If you know Ask & Embla, you already know why this is exciting. If you don't, this might be the role that changes that.
We are going physical. Our first ever retail store is opening in London, and we are looking for the person who will bring it to life. This is not a corporate posting for a generic retail role. This is a chance to be part of something that does not exist yet, to build it from scratch, and to leave your mark on a brand that already has a global community waiting for it.
If that sounds like something you want to be part of, keep reading.
Ask & Embla is an niche jewelry brand born from punk, goth, and music subcultures, with a collective following of over 850,000 and a deeply loyal global community. We are opening our first physical retail store in London and we are looking for a Retail Store Manager who can build something extraordinary from the ground up. This is not a role for someone who maintains what already exists. We need someone who gets the brand instinctively, someone who is fashion-forward, culturally plugged in, and ideally already wearing our jewelry. If you have a commitment to excellence, the operational muscle to run a store, and you genuinely resonate with who Ask & Embla is and what we stand for, we want to hear from you.
What You'll Do
Store Operations and Performance
- Oversee daily store operations, ensuring smooth opening, closing, and in-store workflows
- Own store sales performance, revenue targets, and key retail KPIs
- Monitor inventory levels, stock movement, and replenishment needs in coordination with internal teams
- Ensure store standards are consistently met across cleanliness, merchandising, and customer flow
- Identify operational gaps and implement improvements to increase efficiency and reduce friction
Customer Experience
- Deliver a high-quality, on-brand customer experience that reflects our values and aesthetic
- Train the team to provide confident, knowledgeable, and respectful service
- Handle customer feedback, escalations, and edge cases with professionalism and empathy
- Create an in-store environment where customers feel comfortable, understood, and excited to return
Team Leadership and Development
- Recruit, onboard, train, and manage store staff
- Set clear expectations around service standards, performance, and accountability
- Build team schedules that balance business needs, peak hours, and staff wellbeing
- Coach and develop team members through regular feedback and hands-on leadership
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing store culture
Visual Merchandising and Brand Execution
- Ensure visual merchandising reflects brand standards and seasonal priorities
- Maintain strong product presentation, layout, and visual storytelling in-store
- Work with internal teams to support store launches, activations, and campaign rollouts
- Provide feedback on how products and displays perform in a physical environment
Reporting and Communication
- Track and report on sales performance, foot traffic, conversion, and other key metrics
- Share insights from the store floor to inform product, marketing, and operations decisions
- Maintain clear documentation for store procedures, policies, and workflows
- Act as the main point of contact between the store and internal stakeholders
Store Launch and Growth
- Support pre-opening setup including staffing, training, processes, and operational readiness
- Help define and refine store systems as the business grows
- Contribute ideas for in-store activations, community moments, and experiential retail concepts
Who You Are
- 3 to 5 years of retail management experience, ideally in fashion, lifestyle, jewelry, or alternative culture brands
- Proven track record of building and leading high-performing store teams
- Fashion-forward with a strong personal aesthetic and a genuine feel for alternative, subculture, and lifestyle brands
- Knows Ask & Embla, ideally as a customer or long-time follower, or has genuine resonance with Ask & Embla, with a clear understanding of the aesthetic, values, and audience.
- Can represent the brand authentically on the floor, not just professionally but personally
- Strong commercial instinct, you understand what drives sales and know how to act on it
- Operationally sharp, comfortable managing stock, rosters, reporting, and everything in between
- Proactive and self-directed, you do not wait to be told what to do and you bring solutions, not problems
- Passionate about customer experience and the details that make it exceptional
- Comfortable working with a remote global team across different time zones
- Based in London or willing to relocate
