Chanel Senior Lead, Foresight and Future Planning

Overview

Chanel is an independent, privately held Parisian maison renowned for haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, fragrance, beauty and fine jewelry. As a global luxury house, Chanel combines rigorous craftsmanship and creative direction with a discreet, brand-driven corporate structure that invests in long-term brand equity and innovation.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead the corporate foresight function: define methodology, horizon timelines and research priorities to assess long-term risks and opportunities impacting brand, product and experience.
• Conduct horizon scanning, trend synthesis and scenario planning to generate actionable futures and strategic options for senior leadership.
• Translate foresight outputs into clear commercial and creative recommendations and roadmaps that inform product, marketing, retail and operations strategies.
• Design and facilitate cross-functional workshops and executive briefings to socialize scenarios and align stakeholders on strategic choices.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with external foresight studios, academic institutions, think tanks and specialist consultancies.
• Manage and mentor a small multidisciplinary team of researchers and analysts; set priorities, quality standards and delivery cadence.
• Define KPIs and tracking mechanisms to monitor early signals, validate hypotheses and measure the business impact of foresight activities.
• Represent foresight at senior governance forums and contribute to the corporate strategic planning cycle.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in corporate foresight, strategic planning or consumer insights; demonstrable track record of influencing senior executives.
• Advanced degree (Master's or equivalent) in strategic foresight, futures studies, anthropology, sociology, design research, business or related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong methodological mastery of scenario planning, horizon scanning, trend analysis and mixed-methods research.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills within matrixed, creative organisations.
• Outstanding communication and synthesis skills, with ability to present complex futures clearly and persuasively.

Skills

Experience

Approximately 8+ years of progressively senior experience in foresight, strategy, consumer insights or innovation; prior experience in luxury, fashion, beauty or consumer-facing industries strongly preferred, with experience leading teams or projects that influenced corporate strategy.

Education

Master's degree or equivalent in strategic foresight, futures studies, anthropology, sociology, design research, business, or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience).

Workplace

Culture

Chanel fosters a culture of creative excellence, discretion and meticulous attention to detail, where heritage meets forward-looking ambition. The workplace values cross-disciplinary collaboration between creative, commercial and technical teams and expects high standards of professionalism and intellectual curiosity.

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.