Director of Affinity Programs

Location US-IL-Hoffman Estates Status Full Time Job Category Marketing/Product Career Level Manager (Manager/Supervisor of Staff) Director of Affinity Programs Sears is committed to improving the lives of our customers by providing quality services, products and solutions that earn their trust and build lifetime relationships. We are proud of our diverse, high-performance team work environment and we strive for continuous improvement through keen focus on growth, effectiveness and a sense of urgency. Individuals who are driven to earn our customers' trust and business every day, who act with integrity, who treat everyone fairly and value diversity, and who are accountable for their actions are welcome to show interest in becoming a member of our winning team.As a leader of Loyalty Marketing at SHC, the Director of Affinity Marketing Program Management will be responsible for the management of all affinity-related programs across Sears Holdings. This position will work closely with Marketing, Customer Strategy and business units across the organization to increase the impact of current key customer affinity programs including KidVantage and Craftsman Club as well as guide the development of other potential customer afinity programs across the SHC organization. The desired candidate will possess the skills, experience, and business leadership necessary to oversee the design of the affinity program portfolio as well as the key strategic elements within each program (infrastructure, communications, program structure, etc.). Reporting directly to the Vice President, Loyalty at SHC, the leader in this position will clearly articulate the development path and ongoing performance of the programs to senior management, field management, and our financial partners. We currently have two major programs in market (KidVantage and Craftsman Club) that have more than 10 million unique households. These programs will undergo an assessment and re-launch in 2008, which this position is expected to successfully lead. Overall we see our customer affinity program efforts as a central component in a broader customer relationship marketing initiative to foster a 360 degree view of the customer across the organization and across all customer touchpoints.QualificationsKey Roles and Responsibilities:" Partner with the Vice President, Loyalty Programs in the development of affinity program strategy for SHC, serving as a primary customer advocate in the development of the programs customer value propositions" Coordinate with Marketing, Customer Strategy, Financial Services, Merchandising and the broad senior leadership team to identify business priorities " Lead the applicable agency relationships, providing guidance and strategic direction to these external partners and ensuring SHC receives optimal value from these relationships" Build partnerships with key internal business areas, including Marketing, IT, CRM, Financial Services, Store Operations, Merchandising, Direct Commerce, Customer Experience, and Home Services to ensure optimal cross channel experience for affinity program customers." Develop engagement strategies across affinity programs for primary customer segments which result in stronger customer relationships, greater economic contributions, and higher customer retention rates" Recommend research to further understanding of selected affinity program s customer needs and wants and of the affinity program s value proposition to these customers." Partner with internal merchant and marketing teams to create more relevant offers for program members that drive content for member communications. Skills Requirements:" 7-10 years of relevant, marketing experience including 5+ years managing loyalty programs or creating loyalty program strategy. Retail industry a plus" Highly skilled in problem solving especially in situations of high ambiguity " Strong work ethic complemented by a positive, can-do attitude" Excellent communication skills: Listening, verbal and written. Experience developing communications and presenting to senior management" Extensive project planning and management experience leading cross-functional teams to successfully implement enterprise wide initiatives " Familiarity with standard customer insights techniques: qualitative (e.g., focus groups, user experience) and quantitative market research (e.g., surveys), marketing analytics (e.g., marketing ROI, marketing spend effectiveness), statistical (e.g., correlation, regression) and economic (e.g., financial forecasting) modeling, customer segmentation (e.g., behavioral, needs/attitudinal), and customer profitability analysis (lifetime value)" Bachelors degree from four year college or university; MBA or other advanced degree strongly preferred" Direct experience directing or managing agency/partner relationships for client organizationsBenefitsAs a Sears professional, your career path options will be determined by your performance as well as your desire to advance further within the Sears organization. You'll also get some of the best benefits in the industry:-Medical, Dental and Legal Plans -Flexible Spending Accounts -Associate Discounts -Group Universal Life Insurance -Long-Term Disability Insurance -Long-Term Care Insurance -Business Travel Accident Insurance -Short-Term Disability -Vacation/Personal and National Holidays -WorkLife Solutions Please Note: Different eligibility rules apply to certain benefits. Some businesses do not offer all benefits shown.Sears is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.