Head of Retail Innovation - Smart Retail (HSR005)

Foreground LLC; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Saudi omnichannel retail group is seeking a Head of Retail Innovation to drive digital transformation and enhance customer engagement. This role requires expertise in innovation strategy, technology integration, and experience in the GCC retail sector, focused on creating intelligent retail formats and experiences.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of experience in digital innovation, retail technology or experiential commerce.
• Strong exposure to AI-enabled personalization, RFID, mobile commerce, or AR/VR.
• Experience designing innovation programs from ideation to commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the innovation roadmap introducing AI, IoT, and immersive technology.
• Pilot cashier-less checkout and smart fitting rooms.
• Collaborate with teams for innovation integration and marketing alignment.

Skills

Digital innovation

Retail technology

Experiential commerce

AI-enabled personalization

Mobile commerce

AR/VR

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, or Innovation Management

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Foreground is partnering with a leading Saudi omnichannel retail group investing heavily in digital transformation and experiential commerce to appoint a bold, tech-forwardHead of Retail Innovation, based in Jeddah. As the company expands its smart store footprint and digital customer experience offerings, this role will lead the conception and execution of intelligent retail formats that blend physical presence with data-driven personalization.

Role Purpose

To lead the groups innovation and retail experience strategy by identifying, piloting, and deploying cutting-edge technologies that enhance customer engagement, operational efficiency, and competitive differentiation across Saudi Arabia.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the companys retail innovation roadmap, introducing AI, IoT, immersive technology, and predictive analytics into the customer journey.
• Pilot and scale intelligent store formats including cashier-less checkout, smart fitting rooms, mobile-first customer journeys, and behavioral analytics engines.
• Collaborate with the IT, UX, and operations teams to ensure the integration of front-end innovations with back-end systems and infrastructure.
• Partner with marketing and product teams to develop in-store experiences that align with brand storytelling, loyalty strategy, and customer retention goals.
• Lead cross-functional innovation squads focused on specific challenge areas from last-mile delivery tech to in-store personalization and employee enablement.
• Source and evaluate technology partners, startups, and solution providers capable of accelerating the groups innovation agenda.
• Track innovation ROI across pilots, measuring engagement uplift, operational savings, and conversion improvements.
• Serve as a thought leader in retail innovation forums and represent the company in industry and regulatory innovation councils.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 10-15 years of experience in digital innovation, retail technology, or experiential commerce with a proven track record in the GCC retail sector.
• Strong exposure to AI-enabled personalization, RFID, mobile commerce, or AR/VR in consumer environments.
• Experience designing innovation programs from ideation to commercialization, ideally within high-footfall retail or lifestyle brands.
• Bachelors degree in Business, Technology, or Innovation Management; Masters preferred.
• Fluent in English, with Arabic proficiency strongly preferred to lead internal adoption and external partnerships.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with corporate structure sensitivity, able to deliver impact within a matrixed environment.