Head of Retail UK&I

At ELEMIS, luxury retail is built through exceptional customer experiences, skincare expertise and highly productive store environments.

As Head of Retail UK & Ireland, you will lead the retail strategy, commercial performance and customer experience across our retail partner network and staffed locations. Reporting to the Commercial Director, you will translate the wider commercial ambition into clear retail plans that deliver sustainable sales growth, productivity and service excellence.

You will lead and develop the retail leadership team in the field, building the capability, accountability and succession pipeline needed to deliver consistently strong results across the UK & Ireland. Working closely with Commercial, Education, Marketing and retail partners, you will ensure that people, investment and activity are focused on the greatest opportunities for growth.

This is a visible, commercially focused leadership role, which will see you in the field the majority of your time, with limited time in our Baker Street offices. Think boot-on-the-ground! Meaning regular travel across the UK & Ireland. You will balance strategic planning with a strong presence in stores, using first-hand insight to shape decisions, coach leaders and ensure every customer interaction reflects the prestige of the ELEMIS brand.

What You Will Do:

Retail Strategy & Commercial Performance
- Develop and deliver the UK & Ireland retail strategy in partnership with the Commercial Director, aligning retail priorities with wider business objectives.
- Own delivery of retail sales, productivity and controllable cost targets, driving sustainable and profitable growth.
- Translate annual commercial plans into clear regional and store-level objectives, with defined measures of success.
- Lead trading reviews, using performance data and field insight to identify opportunities, address underperformance and respond quickly to changing conditions.
- Drive improvements in conversion, average transaction value, treatment bookings, repeat visitation and sales productivity.
- Strengthen the contribution of premium in-store business through exceptional service, skincare expertise and effective clientelling.
- Partner with Commercial teams to identify opportunities across the retail estate and recommend where resources and investment will deliver the greatest return.
Leadership & Organisational Capability
- Lead, coach and develop Area Managers, empowering them to deliver commercial results and consistent retail standards through their teams.
- Establish clear expectations, performance measures and review processes across all retail roles.
- Build a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, luxury service and continuous improvement.
- Partner with HR on recruitment, talent development, succession planning and performance management.
- Ensure staffing structures, deployment and coverage reflect trading opportunities and business priorities.
- Maintain a strong field presence, using store visits to develop leaders, validate execution and resolve barriers to performance.
Luxury Customer Experience & Brand Standards
- Set and uphold consistent standards for luxury service, personalised consultations and the customer journey across all locations.
- Ensure the ELEMIS brand is represented consistently through service, presentation, behaviours and skincare expertise.
- Use customer feedback, retail partner insight and performance data to improve the in-store experience.
- Embed clientelling and customer relationship practices that increase retention, repeat purchase and long-term loyalty.
- Work with Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure launches, events and retail activations deliver an elevated brand experience and measurable commercial results.
Skincare & Treatment Excellence
- Position treatments and expert skincare consultations at the centre of the retail experience.
- Drive treatment engagement, booking utilisation and conversion into product sales and repeat visits.
- Partner with Education to identify capability gaps and deliver training priorities that improve confidence, expertise and commercial performance.
- Ensure Area Managers reinforce education through consistent coaching and follow-up in stores.
Retail Partnerships & Operational Excellence
- Build influential relationships with retail partners, working alongside Commercial teams to agree priorities and improve execution.
- Represent retail within cross-functional planning, ensuring field insight informs commercial decisions.
- Oversee consistent execution of retail operations, promotional activity and brand standards.
- Partner with relevant teams to address stock availability, operational challenges and other barriers to sales.
- Provide the Commercial Director with clear performance updates, forecasts, risks and recommendations.

What We Are Looking For:

- Significant leadership experience within luxury beauty, skincare or premium retail, with responsibility for a substantial multi-site operation.
- A proven track record of delivering sales growth, improving retail productivity and managing costs.
- Experience leading a Field Leadership team with evidence of building strong teams and developing future talent.
- The ability to turn commercial strategy into clear, practical plans that teams can execute.
- Strong analytical and financial skills, with confidence using trading data, budgets and forecasts to guide decisions.
- A visible and engaging leadership style, combining strategic judgement with effective coaching in the field.
- A deep understanding of luxury customer experience, clientelling and the role of skincare expertise and treatments in building loyalty.
- Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions and with senior retail partners.
- A passion for ELEMIS, its customers and delivering exceptional standards.
- Willingness to travel regularly throughout the UK & Ireland.

What We Offer You!

- 27 days holiday per year.
- Additional day off for your Birthday!
- Generous Staff Discount on all your favourite ELEMIS products and spa treatments, as well as discounts on L'OCCITANE Group products (including L'Occitane, Erborian and more).
- Annual Bonus.
- Excellent well-being policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity policies, Income Protection, Life Assurance and more.
- Generous Holiday Allowance, increasing with length of service.
- Company Pension Scheme.
- Healthcare Cash Plan (with Dental).
- Employee Assistance Programme for all Associates and their families.
- Cycle to Work Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Length of Service Awards.
- Much, much more!