Retail Store Manager in Edinburgh

IOLLA is a direct to consumer, independent retailer of high quality eyewear; designed in house and enjoyed worldwide through our online and physical spaces. Our mission is to become the most popular prescription eyewear brand wherever we are, and we want you to help get us there!

We are delighted to share an amazing opportunity! We are excited to be recruiting for an experienced Retail Manager to join our incredible Edinburgh St James team, in the heart of Edinburgh City Centre. Our Retail Manager will lead our Edinburgh community, bringing both commercial acumen and genuine optical expertise to every aspect of the role.

What you’ll do:

• Play the leading role within our retail store team, working collaboratively with your team to drive sales, customer experience and operational excellence — drawing on your optical knowledge to elevate the quality of every customer interaction.
• Demonstrate best practice and role model behaviours that bring our core values and service excellence to every IOLLA customer, every day.
• Confidently guide customers through lens choices, frame suitability, and prescription requirements, and inspire your team to do the same.
• Be committed to the continuous growth of your team, creating a culture where learning, development, and progression are part of everyday life.
• Be confident in identifying commercial opportunities that support the growth of the IOLLA brand, both internally and externally, including leveraging your optical knowledge to identify product gaps, training needs, and service improvements.
• Drive an exceptional brand experience, ensuring every customer looks and feels great in their new eyewear.
• Be the local community face of IOLLA, representing the brand and playing a key role in growing our Edinburgh city centre community — including building relationships with like-minded brands who share our passion for quality, design, and outstanding customer experience.
• Contribute to brand development by providing local market insights, customer trends, and product feedback.
• Drive and maintain exceptional visual merchandising at all times, ensuring the showroom is always presented to the highest standard.
• Lead your management team to effectively manage all aspects of day‑to‑day operations, including stock management and compliance with relevant Health & Safety requirements.

Join our team because:

• You have at least 2 years experience as a retail manager, and thrive when working in a high volume, high footfall, fast paced environment overseeing a large team. Optical retail experience is preferred but not essential.
• You lead with confidence, building teams that are engaged, empowered, and consistently performing at their highest level.
• You are commercially minded and sales driven, with a proven track record of hitting and exceeding targets.
• You are self motivated and understand the importance of leading by example.
• You have a passion for style and keeping up to date on key seasonal trends.
• You have a spectacular ability to build great working relationships both internally and externally.
• You can drive performance and results and are organised and strategic in your approach.
• You thrive working in a team and can work independently, too.
• You take ownership for your own learning and embrace new challenges with a growth mindset.

What you’ll get:

• A competitive salary.
• Excellent training, including all things optics.
• Discretionary reward and bonus each month.
• Enhanced annual leave with service.
• Annual leave purchase scheme.
• Private healthcare.
• Our Retail Trust partnership offers a host of benefits including an Employee Assistance programme and access to high street discounts, amongst many others!
• Complimentary eyewear.
• A generous friends and family discount.
• To work for a brand who are proud to be a Real Living Wage employer.

This role is based in our IOLLA St James Quarter Showroom, Edinburgh. We can’t wait to hear your story and look forward to meeting you!