Director, Omnichannel Customer Experience & Strategic Initiatives

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort Who We Are: At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world's largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we're more than a business - we're a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry. If you're ready to grow, you've come to the right place. With a true "Growth Mindset," Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business. If you are a current Ashley employee: Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board. Summary: The Director, Omnichannel Customer Experience & Strategic Initiatives is the enterprise leader responsible for defining, governing, and advancing Ashley Furniture's customer-centric omnichannel strategy across retail, e-commerce, customer care, delivery, and emerging channels. This role sets the experience vision and roadmap, establishes cross-channel standards and decision rights, and leads a portfolio of strategic initiatives that improve the end-to-end customer journey. This is not a technical role, but it requires strong omnichannel fluency and the ability to lead a team that includes system subject matter experts and process leaders. The Director partners closely with senior stakeholders to translate strategy into execution-driving measurable improvements in customer outcomes, operational performance, and enterprise alignment. Responsibilities: Omnichannel CX Vision, Roadmap, and Governance * Define the enterprise omnichannel CX vision and translate it into a prioritized roadmap with clear outcomes * Establish journey-level governance (decision rights, standards, and escalation paths) to ensure cross-channel consistency * Align customer experience priorities with business goals, operational realities, and scalable execution Customer Journey Strategy and Experience Standards * Own key end-to-end journeys (e.g., browse-to-buy, order-to-delivery, service-to-resolution, returns/exchanges) and define what "good" looks like * Standardize customer-facing policies and communications expectations where consistency drives trust and reduces friction * Drive simplification by reducing handoffs, exceptions, and variability across channels Strategic Initiatives and Cross-Functional Leadership * Lead a portfolio of omnichannel CX initiatives from concept through adoption and sustained performance * Drive accountability across business partners through clear operating cadence, decisions, and follow-through Market Intelligence and Best-Practice Translation * Maintain working knowledge of omnichannel CX operating models and enabling ecosystems (e.g., OMS concepts, CRM, e-comm, POS, customer care tools) to guide business direction * Benchmark Ashley's experience maturity and identify pragmatic improvements based on best practices * Provide leadership with decision-ready recommendations grounded in customer impact and operational feasibility Performance Management, Insights, and Executive Storytelling * Define and operationalize omnichannel CX KPIs and a performance review cadence tied to customer and business outcomes * Translate insights into prioritized actions and decisions (what to fix, why it matters, and what success looks like) * Ensure progress is communicated clearly and consistently to stakeholders and executives People Leadership and Capability Development * Build and lead a high-performing team with strong clarity on roles, priorities, and delivery expectations * Coach leaders and SMEs to translate business needs into actionable work and sustainable adoption * Develop capability across journey thinking, change adoption, stakeholder leadership, and outcome-based execution Qualifications required: Education * Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Customer Experience, or related field required * Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) or related field preferred Experience * 10+ years of progressive experience in omnichannel customer experience, retail operations, e-commerce, or strategic program management * 5+ years in leadership roles with responsibility for cross-functional strategy development and execution * Proven track record in defining and executing enterprise-level customer experience strategies across multiple channels * Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from concept through sustained adoption * Demonstrated success leading teams including SMEs, process leaders, and cross-functional project resources. Work Environment: * This position is located in a climate-controlled office environment with standard lighting and moderate noise levels typical of professional workspace settings. The role primarily involves sitting at a desk for extended periods while working with computers, phones, and other office equipment. The collaborative environment includes interaction with team members and may require attendance at meetings, conference calls, and cross-departmental communications during regular business hours. Benefits We Offer: * Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program * Paid Time Off; increases with years of service * Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings * Professional Development Opportunities * Tuition Assistance * Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific) * 401(k) and Profit Sharing * Life Insurance Our Core Values: * Honesty & Integrity: Acts with transparency, discretion, and ethical judgment. Trusted to handle sensitive information and provide accurate, unbiased insights. * (Dirty Fingernail: Takes full accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Inspects details, ensures data accuracy, and follows through to completion. * Continuous Improvement: Actively seeks better ways to improve templates, tools, and processes. Learns from prior initiatives and embeds lessons into standard work. * Growth & Results Focus: Understands how transformation initiatives drive growth, cost reduction, and profitability. Keeps work aligned to enterprise priorities. * Culture of Leadership: Leads through influence, reliability, and example. Builds trust across functions and supports leaders at every level. * Customer-Centric & Boundaryless: Works across silos for the greater good of the organization. Ensures outputs meet the needs of executives, initiative owners, and teams. * Operational Excellence: Demonstrates strong organizational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to translate ambiguity into clear, executable tools. Interested in learning more about Ashley Furniture's Community Engagement programs, Environmental Stewardship, or our Core Values, click the links below: Corporate Social Responsibility View Our Corporate Brochure We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide a drug-free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. The company reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. Notice to Search Firms: We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. We will not pay any placement, referral or other fees to any search firms unless we have agreed otherwise in a valid, written agreement for the specific position posted and signed by an authorized representative of Ashley Furniture Industries. * Please note this position is not eligible for current or future employment sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.