Director, Brand Strategy Full Time

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Director, Brand Strategy at Vans looks a little like this.

Reporting to the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, helps lead the development of Vans’ long-term growth strategy by establishing KPIs, and driving the actions behind those leading indicators. Conducts consumer, channel, competitor and category research to drive decision-making and achievement of short and long-term financial goals. Manage global brand dashboards, presentations and deliverables to VF Corporate.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Guide the implementation of VF’s strategic planning to develop and evolve the brand’s global strategy, including market research, consumer segmentation, competitive analyses, benchmarking, and collaborative decision making with brand leadership to inform strategic choices and contextualize current performance.
• Identify growth opportunities: Analyze industry category and adjacent business opportunities with crossover to Vans consumer. Use market information to identify opportunities, build financial models, make recommendations to senior management and assist with senior-level decision-making for Vans’ strategic plans.
• Lead 5yr LRP for Global Vans brand – process, financial model, functional deliverables.
• Partner with brand leadership to create, activate, and monitor the development of the strategy, including annual planning (V2MOM), and ensure plans tie tightly to annual financial targets and budgets.
• Maintain the dashboard of strategic priorities and V2MOM achievements for the senior management team.
• Manage global brand reporting to VF leadership, including presentations for quarterly business reviews. Provide information and answer requests for Corporate Investor Relations.
• Lead strategic cross-functional initiatives designed to drive sales growth, margin improvement or expense reduction that support the delivery of brand and business goals. Plan and execute strategic and financial-based projects initiated by senior management focused on issues impacting the business now and in the future. Research complex issues and create solutions to drive company performance.
• Mentor and direct staff to develop and deliver personal objectives tied to timely, operationally effective, and profitable business strategies.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 10+ years of experience and professional achievements.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance or related field; MBA strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to develop and drive strategy and brand direction in a global context
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Highly driven, analytical and results oriented
• Ability to interact and influence senior executives and business partners
• Advanced computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Strategic planning, financial acumen, market analysis & leadership
• E-Commerce & Omni Strategy – understanding of DTC, digital marketplace, and seamless online/offline customer experience

There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.

• Experience in Global Retail and familiarity of performance/lifestyle culture
• Global Market Expansion – experience in international retail growth strategies, especially in emerging markets
• Data Science & AI – familiarity with AI-driven consumer insights, predictive analytics, or machine learning
• Supply Chain Optimization – knowledge of logistics, sustainability, or inventory forecasting
• Consumer Psychology & Trend Forecasting – ability to anticipate and react to youth culture trends
• Product Development & Merchandising Insights – good grasp of product curation, collaborations, or licensing
• Crisis Management & Adaptability – experience navigating economic downturns, brand repositioning
• High-Profile Partnership Development – connections with influencers, athletes, or major retail/tech companies
• Entrepreneurial Mindset – background in startups, scaling brands, or intrapreneurship within a corporation

What do we offer you?

At Vans, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you. That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people. We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity. Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do.

To learn more about Vans’ benefits package, follow this MyVFBenefits.com and click “Looking to Join VF”.

To learn more about Vans‘ Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to www.vans.com.

Now WE have a question for YOU.
Are you in?

Tagged as: brand, california, costa mesa, director, vans