Director, Retail Store Operations Director, Retail Store Operations

Valentino•New York, NY

About The Position

The Retail Stores Operations Director is a strategic and hands-on leader responsible for overseeing end-to-end retail operations across the region, ensuring operational excellence, consistency, and alignment with the brand’s commercial and client experience objectives. This role partners closely with Retail Leadership, Supply Chain, After Sales, Finance, and HQ counterparts to drive efficiency, compliance, profitability, and exceptional client service across all boutiques. The Retail Operations Director acts as a key business partner, translating global strategy into executable retail operations while leading, developing, and empowering field operations teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required advanced degree preferred.
8–12+ years of progressive experience in retail operations, luxury retail preferred.
Proven experience leading multi-unit or regional operations.
Strong knowledge of retail systems, POS, inventory management, and ERP platforms (SAP preferred).
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
Ability to travel as required.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team to ensure that all job functions are performed in a timely and efficient manner

Nice To Haves

Strategic Mindset: Ability to translate strategy into scalable, field-ready operations.
Operational Excellence: Deep expertise in retail back-of-house operations, compliance, and process optimization.
Inventory & Stock Management: Strong understanding of complex retail stock flows and controls.
Client-Centric Leadership: Commitment to delivering exceptional client experience before and after the sale.
Financial Acumen: Ability to manage budgets, costs, and performance metrics.
Leadership & Influence: Inspires, develops, and aligns teams across functions and geographies.
Analytical & Problem Solving: Data-driven decision-maker with strong risk management capabilities.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement the regional retail operations strategy in alignment with company growth plans, brand standards, and financial objectives.
Ensure consistent execution of retail operations policies, procedures, and manuals across all locations, act as guarantor of compliance.
Establish and monitor operational KPIs, service level agreements (SLAs), and performance targets to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
Provide regular, clear reporting to Senior Leadership on operational performance, risks, and improvement initiatives.
Ensure effective product intake, allocation, stock rotation, and outbound flows to support sales performance and minimize client waiting time.
Oversee inventory accuracy through cycle counts, stock takes, reconciliation of variances, and approval of stock adjustments.
Drive omnichannel execution (ship-from-store, click & reserve, buy on behalf, etc.) in line with agreed service levels.
Partner with Retail, Buying, and Logistics teams to optimize stock efficiency and availability.
Oversee regional after-sales operations, including repairs, returns, complaints, and spare parts management, ensuring a client-centric approach.
Ensure consistent execution of after-sales processes and service standards across boutiques.
Monitor vendor performance, quality control, and service fees related to repairs and after-sales services.
Analyze after-sales data and defect trends, escalating insights to HQ and relevant stakeholders.
Collaborate with Logistics and Supply Chain partners to ensure seamless flow of goods from origin through distribution to boutiques.
Support logistics transformation initiatives, process improvements, and system enhancements impacting retail operations.
Anticipate operational and supply chain risks (production delays, inventory constraints, regulatory changes) and implement mitigation plans.
Ensure compliance with POS usage, cash management, refunds, discounts, deposits, and back-office procedures.
Monitor operational and back-end retail costs, ensuring alignment with budget and identifying efficiency and cost-saving opportunities.
Partner with Finance to ensure accurate reporting and financial controls at store level.
Drive loss prevention strategies in partnership with internal stakeholders, including audits, action plans, and store-level controls.
Ensure adherence to corporate, legal, and regulatory requirements across all retail operations.
Oversee facility, security, and maintenance standards, ensuring boutiques operate safely and in line with brand expectations.
Lead, coach, and develop Retail Operations, After Sales, and field operations teams to foster a high-performance, results-driven culture.
Support hiring, onboarding, and training of operations and back-of-house teams, ensuring strong operational capabilities.
Promote collaboration across Retail, Visual, Buying, Finance, IT, and Supply Chain functions.
Ensure effective use of company systems and tools (e.g., SAP, POS, CRM, inventory systems, after-sales applications, Microsoft Office).
Drive adoption, training, and process discipline to enhance efficiency and data accuracy.