Director - New Store Openings

Skims•Los Angeles, CA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

SKIMS is a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, and shapewear. We set new standards with game-changing product and continue to shape culture through innovation, fit, and representation. Reporting to the Vice President of Retail Operations, the Director of New Store Openings will lead the strategic vision, planning, and execution of SKIMS’ retail expansion while driving operational excellence across the store fleet. This role owns the end-to-end NSO function and is responsible for delivering seamless store launches that not only bring the brand to life, but also establish a strong operational foundation for long-term success. As a senior leader, this role will connect new store execution with ongoing retail operations, driving consistency in standards, scalability of processes, and strong performance across the fleet. This individual will play a critical role in shaping both how SKIMS grows its physical retail presence and how stores operate day-to-day at scale.

Requirements

7-10+ years of experience in leading end-to-end new store openings, from pre-opening planning through launch and post-opening stabilization
Proven experience in field operations and large-scale project execution
Willingness and ability to travel extensively (up to 75%) to support on-site execution across multiple time zones
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple openings, timelines, and workstreams simultaneously
Ability to translate opening timelines into clear operational execution plans
Strong cross-functional leadership experience, with the ability to partner closely with Store Development, Retail Operations, HR, and Visual Merchandising
Hands-on, in-store leadership style with the ability to execute alongside teams during critical opening periods
Proven ability to problem-solve in real time and adapt quickly in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
Strong operational and business acumen, with the ability to assess performance and drive post-opening stabilization
Exceptional organization, communication, and follow-through across multiple stakeholders and priorities
High level of ownership and accountability, with the ability to drive results under tight deadlines
Alignment with SKIMS brand values and a strong understanding of the premium retail landscape

Responsibilities

Oversee end-to-end execution of new store openings, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery and flawless execution.
Ensure all new stores are operationally ready at launch, with strong foundations across staffing, training, inventory, systems, and in-store execution.
Partner closely with Retail Operations and field leadership to ensure alignment on store standards, workflows, and operating models from day one.
Influence store formats, layouts, and processes to optimize both customer experience and operational efficiency.
Support the transition of new stores into steady-state operations, ensuring strong early performance and consistency with fleet standards.
Drive operational excellence across stores by establishing and evolving SOPs, service standards, and execution expectations.
Partner with field leadership to monitor store performance and identify opportunities to improve sales, conversion, productivity, and customer experience.
Analyze key retail KPIs (traffic, conversion, AOV, UPT, in-stock, labor productivity) to identify performance drivers and gaps.
Provide input into labor models, scheduling strategies, and staffing structures to support both peak performance and efficiency.
Identify and address operational pain points from stores (e.g., replenishment, flow timing, back-of-house processes) and implement scalable solutions.
Support consistency in execution across store formats and geographies while adapting to market-specific needs.
Serve as a senior cross-functional leader, aligning Real Estate, Construction, Store Design, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, IT, Inventory Planning, and People teams.
Drive clear accountability, timelines, and decision-making across all stakeholders involved in both store openings and ongoing operations.
Partner with Talent Acquisition and Training to ensure scalable hiring, onboarding, and readiness strategies for new and existing stores.
Act as a key point of escalation to proactively identify and resolve risks that could impact openings or store performance.
Establish and own KPIs to measure new store success.
Lead post-opening business reviews to assess performance, identify trends, and drive action plans.
Leverage insights from both new and existing stores to continuously refine operating models, processes, and tools.
Evaluate store performance across formats and geographies to inform future growth, optimization, and investment decisions.
Build scalable frameworks for testing, learning, and rolling out operational improvements across the fleet.