Chief Operating Officer (coo) - Fashion/apparel Job in Personnel Search Services

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Fashion/Apparel

Location: Mumbai

Function: Profit & Loss (P&L)

Industry: Retail | Fashion & Lifestyle | D2C | Internet & Start-Ups

Employment Type: Full-Time

Mandate By: PSS

About the Client:

PSS has been exclusively mandated to hire a Chief Operating Officer (COO) for a well-established and fast-growing retail conglomerate with a diversified fashion and lifestyle brand portfolio. With a growing footprint across India and select international markets, the group is now looking to transform one of its core fashion brands into a dominant market leader across offline and digital channels.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a visionary and execution-driven COO with a proven track record of scaling fashion/apparel brands across merchandising, sourcing, product development, marketing, and design. This is a pivotal leadership opportunity for someone who can own and drive the end-to-end P&L, fuel innovation, and build a high-performance omnichannel business.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & P&L Ownership

• Own the full P&L responsibility for the brand across both offline (retail) and online (D2C/e-commerce/marketplace) channels.
• Convert business vision into structured plans with clear metrics and deliverables.
• Partner with the CEO and Board to steer the brand s long-term growth strategy, operational scalability, and profitability.

Merchandising & Category Management

• Lead the merchandising and assortment strategy across all categories and seasons to ensure trend alignment, inventory efficiency, and gross margin optimization.
• Build structured seasonal calendars, pricing architecture, and launch strategies in sync with consumer and market insights.

Sourcing & Supply Chain Optimization

• Establish robust, cost-efficient sourcing strategies across India and global markets.
• Develop scalable vendor partnerships while reducing lead times and improving quality assurance.

Product Development & Design Innovation

• Oversee the full product lifecycle from concept to consumer, ensuring alignment with brand ethos and trend insights.
• Work closely with design, development, and merchandising teams to launch cutting-edge, consumer-relevant collections.

Marketing, Brand & Consumer Experience

• Lead integrated marketing efforts across digital, retail, influencer, and brand-building campaigns.
• Align product, pricing, positioning, and storytelling for maximum consumer resonance.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty programs that strengthen brand affinity.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Excellence

• Build and mentor a cross-functional team spanning design, sourcing, marketing, merchandising, and operations.
• Instill a culture of agility, innovation, accountability, and excellence.
• Design systems, workflows, and analytics for efficient omnichannel scaling.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Experience: 15+ years in fashion/apparel/retail with a minimum of 3 years in a senior leadership role (COO, BU Head, or equivalent).
• Domain Expertise: Deep exposure to merchandising, sourcing, design, marketing, and category management within fashion or lifestyle brands.
• Strong commercial acumen with a clear grasp of P&L drivers, consumer behavior, and pricing strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to scale a brand across retail and D2C channels with a focus on innovation and efficiency.
• Proven track record in team leadership, strategic execution, and operational excellence.

Why This Role?

• Be at the forefront of redefining fashion retail for a leading brand with strong backing and market momentum.
• Work with a visionary leadership team focused on category innovation and growth.
• Lead transformation in a high-impact role with autonomy and a clear mandate for success.
• Drive a culture of creativity, speed, and performance in a brand poised for national and global recognition.