Job Description
AKIRA Chief Marketing Officer
In 2002, AKIRA opened the doors to its first women's clothing boutique in Chicago. Since then, the company has extended its reach to 30+ stores across the United States, as well as a thriving eCommerce business (shopAKIRA.com.) AKIRA is extremely well-poised for sustained growth as we continue to build a nationally recognized brand.
AKIRA’s culture has one very large, distinct difference from other fast-fashion competitors: Other-Worldly Customer Service and Fanatical, Obsessive Attention to the consumer’s needs and desires. The core principle for all employees at AKIRA is to Act and Think Like an Owner , and this belief can be reflected across all areas of the company.
The Position
Chief Marketing Officer
Location
Chicago, IL (On-site)
Position Overview:
This is not a role for traditional marketers or consensus-seekers. We need a transformational CMO with both proven vision and flawless execution—someone who has personally architected a fashion brand’s meteoric rise. You’ll sit at the leadership table as a true peer, driving AKIRA’s evolution into a household name through omnichannel dominance.
What It Takes:
Brand Vision & Leadership
- Develop and drive a clear, audacious vision for AKIRA’s national expansion—maintaining our bold identity while creating mainstream magnetism
- Command respect with a definitive point of view and the backbone to defend it—you’re respected, not necessarily universally liked
- Function as a true executive leader, not just a marketing tactician—your voice shapes company direction
- Craft distinctive competitive positioning that differentiates AKIRA from established national brands
Omnichannel Excellence
- Architect seamless customer experiences that drive both explosive e-commerce growth and thriving retail expansion
- Demonstrate mastery of the digital-to-physical customer journey similar to how Reformation’s Yael Aflalo unified digital buzz with compelling store experiences
- Leverage AI and emerging technologies to create competitive advantages in personalization, trend forecasting, and operational efficiency
- Collaborate closely with merchandising, product, and operations to ensure brand consistency at every customer touchpoint
Digital Dominance
- Own the entire digital marketing ecosystem with the intuitive understanding of what creates viral moments
- Navigate social platforms like TikTok with the fluency and cultural intelligence of Depop’s Peter Semple
- Build authentic influencer relationships that transcend transactional partnerships—creating a cultural movement, not just content
- Architect and implement a sophisticated marketing technology stack that scales with our ambitions
Growth Execution
- Demonstrate a bias toward action with the calculated risk-taking approach that defined Away’s Jen Rubio
- Deliver measurable results through sophisticated performance marketing strategies
- Balance creative ambition with analytical discipline—your decisions are data-informed but visionary-led
- Own P&L responsibility for marketing, optimizing budget allocation to maximize ROI across channels
- Drive customer acquisition while building retention programs that foster long-term loyalty
Market & Customer Intelligence
- Establish voice-of-customer programs and customer research initiatives that inform product and marketing strategy
- Develop sophisticated segmentation models that power personalized marketing at scale
- Monitor competitive landscape continuously, adapting strategies to maintain AKIRA’s distinctive positioning
- Create an innovation pipeline that keeps AKIRA at the forefront of fashion marketing trends
Communication & Reputation
- Oversee PR strategy, media relations, and external communications to amplify brand awareness
- Develop crisis management protocols that protect brand reputation
- Articulate AKIRA’s values, including sustainability initiatives, as integral elements of brand storytelling
- Build relationships with fashion media, industry influencers, and potential strategic partners
Team Leadership
- Attract, develop, and retain world-class marketing talent across specialties
- Create a high-performance culture balanced with mentorship and professional development
- Foster cross-functional collaboration that breaks down traditional marketing silos
- Establish centers of excellence in key marketing disciplines that drive the organization forward
What You Bring:
- Proven Transformation Experience: You’ve personally led a fashion or retail brand through explosive national growth with tangible results.
- Digital + Physical Fluency: Deep expertise across e-commerce and physical retail—not just theory, but hands-on success.
- Leadership Presence: You operate as a true member of the leadership team, pushing the business forward with conviction and vision.
- Cultural Intelligence: You intuitively understand what’s driving fashion culture now and what will drive it next.
- Execution Mindset: Your playbook isn’t theoretical—it’s built on victories you’ve personally engineered and can replicate.
- Strategic Vision: You see around corners, anticipating market shifts before competitors
- Global Perspective: Experience that will eventually support international expansion ambitions.
- Financial Acumen: Sophisticated understanding of marketing economics, CAC, LTV, and growth modeling.
- 10+ Years: Senior marketing leadership in fashion, consumer brands, or retail with progressive responsibility.
The Opportunity:
- Direct partnership with the leadership team to architect AKIRA’s national expansion
- Autonomy to build and execute your vision with meaningful resources
- Competitive compensation reflecting true executive partnership, including equity
- The platform to create your legacy by transforming an emerging brand into a national powerhouse
This role is for marketing leaders who don’t just want to contribute to a brand’s story—but to author it entirely. If you’ve got the track record, vision and backbone to drive transformational growth, AKIRA is your canvas.
Job Tags
Shift work,