Location: London based, with substantial international travel
Role Overview
The Head of Retail & Activations will build and lead DUKE + DEXTER’s physical retail business, starting with our 2027 pop-up tour. The current plan includes 10 US pop-ups, alongside London, Paris and Manchester.
You will own the programme from venue selection and budgeting through to opening, trading and reporting, and personally lead delivery on the ground. From 2028 onwards, our plan is to continue pop-ups and develop permanent flagship stores, with this role leading their opening and ongoing management.
Travel Requirements
Frequent travel is central to this role. You must be enthusiastic about spending a substantial amount of time in the US, including multi-week stays for regional runs. As a planning guide, the proposed 2027 calendar could mean around 10 weeks in the US, with UK and European events additional. The final commitment will depend on the agreed schedule.
You will attend pop-ups for setup, trading and pack-down. Regular weekend work and some evening work are required, alongside flexibility to travel between cities and manage changing plans.
Key Responsibilities
Tour Planning
- Own the annual calendar, using customer demand, seasonal trading and major events to select cities and dates.
- Source and negotiate venues, manage suppliers and create a delivery plan for each stop, with clear budgets, deadlines and responsibilities.
Commercial Performance
- Own event P&Ls and forecasts with Finance.
- Control all event costs and deliver agreed profit targets. Track sales, conversion, average order value and sell-through, then turn results into improvements for the next stop.
Retail Delivery and Team Leadership
- Lead trading on the shop floor, delivering premium service, product knowledge, visual merchandising and strong sales performance.
- Recruit, train and manage local retail staff; own rotas, daily targets, customer relationships and post-event follow-up.
Stock and Operations
- Coordinate stock, size availability, replenishment and returns with our Las Vegas and Virginia warehouses and Operations team.
- Work closely with our Creative Director and Head of Brand Artistry to manage fit-out, reusable fixtures, transport, setup and pack-down. Ensure payment systems, stock controls, security and site requirements are ready before opening.
Marketing and Partnerships
- Work closely with our comms and marketing team, to build out the marketing strategy and campaign delivery, on local promotion, email, SMS, paid media, customer invitations and event content.
- Build localised collaborations and brand partnerships to bring more energy and exposure to the pop-ups.
Permanent Retail from 2028
- Use pop-up results to recommend flagship locations and build business cases for permanent stores.
- Lead approved store openings, working with property and fit-out partners, then recruit store teams and manage ongoing operations, service standards and profitability.
Required Qualifications
- Management-level retail experience with a premium brand is essential, with direct responsibility for team leadership and store performance.
- A proven record of delivering sales targets, managing budgets and improving retail profitability.
- Strong knowledge of premium customer service, clienteling, visual merchandising and stock management.
- Experience planning complex retail projects, negotiating with suppliers and managing several deadlines at once.
- Confidence using retail systems, sales reporting and spreadsheets to make commercial decisions.
- Willingness and availability for extensive US travel, multi-week stays and regular weekend work.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience delivering pop-ups, international activations or multiple retail locations.
- Experience opening and managing flagship stores, including site selection and fit-out.
- Knowledge of the US retail market and experience in premium fashion or footwear.
- Commercial judgement and accountability for results. Understands retail P&Ls and makes decisions that grow sales, control costs and protect profitability.
- Organisation, practical problem-solving and calm leadership. Coordinates multiple locations, keeps staff and suppliers aligned and resolves stock, staffing or venue issues quickly.
- Care for outstanding brand standards in store presentation and customer service. Enjoys serving customers, building lasting relationships and coaching teams to deliver a consistently exceptional experience.
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