Area Manager JD North GR (καταστήματα Αττικής και βόρειας Ελλάδας)

Cosmos Sport SA , member of JD Sports Fashion Plc , founded in September of 1982. First store opened in Heraklion-Crete and since then the network expanded 109 further physical stores in Greece & Cyprus, 5 retail brands ( JD Sports , Cosmos Sport , Sneaker10 , Slamdunk , Rundome ) 8 on-line shops and thousands of happy customers in Greece and Cyprus. Cosmos Sport is a constantly growing omnichannel company with a strong passion for sportswear, street style and limited items. Our team consists of 1900+ highly skilled, self-motivated young people, who love sports and have a passion for innovation! We are proud that Cosmossport.gr is now the No1 on-line store in the industry also selling abroad, having been awarded for 7 consecutive years as the best online sports shop in the country in e-volution Awards. We are excited being a preferred partner for global brands like Nike, Adidas, Reebok in the SEE.

We are looking for a passionate Area Manager for our JD Stores who will be based in Athens . The role will report to the Retail Director.

Responsibilities

- Lead, coach and support Store Managers to achieve sales, profitability, KPI and operational objectives, challenging performance, identifying opportunities and driving effective action plans.
- Monitor and analyze store performance, productivity, budgets, payroll and resource allocation to ensure efficient and profitable operations.
- Drive people planning across the area, including headcount planning, recruitment, talent development, succession planning and building a strong talent pipeline.
- Conduct regular store visits to ensure consistent operational excellence, customer experience, brand standards and visual merchandising across all locations.
- Drive customer experience standards and membership growth, ensuring stores consistently deliver against the company’s customer journey expectations.
- Ensure full compliance with company policies, Health & Safety, cash handling, audit and loss prevention procedures, proactively addressing operational risks.
- Oversee inventory performance, stock availability and loss prevention, taking action where improvement is required.
- Ensure timely and effective execution of company initiatives, campaigns, promotions and operational tasks across all stores within agreed deadlines.
- Support new store openings, relocations and major store projects, coordinating with relevant teams to ensure smooth and successful implementation.
- Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders and act as a key link between Head Office and stores, ensuring clear communication, alignment and effective execution of business priorities.
- Monitor market and competitor activity, identifying commercial opportunities and initiatives that support sustainable business growth.
- Foster a culture of accountability, engagement and high performance, ensuring challenges are addressed quickly and effectively across the area.

Requirements

- Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification.
- Previous experience in an Area Manager or multi-site retail leadership role.
- Strong commercial and analytical mindset with the ability to monitor and drive KPIs.
- Excellent leadership, coaching, and people development skills.
- Strong business acumen and decision-making abilities.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proficiency in English, Microsoft Office, and retail reporting tools.
- Customer-focused mindset with a strong understanding of retail operations.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Passion for retail, sports, and fashion.
- Flexibility to travel frequently and work across different locations.
- Eagerness to learn, adapt, and embrace new challenges.

Benefits

- Competitive compensation package & performance bonus.
- Car / Transportation costs / Mobile / Laptop.
- Health Insurance Program
- Career development opportunities & education programs
- Enhanced academic advancement opportunities through our established university partnerships (with discounts of up to 75% at the European University of Cyprus, up to €3,000 at UCLan, and up to 60% at Mediterranean College)
- Integrated health & well‑being support for all employees, including free diagnostic tests at Euromedica diagnostic centres and seamless access to a mental health platform
- One day off, part of our "parents’ day off" program — offered specifically for the first day of school
- Generous employee discount in all our brands (Cosmos Sport, Sneaker10, Slamdunk, Rundome, JD Sports stores)
- Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of Cosmos Sport team means a lot to us! We offer a variety of 100+ cool extras! link here (https://www.cosmossport.gr/el/cms/255/cosmos-people-benefits-promo)

At Cosmos Sport, we are committed to providing a great place to work for all of our people, without regard tο race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientations, genders, or disability.