Director, New Business Development

About The Role

At Ariat, we are seeking an energetic, collaborative, and forward-thinking Sr. Director of Strategy to develop and support the execution of our go-to-market strategy. The role will report to the Vice President of Strategy & Analytics, and serve as a key strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team and the broader organization.

Through rigorous analyses, focus on our customers, creative thinking, and deep partnership with cross-functional stakeholders, the Sr. Director of Strategy sets and drives the overall strategic direction for Ariat. This person will independently lead the prioritization and implementation of near‑term initiatives, and proactively identify, assess, and champion longer‑term growth opportunities across our Retail, eCommerce, Wholesale, and International business segments.

Ariat currently has a hybrid schedule, and this role will be working in our San Leandro, CA office a minimum of three days per week.

• Owning and driving Ariat’s overall strategy end‑to‑end, and translating the strategy into specific initiatives and transformation efforts that drive profitable growth
• Leading the research and synthesis of market and competitive intelligence to understand current trends and industry dynamics — and independently drawing conclusions about what they mean for Ariat, both short‑and‑long‑term
• Championing the evaluation of new business opportunities, including market potential, brand/customer fit, competitive positioning, capability requirements, and business cases — and making clear recommendations to senior leadership
• Partnering with cross‑functional teams to provide clear insights and strategies for key growth initiatives in their respective areas, and how these “ladder up” to Ariat’s overall strategy
• Leading enterprise‑wide assessment of growth and capability investments (e.g., Artificial Intelligence), including use case prioritization, business impact, and change management required
• Establishing frameworks and governance in partnership with consumer insights and analytics teams to embed “voice of the consumer” into our strategies — with a clear articulation of the “so‑what”
• Proactively surfacing and diagnosing underlying drivers of business performance and opportunities for improvement (e.g., sales trends, consumer loyalty, channel growth, etc.)
• Independently developing clear and compelling materials that communicate our strategies to the Board, Senior Leadership Team, and the broader organization
• Building, leading, and mentoring the Strategy team, providing strategic guidance, thought leadership, and development support that elevates the team’s overall capability
• Assisting with other responsibilities based on business needs

• 12 years of work experience in strategy consulting and/or corporate strategy for wholesale and direct‑to‑consumer companies. Experience in the apparel and/or footwear industry strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required. MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of building, leading, and scaling high‑performing teams
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with a track record of independently building new capabilities or leading a business through an accelerated growth and transformation period
• Demonstrated track record as an outstanding problem solver and strategic thinker with the ability to independently identify key issues, develop hypotheses, and drive solutions to completion with minimal direction
• Ability to translate complex ideas and dispersed information into simple, actionable recommendations
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills, with the ability to execute analytics, set the analytical agenda, and direct more junior team members
• Exceptional organizational skills, including project planning, time management, and attention to detail — with experience managing multiple work streams simultaneously
• Strong business acumen related to consumer‑facing businesses and the ability to assess the impact of decisions on overall business performance
• Exceptional written and oral communication with proven ability to build trust with, influence, and align senior executives and the Board
• Strong ability and willingness to collaborate…