At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire a team to deliver exceptional retail experiences and drive business growth.
- Company: Join SEPHORA UK, a dynamic beauty brand that celebrates creativity and inclusivity.
- Benefits: Enjoy private healthcare, competitive pay, generous discounts, and a paid day off on your birthday.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
- Why this job: Shape the future of beauty retail while developing your leadership skills in a vibrant environment.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in multi-site retail leadership and a passion for customer experience.
The predicted salary is between 75600 - 92400 £ per year.
At SEPHORA UK, beauty isn’t just what we sell - it’s who we are.
It’s the freedom to express yourself, the thrill of discovering something new, and the power of belonging to a community that celebrates every identity.
From our beginnings in France in 1969 to becoming part of the LVMH family, we’ve always pushed boundaries through creativity, innovation, and inclusivity.
Today, with nearly 500 iconic brands and our own SEPHORA Collection, we’re redefining the future of prestige beauty as we continue our bold expansion across the UK.
If you’re ready to bring passion, energy, and a love for immersive retail experiences to one of the world’s most dynamic beauty markets, this is your moment to shape what comes next.
The Opportunity
As Regional Retail Director, you will be accountable for the culture, performance, processes and expansion of your region.
Leading a team of Area Managers and Store Directors and Managers, you will translate SEPHORA UK’s strategy into regional execution, ensuring sustainable growth, exceptional customer experience, strong talent pipelines and operational excellence across all stores.
As the senior retail leader for your region, you will balance short-term delivery with long-term organisational capability, succession planning and business expansion.
This is an opportunity to shape a high-performing, people-led region and ensure it is ready for what comes next.
- What you’ll be doing…
- Lead, coach and develop Area Managers and Store Directors, building a high-performing, inclusive culture that delivers exceptional employee engagement, retention and succession outcomes.
- Own the regional talent strategy, including workforce planning, talent reviews, succession planning and the development of future retail leaders.
- Deliver and exceed regional sales, profit and productivity targets through effective commercial leadership and execution.
- Drive performance across key commercial and customer KPIs, including conversion, average basket, ATV, UPT, loyalty recruitment and brand penetration.
- Develop and execute regional growth strategies, using customer, competitor and market insights to identify opportunities and accelerate performance.
- Champion an obsession with customer experience, driving service excellence, strong customer satisfaction, Love Meter results and consistent delivery of the Sephora Attitude.
- Lead the successful opening, integration and long-term performance of new stores, ensuring operational readiness, talent pipelines and sustainable growth.
- Partner cross-functionally to deliver strategic initiatives, launches, campaigns and seamless execution across the region.
- Ensure best-in-class operational excellence across all stores, including compliance, Health & Safety, stock integrity, inventory control and visual presentation standards.
- Own regional payroll, operating expenses and productivity performance, ensuring resources, labour models and budgets support commercial objectives.
- Drive continuous improvement, identifying efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities without compromising the employee or customer experience.
- Act as the senior retail leader for the region, balancing short-term results with long-term organisational capability, business expansion and sustainable growth.
- What you’ll bring…
You are a commercially minded and people-focused retail leader with a proven track record of leading large, complex, multi-site operations.
You know how to develop high-performing leadership teams, build strong talent pipelines and create a culture that delivers exceptional customer experiences and sustainable business growth.
Comfortable operating at pace, you can influence senior stakeholders, build effective cross-functional partnerships and translate strategy into clear, actionable plans that drive results.
- Proven experience leading a sizeable, multi-site retail region, delivering sales, profit, productivity and operational performance.
- Experience leading and developing leaders of leaders, including Area Managers and senior store leadership teams.
- Strong expertise in succession planning, talent development, talent mapping and workforce planning.
- Commercially astute, with the ability to use data and insight to drive decision-making and performance across multiple KPIs.
- Ownership of regional payroll, productivity, operating expenses and budget management.
- Experience leading new store openings, regional expansion programmes or large-scale retail transformation initiatives.
- Deep understanding of customer experience, service excellence and brand standards within a customer-centric environment.
- Strong operational expertise across compliance, audit, Health & Safety, stock integrity, inventory management and loss prevention.
- Proven ability to develop and execute regional business plans that deliver sustainable growth and operational excellence.
- Flexibility to travel extensively across the region and wider UK to support stores, leaders and business priorities.
- Beautiful Benefits at SEPHORA UK
When you join SEPHORA, you’re joining a team that we truly value and our benefits reflect that. Here’s what you can look forward to:
- Private Healthcare, Life Assurance and Private Pension from day one.
- Competitive pay that grows with you, including annual salary reviews.
- A generous employee discount across the world’s best beauty brands.
- A paid day off on your birthday.
- Access to a wellbeing and perks platform.
- LVMH Heart Fund support.
- Generous holiday allowance, with the option to buy more.
- And more…
Together, we belong to something beautiful.
SEPHORA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all.
We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, advancement, or other employment practices.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating and fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.
Open Jobs Regional Retail Director - London employer: Sephora
At SEPHORA UK, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions creativity, inclusivity, and personal growth. Our vibrant work culture fosters collaboration and innovation, while our comprehensive benefits, including industry-leading training and generous employee discounts, ensure that every team member feels valued and empowered. Located in the heart of London, this role offers unique opportunities to shape the future of beauty retail in one of the world's most dynamic markets.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Open Jobs Regional Retail Director - 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 Sephora, 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 Sephora!
We think you need these skills to ace Open Jobs Regional Retail Director - 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 Sephora, 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 Sephora 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 Sephora that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sephora
✨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!
