Overview
Head of Operations – Fashion & Lifestyle Jobs in Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka at Therighttalent
Title: Head of Operations – Fashion & Lifestyle
Company: Therighttalent
Location: Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Head of Operations – Fashion & Lifestyle
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka.
About the Organization
Our client is one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent and diversified conglomerates, with a legacy of market leadership across retail, consumer electronics, and real estate. The group is currently consolidating its Fashion & Lifestyle portfolio into a specialized business cluster. This division is poised to transition into a standalone entity, requiring a visionary leader to architect its independent operational and commercial future.
About the Role
High-stakes leadership mandate with full P&L responsibility. This role is designed for a "Business Builder" who can transition a legacy segment into a high-growth, agile company. You will lead the entire cluster, where both brand and sales will be reporting to you & supported by the shared services. The primary objective is to drive long-term wealth creation, optimize the cash conversion cycle, and expand the brand portfolio in alignment with global fashion trends.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership & Business Transformation
- Lead the potential transition of the lifestyle cluster into a separate company, establishing specialized processes tailored to fashion retail.
- Oversee the implementation of industry-specific infrastructure, including ERP systems and logistics frameworks optimized for high-velocity fashion operations.
- Define the long-term roadmap for market dominance, focusing on both organic growth of existing brands and strategic acquisition of new international labels.
2. Commercial & Operational Excellence
- Own the P&L with a critical focus on achieving a healthy inventory turnover and a superior cash conversion cycle. Getting to a healthy inventory and cash conversion cycle.
- Lead high-level supplier negotiations, specifically optimizing ordering cycles, payment terms, and delivery schedules to suit the Sri Lankan retail landscape.
- Curate and expand the brand portfolio, ensuring a balanced mix of luxury, premium, and fast-fashion segments.
3. Brand & Sales Governance
- Direct the brand and sales teams to ensure a seamless customer experience across physical retail, e-commerce, and wholesale channels.
- Set the tone for brand positioning and marketing spend, ensuring high ROI and strong brand equity for the lifestyle cluster.
4. People & Culture
- Build a high-performance leadership team; take personal accountability for succession planning and the professional growth of functional heads.
- Foster a culture of agility, aesthetic excellence, and data-driven decision-making within the cluster.
Candidate Profile
Experience & Qualifications
- Strong experience in the Fashion/Apparel & Lifestyle retail sector, with C-suite or Business Head capacity level experience.
- Proven track record across Marketing, Buying/Merchandising, and Sales. Deep exposure to the Apparel Supply Chain is preferred.
Technical & Leadership Competencies
- Deep understanding of retail mathematics, inventory management, and working capital optimization.
- Experience in leading ERP migrations or digital transformation projects within a retail context.
- Exceptional ability to negotiate with international principals and global suppliers.
- Ability to look beyond immediate sales to build a sustainable, wealth-creating enterprise.
