Director of Strategic Initiatives (Luxury Retail) Singapore

Our client is a globally recognised luxury retail group known for its heritage, innovation, and commitment to excellence across multiple categories, including fashion, jewellery, watches, and lifestyle. With a strong footprint in Asia Pacific and continued investment in regional leadership, the group is seeking a Director of Strategic Initiatives to drive cross-functional projects and strategic execution from its Singapore headquarters.

This role offers an exceptional opportunity to work closely with senior leaders, shape regional strategy, and lead key transformation efforts in one of the most dynamic luxury markets in the world.

Role Overview

As the Director of Strategic Initiatives, you will serve as a trusted partner to the regional executive team, overseeing the design, management, and execution of high-impact projects across the Asia Pacific business. You will lead initiatives related to business transformation, operational optimisation, customer experience innovation, and regional expansion.

This is a hands-on, multi-dimensional role suited for someone with strong analytical skills, cross-functional leadership experience, and a proven ability to deliver complex initiatives within fast-paced, matrixed organisations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Support the regional executive team in defining and prioritising strategic objectives, ensuring alignment with global direction and local market needs.
• Lead the end-to-end execution of key projects, including scoping, planning, stakeholder alignment, delivery, and post-project review.
• Serve as a central point of coordination across business units to ensure smooth execution of multi-market and cross-department initiatives.

Project & Program Management

• Oversee the management of complex, cross-functional programs that drive innovation and business performance.
• Develop and maintain project roadmaps, timelines, budgets, and risk assessments.
• Track progress against KPIs, deliver regular updates to senior leadership, and ensure accountability across teams.

Executive Support & Business Insights

• Act as an advisor to the Regional President and C-suite, providing analytical support, business intelligence, and strategic recommendations.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, briefing documents, and business cases to support informed decision-making.
• Facilitate executive forums, strategic workshops, and key business reviews.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal stakeholders, including retail, HR, marketing, finance, digital, and supply chain to align strategic priorities and enable execution.
• Liaise with global headquarters on group-level initiatives and ensure regional representation in corporate transformation programs.
• Manage external consultants or vendors, where applicable, to support project delivery.

Organisational Development & Change Management

• Champion change initiatives and ensure business readiness across functions.
• Embed a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and strategic focus.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, reporting structures, and decision-making agility.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Strategy, Economics, or related field; MBA or similar postgraduate qualification preferred.
• Minimum 8–12 years of experience in a combination of luxury retail, consulting, corporate strategy, or transformation management roles.
• Proven success in leading complex projects across regions, functions, or markets.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Confident in working directly with senior executives and managing executive-level presentations and discussions.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment with multiple priorities.
• Experience in Asia Pacific markets is strongly preferred; familiarity with the luxury or premium consumer segment is a distinct advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinker with operational rigour
• Strong leadership and influence across diverse teams
• Excellent project management and time prioritisation
• Culturally agile and globally minded
• High emotional intelligence and confidentiality
• Exceptional communication, writing, and presentation skills