Director, Middle East & APAC

Welcome to the MILK MAKEUP FAM: At Milk Makeup, we’re all about cool clean beauty fueled by creativity. Born out of Milk, a creative hub in downtown New York City, innovation, self-expression, and community are at the heart of everything we do. We believe beauty isn’t about how you do your makeup, it’s what you do in it—and how you Live Your Look—that matters. Who YOU are: • Community connector: You’re always thinking about how to improve your and your community’s future. You’re passionate about building a global community where everyone can feel seen and inspired in beauty. • Courageous but chill: Wherever you come from, you’re driven by the hardworking New York spirit that Milk embodies. You’re flexible and ready to get the job done, but you’re humble and make moves thoughtfully. You strive for quality, have fun doing it, and always have the greater good of the brand in mind. • Fearlessly innovative: You’re not afraid to take calculated risks and enjoy problem solving. You’re down to disrupt the status quo and innovate in order to raise the bar. You value a forward-thinking space that encourages you to lead change, never follow. • Champion of self-expression: You’re creative at heart and are always genuinely you. You live your look and want to grow with people who celebrate individuality. • Inclusive + mindful: You believe an open mind is always the best place to start and value active listening. You embrace differences and help foster a safe working environment for yourself and your peers. The ROLE: Milk Makeup is seeking a bold, commercially driven and creatively fearless Director, Middle East & APAC to lead the growth and evolution of the brand across two of its most strategically important international regions. Based in Dubai, this role will own the regional business strategy across the Middle East and Asia Pacific, leading local Sales, Marketing, Brand and Digital teams while delivering sustainable commercial growth and building Milk’s cultural relevance across diverse markets. This is a senior regional leadership position with responsibility for revenue growth, P&L performance, retail expansion, brand strategy, digital acceleration and organisational leadership. The successful candidate will understand that building Milk is about more than selling beauty products. It is about creating meaningful consumer connections, challenging category conventions, building communities and ensuring the brand remains distinctive, relevant and unmistakably Milk in every market. The Director, Middle East & APAC will combine commercial discipline with creative instinct, bringing together consumer insight, retail excellence and cultural understanding to accelerate Milk’s growth across the region. What YOU’ll do: Regional Business Leadership • Own the Middle East and APAC business strategy, delivering annual sales, profitability and long-term growth objectives. • Lead regional commercial planning, forecasting, budgeting and performance management. • Manage regional P&L responsibility, ensuring profitable growth and operational discipline. • Identify new market opportunities, distribution opportunities and strategic partnerships. • Develop three-year growth plans for priority markets. • Partner with global leadership teams to translate Milk’s international vision into regional success. Sales & Retail Leadership • Lead the regional sales strategy across retail, e-commerce, travel retail and emerging channels. • Build and maintain strong relationships with key retail partners, distributors and commercial stakeholders. • Develop joint business plans with strategic partners to maximise growth opportunities. • Drive retail productivity, sell-through and inventory optimisation. • Ensure excellence in retail execution, merchandising and consumer experience. • Identify opportunities to expand Milk’s presence across priority markets. Brand Strategy & Marketing Leadership • Own regional brand strategy while protecting Milk’s global creative DNA. • Translate global campaigns into culturally relevant regional executions. • Develop integrated marketing plans across brand, digital, social, PR, influencer, CRM and retail activation. • Build consumer engagement strategies that create brand love and loyalty. • Identify cultural trends, consumer behaviours and emerging opportunities across Middle East and APAC markets. • Create impactful brand moments that strengthen Milk’s connection with consumers. Digital & Consumer Growth • Lead digital acceleration across social media, e-commerce and consumer engagement platforms. • Build strategies that connect online communities with physical retail experiences. • Partner with creators, influencers and cultural voices to increase brand relevance. • Use data and consumer insights to optimise digital performance. • Develop innovative approaches to reach new audiences and strengthen consumer relationships. Product Launch & Innovation Leadership • Lead regional go-to-market strategies for Milk product launches and innovations. • Ensure launches deliver commercial impact and cultural relevance. • Develop local amplification strategies for global innovation platforms. • Identify hero products and opportunities to accelerate growth. • Ensure retail, digital and marketing teams are aligned around launch priorities. Team Leadership & Development • Build and lead a high-performing regional Sales, Marketing, Brand and Digital organisation. • Create clear objectives, accountability and development plans. • Develop talent and succession opportunities within the organisation. • Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, ownership and high performance. • Act as the regional ambassador for Milk’s values and creative spirit. Who YOU Are: You are an internationally experienced beauty and consumer brand leader who combines commercial excellence, cultural intelligence and creative ambition. You have successfully built and scaled brands across multiple countries and understand how to balance global brand consistency with local market relevance. You are: • An experienced international leader with a proven track record managing multi-market businesses across the Middle East, APAC, Europe and/or other global regions. • Fluent in English and preferably in Arabic, with a strong understanding of Middle Eastern consumers, culture and beauty behaviours. • Experienced leading Sales, Marketing, Brand and Digital teams. • A proven leader within beauty, cosmetics, fashion, luxury, lifestyle or premium consumer brands. • Experienced managing regional P&L responsibility and delivering sustainable growth. • A retail expert with experience across premium beauty retail, department stores, specialty beauty, travel retail and e-commerce. • Experienced developing omni-channel strategies that connect retail, digital commerce, social platforms and communitie