Overview

A fast-growing fashion brand is searching for a Head of Retail to take full ownership of retail operations and play a defining role in the brand’s growth story. This role isn’t for someone who just wants to manage stores – it’s for a retail rockstar who thrives on pace, pressure, and challenge. You’ll be hands-on in stores while also steering strategy, recruitment, compliance, and operational excellence to ensure every store is a true brand experience with sharp commercial results.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, inspire, and support Regional/Area Managers across the UK, setting clear standards and expectations.
• Take full ownership of recruitment operations and rotas with Regional Managers, ensuring stores are staffed efficiently with the right teams at the right times to budget.
• Drive consistent retail performance with a laser focus on sales, profitability, and customer-first execution.
• Oversee retail operations and visual merchandising across stores, embedding best practice and consistent brand standards.
• Act as the link between boardroom strategy and in-store execution, turning growth plans into reality.
• Partner with the CEO on sales performance, growth strategy, and retail expansion.
• Lead and deliver multiple new store openings – managing recruitment, training, operations, and customer launch.
• Work with local councils and authorities to ensure all piercing services meet compliance and licensing requirements.
• Take full accountability for P&L performance across the retail estate.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven leadership experience overseeing a portfolio of 20–30+ retail stores (fashion, jewellery, beauty, or lifestyle preferred).
• Proven track record of leading successful new store openings — across operations, recruitment, training, and compliance.
• Experience engaging with councils and local authorities to secure licences and ensure regulatory compliance (particularly for piercing or other regulated services).
• A hunger to step up into a bigger role with full end-to-end retail responsibility.
• A track record of driving sales growth, efficiency, and customer engagement at scale.
• Energy, ambition, and the ability to inspire teams at every level.
• Strong commercial acumen, with P&L accountability experience.
• Resilience, adaptability, and a love of pace and pressure.
• Hands-on approach – thrives on being in stores, not just behind a desk.
• Strategic & Transformational Leadership
• New Store Openings & Launch Management
• Regulatory Compliance & Council Engagement
• Recruitment & Workforce Planning
• Retail Operations & Inventory Management
• Team Development, Training & Coaching

Personal Attributes

• Thrives in high-pressure, high-growth environments
• Entrepreneurial and commercially sharp
• Tenacious — never settles for “good enough”
• Results-driven and deadline-focused
• Engaging communicator and natural motivator

What’s on Offer

• Competitive base salary of £100,000 – £140,000
• Direct reporting line to the CEO with significant influence on retail strategy
• A career-defining step up into a senior leadership role
• The chance to shape the customer experience for the UK’s most exciting fashion jewellery brand.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Retail

Note: This description focuses on the Head of Retail role with responsibilities and requirements relevant to UK-wide retail leadership. For more information, contact the recruiter.