Chanel Technical Operations Lead
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Department
- IT & Technology Systems
- Posted
- Aug 17, 2026
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.
Chanel seeks a Technical Operations Lead in Shanghai to drive strategic technology transformation, operational excellence, and cost optimization across the enterprise.
Role & Responsibilities
- Orchestrate cross-functional operational strategies to drive business growth, cost optimization, and digital transformation initiatives
- Translate business strategies into actionable operational roadmaps, ensuring technology operations function as a strategic enabler rather than reactive support
- Design and implement a scalable tech operational model aligned with long-term business strategy, balancing resource demand with future growth plans
- Lead the formulation of technology operational strategies that drive proactive risk mitigation, elimination of silos, and enterprise-wide collaboration
- Architect sustainable operational models targeting cost reduction (20% YoY IT run cost savings) while enabling business growth (30%+)
- Drive strategic adoption of emerging technologies (digital, AI) to achieve 40%+ process automation and 30% reduction in system downtime
- Implement performance optimization initiatives annually, driving measurable improvements in system throughput and latency
- Foster a culture of ownership and responsibility to drive ongoing improvements in usage and processes
- Measure technology ROI through standardized metrics (system TCO reduction, digital service adoption rate), aligning investments with business objectives
- Lead matrix teams through organizational transformations impacting business-critical operations
- Partner proactively with business unit leaders to ensure operational strategies support revenue growth, profitability, and market share objectives
Qualifications
- 15+ years of relevant, broad engineering and operational experience
- 5+ years in Project/Program Manager or Lead positions
- Proven track record in designing operational strategies for complex retail or luxury sector environments
- Demonstrated expertise in strategic process reengineering and end-to-end operational workflow design
- Experience mapping technology capabilities to business objectives (e.g., cloud migration strategies, data-driven operational models)
- Mastery in application support strategic planning and governance frameworks
- Experience leading successful teams through significant organizational change
- Proficiency in translating business strategies into operational roadmaps
- Expertise in managing matrix teams through organizational transformations
- Strategic vision-setting ability with demonstrated capacity to craft and communicate operational strategies to business stakeholders
- Fluency in English and Mandarin Chinese
Skills
Experience
15+ years of relevant engineering and operational experience, including 5+ years in Project/Program Manager or Lead positions. Proven success designing operational strategies for complex retail and luxury sector environments with demonstrated ability to align technology capabilities to business objectives. Strategic expertise in process reengineering, cost optimization, and leading organizational transformations in fast-paced, matrix-driven contexts.
Education
Not specified
Workplace
This position is based in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Chanel, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Operations Strategy Director», «Tech Operations Manager», «IT Operations Lead», «Strategic Operations Officer», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.