retail director jobs

Position Overview

Are you an inspirational, commercially astute leader ready to shape the future of a global lifestyle brand? As the Head of Retail – UK, you will join our UK Senior Leadership Team with full operational and financial accountability for our retail business across 21 stores (encompassing full-price and clearance formats). Reporting directly to the GM UKI, you will define and execute our retail strategy, drive sustainable profit growth, and guide high-performing teams to champion a premium, omnichannel customer experience. You will play a pivotal role in driving our retail transformation, including executing our "simplify to grow" strategy and evolving our product focus.

• The role is based at London showroom and the expectation is 4 days in the office or with clients and 1 day of home-working.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic & Commercial Leadership: Own the retail P&L to deliver sales, profit, and EBITDA targets; develop differentiated trading strategies across full-price and clearance formats while protecting brand equity.
• Retail Operations & Compliance: Lead day-to-day UK retail operations, embedding best practices to hit key KPIs (LFL sales, conversion, ATV, UPT, and payroll productivity) while ensuring absolute compliance with health & safety, GDPR, and retail audits.
• Customer Experience & Brand Excellence: Champion an exceptional customer journey across all touchpoints and monitoring NPS feedback, and partnering with Property to optimise store standards, visual merchandising, and inclusive design.
• People Leadership & Culture: Build, recruit, and retain a high-performing retail leadership team (supervising North and South Retail Operations Managers); foster an inclusive, performance-driven culture with robust succession planning.
• Cross-Functional & Omnichannel Collaboration: Partner with Ecommerce to deliver a seamless omnichannel customer experience; work closely with Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain to optimise stock availability and support seasonal launches.
• Estate Development & Transformation: Support the Property Project Manager with operational insights regarding new store openings, relocations, refurbishments, and lease renewals. Lead change management programs, specifically driving the shifting OW to clothing and "simplify to grow" strategies.

Skills and Experience

• Multi-Site Leadership: Significant senior multi-site retail leadership experience within a fashion, lifestyle, or consumer retail business, managing geographically dispersed teams.
• Financial Acumen: Proven success managing a retail P&L, driving commercial growth, and hitting rigorous efficiency, payroll, and productivity targets.
• Format & Channel Knowledge: Experience leading both premium/full-price and outlet or clearance retail operations is highly advantageous, alongside an understanding of omnichannel retail ecosystems.
• Change Management: Demonstrable capability in leading retail transformation initiatives, digital tool adoption, and organisational change programs.
• Key Competencies: A strategic thinker who is customer-obsessed, highly collaborative, resilient, and possesses exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Requirements: Full UK driving licence and a willingness to travel nationally across the estate. A degree or professional retail qualification is desirable.

Benefits

• Discretionary Company bonus scheme
• Staff Discount
• Sample Sale
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays
• Access to training and development activities to support your career development
• Operate hybrid & flexible working
• 4pm finish on a Friday
• Wellbeing support
• Refer a friend bonus scheme
• Reward & Recognition Program
• Length of service rewards

Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.