Associate Director - Customer Operations & Transformation

Since 2011, THE ICONIC has redefined retail in Australia and New Zealand. As the #1 fashion e-commerce & lifestyle destination in the region, our e-commerce platforms provide an inspiring and seamless end-to-end customer experience through our own technology innovations.

The Associate Director – Customer Operations & Transformation, reporting directly to the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, will lead the evolution of customer operations into a high-performing, AI-enabled function that delivers greater efficiency, commercial value and customer outcomes across THE ICONIC.

Leading customer service and creative production operations, this role will improve cost to serve, productivity, customer experience and NPS/CSAT performance. Working closely with cross-functional and global stakeholders across THE ICONIC and Global Fashion Group (GFG), the role will identify opportunities, develop practical strategies and deliver transformation at scale.

Key Accountabilities 

Strategic & Transformation Leadership

• Drive Operational Transformation Strategy: Lead the development and execution of the multi-year customer operations roadmap, aligning operational capability with business growth ambitions across THE ICONIC and GFG regional entities.
• Champion AI & Process Innovation: Evaluate emerging technologies, generative AI, and automation models to re-architect creative production and customer service workflows, scaling efficiency and long-term value creation across functions.
• Align CX & Commercial Strategy: Partner closely with executive and functional leaders to align customer operations, brand experience, and platform investments with margin expansion and customer lifetime value (LTV) goals.
• Evolve the Operating Model: Optimize organisational structure, supplier relationships, and onshore/offshore delivery models to ensure operational agility, scalability, and market alignment.

Customer Experience & Insights

• Act as Customer Custodian: Map and analyze cross-functional customer journeys across Customer and Marketing to pinpoint friction, boost retention, and unlock commercial value.
• Translate Insights to Action: Turn complex customer data into actionable briefs and strategic initiatives directly linked to LTV, commercial growth, and NPS/CSAT outcomes.
• Govern Customer Sentiment: Define, monitor, and elevate key satisfaction metrics across the customer lifecycle, including post-purchase NPS, product satisfaction, and brand perception.
• Enable Business Decision-Making: Deliver high-impact customer insights and strategic recommendations to senior stakeholders to inform broader business decisions.

Operations & Execution

• Lead Multidisciplinary Operations: Direct onshore and offshore Service and Creative Production teams to deliver seamless operational performance and a five-star customer experience.
• Execute Strategic Initiatives: Build business cases and lead delivery for key programs, including returns abuse management, production automation, AI personalization, and proactive customer service.
• Drive Platform Consolidation: Partner across regions to progress toward a unified consumer platform, leveraging scale across THE ICONIC and ZALORA.
• Optimize Vendor & Tech Ecosystem: Oversee vendor strategy, contracts, and platform architecture across customer tech and supplier stacks to maximize functionality, contract value, and ROI.

Commercial & Financial Stewardship

• Protect Contribution Margins: Drive continuous cost-to-serve improvements, automation efficiencies, and productivity gains across people, platforms, and processes.
• Establish Commercial Metrics: Partner with Finance, Data, and Marketing Effectiveness to build robust customer dashboards, standardized reporting, and key performance metrics.
• Cross-Functional Embedment: Collaborate across Data, Technology, and Customer teams to embed AI capabilities, streamlined processes, and platform transformations enterprise-wide.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Tertiary qualification in business, commerce or a related field.
• 10+ years’ senior leadership experience in customer operations, customer experience, production, commercial operations or transformation.
• Experience leading large, multifunctional onshore and offshore teams.
• Proven success delivering operational improvement, automation and technology-led transformation.
• Strong understanding of AI and automation, with the ability to identify and deliver productivity and customer experience improvements.
• Commercial acumen, including cost to serve, productivity and operational performance.
• Experience developing business cases and delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills, connecting customer, operational and commercial insights to drive decisions.
• Experience managing platforms, vendors, contracts and associated spend.
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and working across global teams.
• Clear communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into practical actions.
• A systems-thinking, hands-on approach to leading sustainable change at scale.

Life at THE ICONIC

At THE ICONIC, we do things differently and we have a lot of fun along the way! We’re committed to empowering every ICONITE to do their best work, grow their skills, and bring their unique flair to our vibrant culture.

Here’s a glimpse of what makes life at THE ICONIC so special:

• Learning Collective: Level up with learning days, access to Linkedin Learning, hackathons, and ongoing development opportunities.
• Family Friendly:  Parental leave and an extra day off for your child’s first day at school.
• Birthday Bliss: Enjoy a paid day off and treat yourself with an exclusive ICONIC voucher, because you deserve it!
• Style Perks: Staff discounts and exclusive sample sales to keep your wardrobe fresh.
• Wellness First: Discounted gym memberships and wellbeing programs to keep you feeling your best.
• People First: Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program for you and your family.
• Give Back: Volunteer days with our charity partner, Thread Together, to make a real impact

Additional Information

We are committed to providing reasonable arrangements to all individuals participating in our application and interview process, and while performing job functions. If you require any accommodations or adjustments prior to the submission of your application or throughout your interview process, please contact our Talent Acquisition team directly: [email protected]