Chanel Head of Programme, P&O Technology

About Chanel

Chanel is one of the world’s most revered luxury houses, founded by Gabrielle Chanel and distinguished by an enduring vision of elegance, freedom, and modernity. As an employer, the House brings together métiers ranging from haute couture, fashion and leather goods to fragrance, beauty, watches, and fine jewelry, offering employees the opportunity to contribute to a legacy defined by exceptional craftsmanship and creative audacity. Chanel values excellence, discretion, collaboration, and long-term development, fostering an environment where talent is nurtured and heritage is continually reinterpreted for contemporary clients. Its teams are united by a commitment to quality, innovation, and the timeless spirit of the brand.

Role & Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Programme Director and other workstream leads.
• Translate agreed technology strategy, architecture and programme outcomes into executable plans with clear scope, milestones, resources and outcomes.
• Mobilise and lead end-to-end delivery from programme definition through implementation, testing, deployment, stabilisation and transition to operations.
• Maintain accountability for delivery quality, timelines, investment and resources, actively managing risks, dependencies and trade-offs.
• Integrate technology delivery with business processes, change management and operational readiness.
• Establish effective governance, provide clear progress visibility, and enable timely decisions and issue resolution.
• Build and lead an integrated delivery team across internal Technology functions, specialist teams, vendors and implementation partners.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and ways of working to create shared ownership of programme outcomes.
• Coach and develop team members, strengthening programme leadership, delivery capabilities and confidence in managing complexity.
• Anticipate capacity needs and work with functional leaders to mobilise the right expertise.
• Embed knowledge sharing, lessons learned and continuous improvement to build delivery capability beyond individual programmes.
• Build trusted partnerships with P&O leaders, programme sponsors and business stakeholders, maintaining alignment on priorities, scope and expected outcomes.
• Bring together Technology teams across Global, Divisions and Regions, specialist technology functions, software vendors and implementation partners, establishing the structure and delivery environment for successful execution.
• Connect Global, Divisional and Regional teams, ensuring requirements and dependencies are understood early and managed throughout delivery.
• Align architecture, data, security, integration and service management expertise to support coherent, sustainable solutions.
• Lead delivery relationships with software vendors and implementation partners, setting clear expectations and maintaining accountability for commitments.
• Contribute delivery expertise to shaping and sequencing future HR/P&O technology initiatives.
• Identify cross-programme dependencies and opportunities to reuse capabilities, approaches and lessons learned.
• Ensure solutions operate effectively at global scale while accommodating justified regional, regulatory and local requirements.
• Partner with business and service owners to support adoption, operational ownership and the realisation of agreed benefits.
• Define the programme's overall deployment strategy, including planning, budget and resources.
• Establish and run programme governance.
• Build the programme team from internal and external resources and strategic partners.
• Advocate a people-centric approach, nurture cultural change and build the associated change management programme.
• Lead a programme harmonising data practices worldwide and deploying high-quality standards.
• Implement a programme across all dimensions in a transformation context.
• Work in a worldwide, multicultural environment with multiple partners and organisational levels.
• Set up and build technologies, solutions, organisation and projects with Chanel business and Technology teams.
• Lead, collaborate and coordinate in the context of technology and new ways of working and sharing.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading complex, global technology transformation programmes, with direct accountability for execution and delivery outcomes.
• A track record of mobilising programmes and leading them through implementation, deployment and transition to operations.
• Experience delivering technology-enabled transformation within HR/P&O, with an understanding of the connections between people processes, technology, data and employee experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, including colleagues working across organisational boundaries.
• Strong programme leadership across planning, governance, resources, investment, risks and dependencies.
• Experience managing delivery across internal Technology teams, software vendors and implementation partners.
• Ability to build alignment and influence decisions in a complex global matrix.
• Clear communication, sound judgement and a pragmatic, hands-on approach to resolving issues and maintaining delivery momentum.
• Valuable additional experience includes delivery across multiple HR domains, such as core HR, talent, learning or employee experience.
• Valuable additional experience includes global SaaS implementation and integration with Workday or comparable HR platforms.
• Valuable additional experience includes multi-platform technology ecosystems involving data, analytics, digital experience or AI-enabled capabilities.
• Valuable additional experience includes global retail or frontline environments with significant regional and local requirements.

Skills

Experience

Significant experience leading complex, global technology transformation programmes; experience delivering technology-enabled transformation within HR/P&O and managing delivery across internal Technology teams, software vendors and implementation partners.

Culture

Chanel fosters a culture of timeless creativity, exacting craftsmanship, and quiet excellence, where employees are encouraged to uphold the house’s heritage while contributing to its continued innovation. The workplace environment is refined, collaborative, and deeply committed to quality, offering professionals the opportunity to grow within a globally respected maison that values discretion, artistry, and long-term vision.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.