Retail Director Europe (m/f/d)

ABOUT A. LANGE & SÖHNE

Since the legend's reincarnation in 1994, A. Lange & Söhne has been one of the most respected and successful watch brands in the luxury sector. Our whole aim is to continue our tradition with new, outstanding products, very much in keeping with Lange's claim: State-of-the-art tradition. What we expect from our watches, we expect from us: Never stand still.

PURPOSE

As the Retail Director of A. Lange & Söhne, you execute the global retail strategy, drive sales, accelerate changes that drive client acquisition and elevate the brand to new heights of excellence. Leading a team of boutique managers and retail specialists, you cultivate a culture for a collaborative and high-performing regional retail community and oversee all facets of internal boutique operations, from sales leads and client development to operational controls ensuring the brand guidelines are respected. Embodying the brand values, you serve as a passionate Brand Ambassador, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and representing A. Lange & Söhne at various engagements and events. Collaborating cross-functionally with marketing and merchandising as well as HQ, you ensure alignment and adherence to overarching regional brand strategic objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. RETAIL PERFORMANCE
   • Identify and maximize turnover opportunities. Develop and implement action plans to reach boutique teams’ KPIs and productivity.
   • Assess sales potential, define targets and motivate boutique teams to achieve sales goals.
   • Address low-performance swiftly and through concrete action plans.
   • Direct sales leads conversion. Activate product launches, events, walk-ins and CRM campaigns.
   • Provide accurate sales forecasts.
   • Assign resources, define and control retail budgets (e.g. sales, EBIT, PL, HR, T&E, boutique operations).
   • Identify and negotiate with stakeholders to meet the needs of boutiques (e.g. products, headcount, skills...)
   • Participate in monthly boutique meetings and quarterly meetings with HQ.
   • Remain aware of market trends. Provide assessments of Boutique and competitors’ performance (e.g. sales, opening/closing, landlords, activities) to the management and HQ.
   • Provide regular feedback to HQ concerning change in customer behavior and comments (e.g. our product prices in relation to other brands or regions, customer service, demands)
2. CLIENT DEVELOPMENT AND CRM
   • Support teams achieve sales through client relationships.
   • Direct client leads conversion. Support boutique managers plan approaches.
   • Define regional client recruitment strategies with a regional CRM and marketing experts.
   • Support the optimization of client KPIs and Customer Equation.
   • Contribute to planning and execution of brand marketing activities.
   • Entertain and manage selected Retail VIPs.
   • Enhance customer’s in-store experience via a consistent selling ceremony.
   • Resolve client complaints.
3. RETAIL STRATEGY & NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
   • Contribute to annual regional strategic plans. Translate the brand’s global retail strategies into regional action plans.
   • Contribute to the development of regional 5-year plans (e.g. estimate TO, sqm, FTE, traffic).
   • Engage boutique managers with brand/retail initiatives. Drive the change management as the strategy evolves.
   • Accountable for accelerating DTC business. Lead the internalization of external boutiques.
   • Participate in new boutique opening, relocation and renovation projects.
   • In collaboration with SDP, regularly control boutique and display conditions.
   • Review retail headcount, propose and implement organization changes.
   • Increase synergies among boutiques. Reduce harmful inconsistencies with other distribution channels, if any.
4. CUSTOMER SERVICE
   • Integrate customer service business into retail business model.
   • Identify opportunities, challenges and develop customer service action plans with HQ Sales.
   • Resolve poor customer service performance. Partner with Retail Operations Director and HQ with service cases involving difficult and sensitive end-clients.
   • Supervise implementation and localization of the brand customer service organization, guidelines, policies and processes.
5. LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
   • Identify necessary retail capabilities to deliver the brand retail strategy.
   • Develop boutique managers’ skills: management, leadership and coaching to ensure continuous personal growth, development of competencies and expertise.
   • Develop and submit retail training plan to Akademie.
   • Partner with Akademie. Monitor regional progress. Address training needs.
   • Encourage and accompany in-store training sessions. Highlight best practices and diffuse learnings among boutiques to promote continuous improvement.
   • Respond to and encourage talent and skills development through re-organization, role re-alignment, mobility opportunities, offering visibility, transfers and promotions.
6. TEAM MANAGEMENT
   • Enable success of Retail team with decision support, good energy, resources, shared services and best practice exchanges.
   • Develop trusting relationships with boutique managers. Facilitate round-table discussions, collective rewards and team member bonding within the retail community.
   • Identify success profiles and talent planning in order to define career paths and promote advancement.
   • Maintain active HR notes on team performance. Deliver annual evaluations (PMP).
   • Participate in the hiring of boutique managers, boutique teams and other retail positions.
   • Execute onboarding, coaching and training of boutique managers and other retail positions.
   • Handle retail teams’ HR issues.
   • Work with HR and HQ team to ensure equitable remuneration policies, commission and incentive schemes.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree, preferably in business with a major in retail management, marketing, communication or a related field
• At least 8-10 years of sales, retail or commercial experience at managerial level in a multinational environment, preferably in luxury industry
• Strong leadership, communication and people skills, excellent figures acumen and analytical skills, structured, proactive and passionate
• Excellent command in both spoken and written English, German preferred, other European languages are a plus
• Strong sense of luxury service and experience
• IT savvy in MS office
• Flexibility towards traveling in order to present the company/brand across the market/region