Sr Manager, Culture Activation (Change Management- Product to Market Transformation)
As a senior practitioner and people manager, you will own the design and delivery of culture activation plans across one or more pillars of the transformation program, managing a team of change practitioners while operating as a strategic partner to program leadership, cross-functional partners, and senior stakeholders. You will set the tone for how change lands, ensuring it is human-centered, brand-relevant, and connected to the broader transformation vision.
This is a high-complexity role operating within one of Gap Inc.'s most consequential transformation programs. The program will touch virtually every function across all four brands, and the change impacts are significant. The Senior Manager of Culture Activation will navigate a wide and demanding stakeholder landscape spanning program leadership, brand presidents, SVPs, cross-functional leads, and frontline practitioners, often simultaneously. Success requires someone who can hold that complexity without losing the thread, build trust across levels and functions, and keep the human dimension of change at the center, even when the program is moving fast. This role requires someone who can operate at altitude and in the details simultaneously, shaping strategy with program leaders one moment and rolling up their sleeves to craft the communication or tool that makes change real for a merchant on the floor the next.What You'll Do
- Lead the design and end-to-end execution of culture activation strategies across assigned transformation pillars, owning the full arc from change impact assessment through go-live and sustainment.
- Manage and develop a team of Culture Activation practitioners, providing coaching, clear direction, and the conditions for high performance.
- Serve as a senior change advisor to pillar leads, functional heads, and cross-functional partners, translating program milestones into activation plans that account for brand nuance, functional readiness, and audience-specific needs.
- Own the change narrative for your pillar, ensuring messaging is consistent, additive, and connected to the broader transformation vision across all touchpoints and audiences.
- Build and maintain robust change infrastructure: stakeholder maps, change impact assessments, readiness trackers, communication plans, and RACI frameworks that scale across brands and functions.
- Drive a top-down cascade approach, ensuring VP and Director-level leaders are equipped with talking points, pre-drafted communications, and the context they need to lead change effectively within their teams.
- Develop high-quality communications, cascade materials, and enablement tools tailored to each audience tier, from senior leaders to front-line practitioners, with the creativity and intentionality to make information land and stick.
- Partner with Learning & Development to align training strategy with change milestones, ensuring readiness is built before go-live and reinforced through sustainment.
- Track adoption health, change readiness, and resistance signals, synthesizing insights into recommendations that sharpen strategy and inform program leadership decisions.
- Build and steward a change network and community of practice across the program, driving connection, shared learning, and consistent activation across brands and functions.
- Represent Culture Activation in program leadership updates, executive forums, and cross-pillar coordination, communicating progress, risks, and asks with clarity and confidence.
- Seasoned change management practitioner with significant experience leading organizational change in complex, matrixed environments, ideally within retail, consumer goods, or enterprise transformation programs.
- People manager with a track record of developing practitioners and building high-performing teams through periods of ambiguity and scale.
- Strategic thinker who can design the activation plan and write the email, equally comfortable at the leadership table and in the execution details.
- Deep expertise in culture activation and change management methodologies (Prosci or equivalent); certification strongly preferred.
- Exceptional communicator with the ability to craft and tailor messaging across audiences, from frontline teams to SVP and VP stakeholders.
- Skilled at building trust and alignment across cross-functional teams, with a bias toward collaboration and co-authorship over top-down direction.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, shifting priorities, and tight timelines without losing sight of the human dimension of change.
- Comfortable operating in a program environment where not everything is defined, able to create structure, navigate ambiguity, and keep momentum going.
- AI-fluent and able to apply emerging tools practically, from content development and stakeholder analysis to communication design. Comfortable helping teams build AI literacy as part of the change journey.
- Creative and resourceful in stakeholder engagement, brings fresh thinking to how people absorb, retain, and act on information. Goes beyond standard formats to design experiences that make change memorable, relevant, and stick.
- Genuine passion for helping people navigate change, with empathy, clarity, and follow-through as non-negotiables.
Skills Required
- Significant experience leading organizational change in complex, matrixed environments
- Proven people manager with track record developing practitioners and building high-performing teams
- Expertise in culture activation and change management methodologies (Prosci or equivalent)
- Exceptional written and verbal communication, able to tailor messaging for senior leaders and frontline teams
- Ability to build trust and alignment across cross-functional teams with collaborative approach
- Highly organized, able to manage multiple workstreams, shifting priorities, and tight timelines
- Experience operating in large program environments and creating structure amid ambiguity
- AI-fluent with ability to apply emerging tools for content development, stakeholder analysis, and communication design
- Creative stakeholder engagement and experience design to drive adoption and sustainment
Gap (gapinc.com). Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Gap (gapinc.com). and has not been reviewed or approved by Gap (gapinc.com)..
-
Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage is offered, alongside programs that support physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. Feedback suggests eligible employees can also leverage tools like FSAs and additional wellbeing resources.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, company-paid holidays, and multiple leave options (sick, disability, and family leave) create broad time-away coverage. Some roles start with substantial PTO accrual and can access flexible leave arrangements.
-
Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — A generous cross-brand merchandise discount is a standout perk, complemented by commuter benefits, on-the-clock volunteer hours, and matching donations. Feedback suggests these lifestyle benefits add meaningful value beyond base pay.
Gap (gapinc.com). Insights
Similar Jobs
What We Do
In 1969, Don and Doris Fisher opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco. They wanted to make it easier to find a great pair of jeans, and they did. Their denim and records store was a hit, and it grew to become one of the world’s most iconic brands. Today we’re represented in more than 1400 stores in over 40 countries, and online. We have headquarters in New York, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, and, of course, San Francisco. Our unique aesthetic is optimistic cool, elevated American style. Our clothes are crafted with care, with focused attention to thoughtful design. We believe in staying true to our heritage while creating what’s next. Don and Doris Fisher always wanted to “do more than sell clothes.” They wanted to support the people who ran their company, to be active in their communities, and to have a positive impact on the world. Their vision helped transform retail, and we’re still following their lead. We stand for freedom and possibility for all; we champion diverse ideas that transcend generations, geographies and genders.








