Retail Area Manager, North America

The Retail Area Manager (RAM) is a role on the Consumer Operation team, overseeing multiple retail locations. The RAM partners closely with the SVP of Global Consumer Operations and the Director of Global Omnichannel Operations to hire, coach and develop store teams and ensure all day-to-day operating standards are achieved. The RAM is responsible for their respective location’s contribution and profitability to the greater DTC retail network. The role is best for a strong people leader who connects people to brand strategy and maintains a focus on exceptional client experience. The RAM serves as a brand ambassador to their managed network, always acting with an elevated level of integrity and detail – setting the standard for their teams.

Key Objectives

• Talent Development: partner with and develop Client Experience Manager(s) to implement best in class flagship standards across talent, training, performance, operations, and execution of brand initiatives.
• HQ Partnership: collaborate with corporate departments including but not limited to HR, Operations, Facilities, Buying & Planning to achieve business objectives and the brand’s desired client experience
• Project Management and Rollouts: oversee new store openings in respective region in partnership with the Director of Global Omni Operations and store side rollout of new omnichannel services
• Daily operational oversight: responsible for location level performance, operational compliance, and inventory control
• Optimization of location profitability – assess monthly budget line spending to net sales, ensuring YoY margin and EBITA improvement through ongoing optimization of budget lines.

People Management & Talent Development

• Serve as strong brand ambassador and mentor to all retail functions within managed network, working with a high degree of integrity and detail
• Accountable for the communication, training and compliance of all brand processes and/or mandates over managed location teams
• Motivate and lead teams by example, ensuring the retention and development of talent, minimizing turnover
• Build talent pipelines in all locations, promoting a culture of internal mobility and individual development
• Analyze available sales reports to determine the needs of the business and help to set KPI strategies
• Ensure appropriate individual sales goals are set for sales team
• Ensure all associates provide the highest level of customer service with in-depth knowledge of the brand, relevant initiatives, and product
• Partner with SVP Global Consumer Operations to ensure optimal staffing and headcount across locations to achieve sales and business targets
• Ensure all team members are receiving monthly coaching and development with Client Experience Managers
• Communicate all employee issues in a timely and effective manner with SVP Global Consumer Operations and VP HR, ensuring prompt resolution of all issues
• Comply with all health and safety requirements in managed network
• Able to make fast and effective decisions within brand strategy
• Lead with strong ethics, always ensuring the best representation of the brand’s interests

Corporate Partnership

• Partner with Buying team on seasonal collection assortment and buying strategies to build a diversified and sustainable location businesses
• Partner with Director of Global Ops to ensure optimal allocation timing and cadence in all locations
• Recommend events/incentives that will continue to grow customer base, with emphasis on building local and high potential clients
• Co-author store operations manual policies and revisions
• Partner with Facilities and Operations to ensure appropriate scheduling and management of security and cleaning vendors, maintaining high degree of execution in all locations

Project Management

• Co-own new store location retro-planning as well as minor works projects and maintenance
• Support and oversee omnichannel service rollouts across managed network

Daily Operations

• Ensure invoices are processed in timely manner and actualized to correct GL location
• Ensure deliveries are properly processed in a timely manner
• Ensure all locations maintain elevated level of VM standards, partnering, when necessary, with the VM team
• Meet inventory accuracy and shrink requirements through monitoring of monthly cycle counts, COG
• Ensure new and existing retail teams are trained on all operational and inventory control processes
• Ensure inventory management accuracy and enforce stock standards in all managed locations
• Implement and maintain all merchandising directives and ensure execution of all visual merchandising standards
• Ensure the selling floors are always neat and organized, reflecting the correct visual image
• Support, implement and provide follow-up for all training programs, seminars, etc.
• Ensure cash control procedures are properly followed including bank deposits, safe funds, and petty cash
• Ensure integrity of payroll and commissions processes
• Available to work physically in store within network including holidays and weekends

Skills & Requirements

• 2-3 years experience in luxury fashion
• bicoastal experience preferred
• multi-store or high-volume flagship operations experience preferred
• Experience building and managing high performing teams
• Organized project management experience or experience rolling out complex processes requiring multi-departmental collaboration
• Proactive and detailed communication skills