Department Manager - Trafford, Manchester

Type of contract: permanent, full time 40h

At Sephora, beauty is about feeling seen, valued, and empowered, individually and collectively. It is connecting deeply with others, celebrating diversity and inclusivity, unlocking your potential and making a difference every day. Together, we belong to something beautiful.

As a Department Manager at Sephora UK, you will lead and elevate every aspect of the store, from Cash Operations to Floor Management, inspiring your team to deliver exceptional service, expert advice, and unforgettable beauty experiences. With your passion for people, products, and performance, you’ll drive results through coaching, creativity, and operational excellence, ensuring every interaction reflects Sephora’s bold spirit and commitment to champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty.

You will excel and enjoy this position if you are ready to actively handle the following missions:

• Lead, coach, and inspire a team of Beauty Advisors to ensure high levels of motivation, productivity, customer satisfaction and teamwork.
• Provide continuous training and development opportunities to enhance makeup skills, selling techniques, customer service, and product knowledge.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, set clear performance goals, and create personalised development plans to guide each team member’s growth.
• Proactively manage employee relations (ER) issues, including lateness, attendance concerns, and performance-related matters.
• Conduct investigations, disciplinary meetings, and other related processes.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and creative team environment through leading by example, providing floor leadership, and challenging the team to deliver exceptional service and embrace innovation.
• Collaborate as part of a cross-department team, leveraging shared best practices to ensure an outstanding in-store customer journey.
• Drive sales performance by setting and achieving individual and team sales targets while delivering an outstanding customer experience.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest makeup, skincare and fragrance trends, techniques, and product innovations to provide informed recommendations to customers, inspire team members, and foster a culture of continuous learning and skill development.
• Deliver expert makeup, skincare and fragrance consultations, personalised product recommendations, to ensure each customer feels valued and empowered.
• Proactively lead your team to engage with customers, build long-lasting relationships, and identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, taking ownership of the team’s performance and ensuring both sales targets and an exceptional customer experience are achieved.
• Ensure efficiency by monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), tracking sales trends, makeup services offered and implementing strategies to optimise customer satisfaction and store performance, contributing to the store’s broader business goals.
• Collaborate with store management to implement promotional campaigns, marketing activities, and seasonal events that drive traffic and sales.
• Resolve customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints promptly, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Cash and Stock Operational Excellence:

• Oversee accurate inventory control, ensuring stock levels are maintained and product organisation is optimised for efficiency, by delivering training and coaching team members for operational excellence.
• Receive, inspect, and process incoming deliveries, ensuring all products meet quality standards and are processed timely and accurately, and manage stock replenishment to ensure product availability on the sales floor.
• Monitor loss prevention protocols and conduct regular stock audits, collaborating with your team and the Store Manager to detect, address, and resolve potential theft, damage, and inventory discrepancies promptly.
• Optimise stockroom procedures and consistently assess operational processes to identify opportunities for enhancing inventory management and team performance, ensuring the store runs smoothly and efficiently with minimal disruptions.
• Maintain Sephora’s operational standards, including loss prevention, health and safety protocols, and adherence to company policies, while also holding your team accountable.
• Oversee all cash handling procedures, including register operations, deposits, and reconciliations, ensuring financial accuracy, security, and effective cash flow management through regular audits, reviews, and team-focused training and coaching.
• Resolve IT or operational issues related to cash transactions, ensuring seamless daily operations, by collaborating with your team.

Do not hesitate to apply if you have:

• Proven experience in a leadership or management role within the retail industry, leading floor, stock and cash teams.
• Experience or strong passion for the beauty industry, with the ability to coach and mentor others.
• Strong capability to develop and guide a team, fostering both individual growth and collective performance.
• Passion for Sephora and team development, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and demonstrate resilience in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional customer service and communication skills, with a strong ability to build relationships, provide tailored beauty experiences, and lead and inspire a diverse team.
• Strong sales acumen, with a demonstrated ability to drive performance and meet sales targets.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge and experience in handling employee relations (ER) issues, such as lateness, performance concerns, and disciplinary processes.
• Comfortable using technology in-store to enhance customer service and operational efficiency, including tools for inventory management, sales tracking, and customer engagement.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holiday seasons as required.

Note: This job description is a general overview and may be subject to change or modification based on the specific needs and requirements of the Sephora store.

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