At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the UKI Retail Leadership team and drive retail operations success.
- Company: Join Nike, a global leader in sportswear with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, health benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a focus on innovation and excellence.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on retail strategies and inspire teams to excel.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in retail, strategic planning, and team development.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Overview
The Senior Director, Retail Stores (SRD West League) will lead the UKI Retail Leadership team, with direct leadership of Retail Directors (RD) and Director Store Operations & Training (DOTS) reporting directly to the Senior Director, Retail Stores EMEA (SRD EMEA). You will actively partner with the Senior Retail Leadership team, Value & Inline Store Senior Leadership, and functional leadership in Retail Operations & Services, Business Channel Offense, Planning, Stores Development, Marketing, Merchandising & People Solutions.
What You Will Do
The Senior Director, Retail Stores – West League plays a pivotal role in driving the success of retail operations, fostering a culture of excellence, and bringing the brand's vision and values to life within their assigned league (United Kingdom & Ireland). To be successful in this role you will meet the requirements listed in the Qualifications section.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Field Retail United Kingdom & Ireland organization, ensuring that retail business objectives are achieved.
- Provide strategic leadership, guidance, and support to the field organization, and serve as the voice of the league to EHQ, ensuring country strategies are integrated into global and EMEA strategies.
- Proactively champion best practices and drive performance and innovation across the assigned league.
- Nike (Direct) Strategy: Provide strategic leadership to the retail field organization in your league. Support SRD EMEA in formulating local and regional strategies to be effectively integrated into Global and EMEA initiatives.
- Marketplace Oversight: Maintain a comprehensive view of the marketplace within Nike Stores and consult with Stores leads and functions on marketplace insights.
- Play a pivotal role in the Operations Committee team in the assigned league (member of the UKI Country Leadership team).
- Partner with relevant stakeholders across the Nike Direct stores leadership and teams to implement changes that enhance performance, operations and profitability, ensuring targets are met.
- Provide financial oversight, including regularly reviewing financial reports to identify opportunities for optimizing investments and efficiency improvements.
- Oversee performance management, succession planning, pay, and resourcing decisions for both direct and indirect reports.
- Coach and develop direct reports and cultivate a culture of coaching & development across all levels of the retail organizations based on Nike's frameworks.
- Champion the service and selling culture and ensure that field leadership have the ability and resources to deliver on the same.
- Coach and empower the Director Stores Operations & Training and Retail Directors to maintain retail operations and services excellence in their assigned league.
- Champion EMEA operational excellence initiatives and support implementation of these in the assigned league.
- Ensure operational KPIs including Sales Strategy Planning & Operations Health dashboards and Loss Prevention are met across the league.
- Maintain Nike brand standards in the assigned league.
- Champion best practices, demonstrating innovative thinking and flag opportunities to influence and shape global and EMEA strategies.
- Accountable for incident management cases in the assigned league as detailed through the escalation matrix.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience of leading a large-scale retail business with a superior understanding of strategic retail levers delivering business results.
- Ability to define high impact retail strategies and translate these into measurable action plans based on assessment of business environment, future marketplace shifts and consumer insights with a clear and compelling vision.
- Experience in strategic, financial and business planning with ability to drive business excellence.
- Proven leadership experience in leading, inspiring and directing large teams, fostering a collaborative and engaging work environment, including team building, leadership development, and performance management ensuring high engagement and performance at all levels.
- Demonstrated success in delivering strategic initiatives aligned to future marketplace development with strong ability to analyze commercial data and market trends.
- Strong understanding of consumer / member engagement drivers and how to leverage these to enable business growth.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment navigating ambiguity in a matrix-structured organization.
- Results-driven mindset with a proven track record in achieving sales targets.
- Exceptional business storytelling and communication skills.
- Proficient use of MS Office programs and retail-specific applications.
Please submit your application no later than: 30th January 2026
Senior Director, Retail Stores (United Kingdom & Ireland) NIKE in London employer: Nike
Nike is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, empowering employees to drive innovation and excellence in retail operations across the United Kingdom and Ireland. With a strong focus on personal and professional growth, Nike offers extensive development opportunities, competitive benefits, and a commitment to maintaining high standards of performance and service. Join us to be part of a team that champions creativity and collaboration while making a meaningful impact in the retail landscape.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director, Retail Stores (United Kingdom & Ireland) NIKE in London
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Nike, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Nike!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director, Retail Stores (United Kingdom & Ireland) NIKE in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Nike, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Nike and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Nike that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nike
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
