Director, Strategic Partnerships (12 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.

Reporting to the VP Strategic Partnerships the Director Strategic Partnerships supports the identification of potential strategic partnerships whilemaintaining relationships and driving business outcomes for the portfolio of key vendor partners. This is a 12- month maternity leave contract.

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

• Support in the development of strategies that meet and exceed financial targets

• Partner with other departments to ensure alignment of goals & achievement of company vision

• Build & maintain strong business relationships with executive teams for each strategic vendor partner

• Support in identifying new business partners and ensuring business opportunities are maximized

• Execute and implement the determined event strategies in order to drive traffic and sales while satisfying high value customer expectations

• Work in partnership with vendors and senior merchants to optimize product assortment and address regional product and sales opportunities while ensuring that the Holt Renfrew brand is accurately reflected

• In partnership with the VP Strategic Partnerships continuously monitor sales performance to rationalize category representation and brand selection

• Actively participate in ongoing negotiations in partnership with the VP Strategic Partnerships to secure the best terms for Holt Renfrew

• Implement annual sales and margin targets in partnership with vendors to maximize profitability and lead the development of annual and seasonal financial budgets for the strategic partnerships portfolio of brands

• Develop marketing plans with marketing team and vendors maximizing co-op spend and incremental sales

• Maintain regular communication with store management reacting to in-season trend and develop mid/long term strategies for growth in line with corporate strategy

• Lead motivate & retain a team of high performing employees that delivers results (1 direct report)

The ideal candidate:

• Post-secondary degree in a related field or equivalent work experience

• 7-10 years of relevant post-university work experience within retail setting

• High proficiency in MS Suite including intermediate to advanced MS Excel and ability to work with sets of data for reporting purposes

• Strong Project Management skills

• Strong business acumen with proven negotiation skills

• 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)

• Is adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity and change

• Passionate about fashion and luxury retailing

Please note this role requires a minimum of three days per week on-site at our head office (Bay/ Bloor).

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 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.