Sr. Director, Strategy

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 effectively as…