Jobs and Careers

Principal Program Manager, Enterprise Innovation

United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 9 Jun 2026

💰 $178,200/yr($142,560/yr – $178,200/yr)

About the role

At VF, we strive to foster a culture of belonging based on respect, connection, openness, and authenticity. So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture - visit VF Careers or www.vfc.com.

What will you do?

The Principal, Enterprise Innovation Program Manager (Special Projects) leads high impact, cross functional initiatives that accelerate VF Corp’s next wave of growth. Reporting to the VP, Enterprise Innovation, this role drives end-to-end delivery across complex, ambiguous workstreams that may include product special projects (footwear, apparel, and equipment), new product platforms, AI-enabled business solutions, digital capabilities, and emerging innovation bets.

This role partners closely with leaders across Brand, Product, Digital, Technology, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, and regional teams to move concepts from validation to scaling and commercialization. The Principal shapes decisions through clear recommendations, investment inputs, and tradeoff framing, and ensures teams have the plans, governance, and operating cadence required to deliver results.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

Lead a set of enterprise innovation special projects, setting priorities, sequencing work, and ensuring measurable outcomes
Establish program-level governance (cadence, forums, decision rights, escalation paths) and ensure alignment to strategy and business priorities
Translate ambiguity into delivery plans with clear objectives, milestones, dependencies, and success metrics
Drive cross‑functional alignment across brands, regions, and functions; influence without authority to drive decisions and accountability
Partner with Finance and functional teams to develop business case inputs, define success measures, and support funding/resource planning
Drive execution across initiatives spanning product special projects (footwear, apparel, and equipment), new product development, AI-enabled tools/services, and new business models, ensuring readiness to scale
Manage risks, issues, and interdependencies; lead mitigation strategies and scenario planning
Create and deliver leadership‑ready updates, recommendations, and decision materials for program stakeholders and governance forums
Manage external partners (vendors, startups, agencies, consultants) to accelerate discovery and delivery as needed
Contribute to innovation best practices by creating playbooks, templates, and lessons learned; mentor project/program leads and peers

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 8–12+ years of experience leading complex, cross‑functional programs and/or initiatives within large, matrixed organizations.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

Demonstrated success driving strategic initiatives from concept through launch and scale enablement
Proven ability to influence and align Sr. Manager/VP-level stakeholders, including facilitating trade-offs and decision-making in ambiguous environments
Experience developing business case inputs, defining value creation, and managing delivery against outcomes
Familiarity with innovation and commercialization across new product development, digital platforms, and emerging technology initiatives (including AI/data-enabled solutions)
Track record of establishing strong delivery practices (plans, operating rhythms, reporting) across multi-workstream efforts
Strong communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complexity into clear narratives and recommendations
Experience leading