Assistant Manager, Manchester Selfridges

An Assistant Manager is responsible for supporting the managing of sales, operations, asset protection, and human resources functions of the boutique to assure a great customer experience and optimum profitability. Assistant Managers motivate and inspire their team to achieve productivity and sales goals. An Assistant Manager must be dependable, disciplined, self‑driven, enterprising, and efficient. They should also possess excellent written and oral communication, good leadership skills, effective merchandising and strong organization skills; multi‑tasking abilities, and knowledge of the products being sold. Assistant Managers should also be able to motivate people; have a good eye for aesthetics; and be proficient with the use of computers and software such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Develop Team Managers to ensure their teams deliver the Chanel experience to every Client. Support them with consistent coaching, identify their development and training needs, and those of their team and partner with them to tailor individual action plans.
• Identify, recruit and develop talents and work with HR and the Boutique Director to secure succession plans.
• Delegate to the team in an efficient manner according to business needs and delegate responsibility.
• Translate strategic and business goals into concrete and individual actions and objectives.
• Participate in creating achievable yet challenging team and individual targets for the store; assess, monitor and manage performance to ensure these goals are achieved.
• Collaborate with the Boutique Director to manage and motivate the team to drive the business: create a positive work environment, empower the team, encourage innovative solutions.
• Coach Team Managers into taking responsibility for the management, development and engagement of their own teams.
• Take part in the recruitment, training, evaluation, motivation and development of the staff.
• Network with Chanel colleagues to share best practices.
• Be the voice of the Boutique Director & HQ in communicating strategic vision, targets, projects and initiatives and ensuring that the team are consistently displaying the Chanel Values & Behaviours.
• Support the Boutique Director in leading and developing the business of the store, by cultivating a comprehensive and strategic knowledge of your business and relating to all relevant stakeholders.
• Champion and develop a customer centric and service mindset in store.
• Partner with the CRM team to identify key opportunities and best practices for the store and support them with the training and development of the team in this key area.
• Maximise the potential of all product categories carried in the store, capitalising on all available support (visual merchandising, training, clientelling, events, HR team…) and fostering synergies between categories.
• Build a loyal Clientele, taking advantage of all clientelling tools from the CRM team.
• Establish a Client‑centric mindset in store to ensure the highest level of customer experience and achieve Client retention objectives.
• Be the voice of the store by understanding business and local market to suggest actions and recommendations.
• Be aware of the competitive landscape and market trends.
• Ensure policies, operational standards and procedures are communicated, understood & implemented whilst also proposing any improvement actions.
• Monitor headcount and support the Boutique Director in the review and action of the monthly headcount meeting.
• Take accountability alongside Store Support for the health and safety management of the store.
• Supervise loss asset protection and risk management.
• Control stock loss within the boutique budget and implement stock audits effectively.
• Ensure that the team are fully trained and understand the Company systems relating to point of sale and cash handling/stock loss control.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable Boutique management or supervisory experience either internally or within the luxury goods sector.
• Developed leadership skills.
• Strategic and analytical competency.
• Experience in supporting VIP client events.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills.
• Outstanding sense of customer service, sense of initiative and commercial creativity with fashion sensitivity.
• Strong knowledge of fashion and trends.
• Keen interest in culture and art.

Benefits

• Physical Wellbeing: Private Medical Insurance covering pre‑existing medical conditions and ability to add family members, Online GP App with 24/7 appointments available within 24 hours and Cycle Scheme participation for a tax‑exempt bike and/or accessories.
• Financial Wellbeing: Pension, Life Assurance and Retail Discounts across multiple retailers including Supermarkets, Gyms, Days Out and 100’s more.
• Mental Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programmes and Other Support Lines.
• Platforms: Multiple Platforms to support across Wellbeing.
• Lifestyle: Arts & Culture Ticket Discounts across major London attractions, CHANEL Product Discounts and Employee Only Sales.
• Employee Recognition: Service Awards Programme offering CHANEL Products, Retail Vouchers and Additional Holidays across milestones.
• Additional: CHANEL promotes sustainability and offers initiatives such as wellbeing programmes, learning and development opportunities, parental leave for all parents globally.

We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to Chanel.