, define KPIs, and measure ROI.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with confidence engaging senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
Nice To Haves
- Demonstrated strength in competitive research, industry trend analysis, and innovation strategy to guide long-term investment and business transformation.
- Exceptional presentation, storytelling, and thought leadership skills to communicate complex strategies to executives, boards, and external audiences.
- Skilled in driving change management and cultural adoption of digital-first tools and practices across the enterprise.
Responsibilities
- Proven ability to define and execute digital strategies that anticipate industry shifts and align with enterprise growth goals.
- Expertise in product and program management, driving initiatives from ideation through launch with measurable business impact.
- Strong cross-functional leadership skills, influencing executives and collaborating across technology, commercial marketing, retail, operations, design, corporate communications, and finance.
- Hands-on experience with AI tools and platforms (e.g., generative AI, conversational AI, recommendation engines) to enhance customer and employee experiences.
- Experience with automation and low-code/no-code tools (e.g., Make, Co-Pilot Studio, etc.) and vibe coding/natural language programming for rapid solution development (Lovable, Cursor, etc).
- Accelerate innovation by identifying, evaluating, and piloting emerging technologies (AI, automation, data analytics, personalization, and beyond), while monitoring consumer trends and competitive products to shape strategic roadmaps.
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of innovation projects, including business case development, funding approvals, product requirements, KPI definition, and reporting progress and outcomes to senior leadership.
- Establish and enforce governance, best practices, and scalable frameworks for digital product innovation, experimentation, and performance measurement.
- Cultivate external partnerships with technology vendors, startups, and industry leaders to accelerate Ralph Lauren's digital capabilities and expand the innovation ecosystem.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
