Ralph Lauren Store Director

Company Description

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview

The Store Director represents the face of the brand and ensures that the highest standards of Ralph Lauren service excellence are followed and exceeded beyond expectations. The Store Director ensures that all business objectives are exceeded in a single Flagship door to contribute to the financial success of the Company. As the ambassador of the brand, the Store Director is accountable for ensuring that our Ralph Lauren heritage is always embraced and adhered to. The Store Director oversees and ensures operational integrity as well as the development of their team.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

People

• Is an ambassador of the brand, leading by example, exhibiting pride through positive demeanor, body language and personal presentation.
• Demonstrate professional etiquette through integrity, honesty and respect for others.
• Foster an inspiring environment for engagement and learning that empowers people to realize their full potential and others to emerge as leaders.
• Embrace diversity and inclusiveness through our people, customer and brand.
• Acquire, retain and develop the best-in-class talent. Continuously network and recruit to build talent database for external bench.
• Create effective succession plans and conduct career pathing conversations with high potential employees to build internal bench strength.
• Assess strengths and opportunities of entire staff. Build appropriate development plans and hold the team accountable for exceeding goals (business and individual) by providing immediate ongoing feedback. Measure progress regularly and if necessary, build appropriate performance improvement plans or related performance management if significant opportunities exist.
• Provide immediate "in the moment" feedback to all employees through active floor presence and engagement with the customers and team members.
• Schedule and provide/facilitate relevant training to team based on team opportunities, Company initiatives and overall continued team growth and development.
• Build partnerships on all levels through effective communication (up/down/lateral) and engagement. Puts the good of the team above individual needs.
• Take a proactive approach to self-development and actively give/receives feedback through one-on-ones and coaching. Customer
• Create a proactive selling culture that focuses on building long term relationships as well as the conversion of walk-in customers into repeat clients.
• Fosters an environment where service excellence values are a top priority through training, coaching, modeling appropriate Ralph Lauren selling behaviors and personal involvement with top clients. Ensuring self and team is constantly exceeding expectations on delivering a memorable shopping experience for all clients.
• Solicits feedback from internal/external customers and creates action plans to change negative behaviors or enhance positive behaviors.
• Come up with strategies on ways to increase store productivity through the customer experience.
• Ensure consistent presentation standards are met, through partnership, planning, and execution of Company presentation directives.
• Ensure store meets merchandising and maintenance standards.
• Invests in team and self to ensure a true passion and respect for the brand is constant.
• Ensures store environments are consistently compelling and shopping experiences are inspirational through brand representations. Objectives
• Achieve or exceed financial plans through effective planning and management.
• Analytical and strategic management of sales and payroll budgets.
• Ensure disciplined control of all store expenses.
• Proactively assess and report business opportunities (profile and content) to merchants.
• Execution of initiatives, promotional strategies and programs assuring that they support RL sales, branding and business objectives.
• Surface local initiatives to build brand awareness, drive business and engage teams.
• Leverage tools and resources to exceed business objectives including but not limited to Annual Performance Goals.
• Proactively assess and report market demographics and psychographics to home office.
• Protect Company assets through inventory management and operational integrity.
  
  

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• College Degree or equivalent experience preferred
• Minimum of 7 years of Retail Management Experience, with time spent managing high volume luxury businesses preferred
• Strong business acumen
• Enthusiasm and ability to build and maintain an environment consistent with RL lifestyle philosophy
• Ability to guide individuals toward goal achievement using negotiation, teamwork, motivation and staff development skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills