New Store Opening Taskforce Manager - Fixed Term Contract until September 2028

At SEPHORA UK, beauty isn’t just what we sell - it’s who we are. It’s the freedom to express yourself, the thrill of discovering something new, and the power of belonging to a community that celebrates every identity. From our beginnings in France to becoming part of the LVMH family, we’ve always pushed boundaries through creativity, innovation, and inclusivity.

Today, as we continue our exciting expansion across the UK, we’re looking for passionate, driven individuals to help shape the future of prestige beauty in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets.

The Opportunity

As Taskforce Manager, you’ll play a leading role in bringing new SEPHORA stores to life across the UK. Leading our team of New Store Opening Specialists, you’ll take ownership of operational readiness across assigned openings, ensuring each store is fully stocked, prepared and ready to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers and teams from day one.

Working at the heart of our New Store Opening programme, you’ll connect store teams with colleagues across Retail, Operations, Education, HR, Visual Merchandising and Supply Chain. From the first stages of store preparation through to opening and post-launch support, you’ll help establish the culture, standards and ways of working that set every new store up for long-term success.

This is a Fixed Term Contract opportunity until September 2028, starting from February 2027, and can be based from anywhere in the UK.

What you’ll be doing…

- Lead the operational delivery of assigned new store openings, ensuring key milestones, deadlines and SEPHORA standards are achieved.

- Lead, motivate and develop a team of New Store Opening Specialists, creating clear priorities and a strong culture of teamwork and accountability.

- Oversee stock deployment, merchandising, stockroom set-up and store readiness activity, ensuring stores are prepared for opening.

- Monitor progress against opening plans, adapting priorities and escalating risks or issues that could impact readiness or timelines.

- Act as the primary on-site contact for opening activity, coordinating store teams, support functions and external partners.

- Partner with Store Leadership, Education and HR to support recruitment, onboarding and induction activity where required, helping create an engaging experience for new colleagues.

- Provide practical coaching, operational guidance and real-time feedback to new store teams and New Store Opening Specialists.

- Ensure stockrooms and operational areas are safe, organised and set up to support efficient replenishment and day-to-day operations.

- Support opening readiness reviews, store handovers and the transition from opening activity into business-as-usual operations.

- Lead post-opening support and operational stabilisation, reinforcing SEPHORA standards, routines and ways of working.

- Identify opportunities to strengthen operational performance and team capability following opening.

- Be a visible ambassador for SEPHORA, setting the standard for operational excellence, customer focus and our values and behaviours in every location.

What you’ll bring…

You’ll be a confident, hands-on people leader who thrives in a fast-moving environment and knows how to bring teams together around a shared goal. Highly organised and solutions-focused, you’ll balance strong attention to detail with the ability to adapt quickly, build relationships and keep complex opening activity moving forward.

- Previous management experience within a retail environment.

- Strong organisational and project delivery skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and challenging deadlines.

- Experience coaching, motivating and developing colleagues.

- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across different teams.

- A strong operational mindset and attention to detail, with a focus on delivering high standards.

- The ability to remain calm, adaptable and solutions-focused when working under pressure.

- A collaborative leadership style that creates accountability, teamwork and engagement.

- A passion for delivering exceptional experiences for both customers and colleagues.

This role will require flexibility and willingness to travel extensively throughout the UK, including frequent overnight stays away from home.

Beautiful Benefits at SEPHORA UK

When you join SEPHORA, you’re joining a team that we truly value and our benefits reflect that. Here’s what you can look forward to:

- Private Healthcare, Life Assurance and Private Pension from day one.

- Competitive pay that grows with you, including annual salary reviews.

- A generous employee discount across the world’s best beauty brands.

- A paid day off on your birthday.

- Access to a wellbeing and perks platform.

- LVMH Heart Fund support.

- Generous holiday allowance, with the option to buy more.

- And more…

Together, we belong to something beautiful.

SEPHORA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, advancement, or other employment practices. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating and fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the start of employment and will be asked to provide relevant evidence.