The Estée Lauder Companies Retail Operations Manager

The Retail Operations Manager is responsible for driving operational excellence, communication governance, and execution standards across the total makeup cluster. This role serves as the strategic connector between head office, field teams, and store teams, ensuring consistent delivery of commercial priorities and retail execution. Through leadership of store communications, operational processes, reporting frameworks, and field support initiatives, the Retail Operations Manager enables high-performing retail environments and supports sustainable growth for all brands within the cluster.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Ensure effective communication to the Field team for retailer activity as required.
• Provide effective communication and strong working relationships with each department store group including a monthly meeting with relevant key personnel by retailer.
• Work closely with the wider commercial team and effectively communicate with the Sales Assistant, NAM and Commercial Managers.
• Implement and complete projects as requested by the Commercial Managers and Vice President General Manager.

Primary Retailer Focused Objectives

• Be the main interface between retailer store groups and the Cluster Head Office team to identify and be responsible for growth.
• Achieve agreed retail and gross sales targets through effective communication, the development and implementation of strategic plans and maximising the business to its full potential by retailer.
• Build strong relationships with retail partners as the primary point of contact.

Stock and Events

• Take a granular approach to retailer stock allocation for new, exclusive and limited life.
• Successfully sell-in the seasonal Marketing programmes to each of the store groups and maximise store support for these activities.
• Work closely with the retail partners via a weekly dialogue to monitor and influence sufficient basic stock management.
• Liaise with the relevant internal operations teams accordingly to ensure efficient stock replenishment as required.
• Ensure and negotiate the correct stock levels for each store within each store group as required.
• Support new store openings, new counter launches and any special events from a stock perspective with initial and opening quantities and ongoing stock management.
• Manage RGAs within the agreed returns budget and consistently feedback.

Retail and Wholesale Budgets

• Achieve agreed retail and wholesale targets within the dedicated store groups.
• Monitor and accurately forecast retail and wholesale performance for the store groups via the Retail Reporting Tool and Wholesale tracker, or any other systems available to produce a daily, weekly and monthly summary document as required, highlighting variances to plan and recommending solutions to recover any risks/shortfalls.
• Monitor retail and sell through on new launch, exclusives, limited life and re-promotes on a new launch tracker by retailer, identifying opportunities.
• Closely monitor retail performance, identifying growth opportunities within the store groups and proactively sharing ideas and solutions.
• Develop and implement activities tailored to each store group to maximise business potential.
• Effectively and accurately produce relevant retail reports to support both internal and Retailer Group Strategy/Business Review meetings.

Qualifications

• Strong relationship building skills.
• Strategic thinker with an ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and influence across groups.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Detail oriented, ability to multi-task.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Understanding of digital marketing and merchandising.
• Understanding of retail business and ecommerce best practice, website metrics, data analysis, and reporting tools.
• Ability to influence and build brand partnerships.
• Results orientated and strong work ethic.

Operations Management

• Provide strategic leadership of the national operations budget, ensuring disciplined financial management and alignment to commercial priorities.
• Lead management of new store openings, refits, refurbishments, and closures, ensuring operational readiness and adherence to brand standards.
• Direct store maintenance programmes, including annual safeguarding and cleaning budgets, to guarantee operational continuity.
• Oversee national VM maintenance and launch execution to ensure consistent brand presentation across the store estate.
• Manage store collateral, gifting and excess inventory to optimise operational flow and cost efficiency.
• Lead national stock management processes to support sales performance and minimise operational risk.
• Ensure compliance with audit, health & safety, and operational standards through robust national programmes.
• Lead the implementation and operational integration of new EPOS systems across the retail network.

Reporting & Performance Management

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of reporting processes for the makeup cluster to enhance insight-driven decision-making.
• Oversee KPI governance across all brands, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and alignment to strategic and commercial priorities.
• Direct the review and approval of incentive and commission reporting across the makeup cluster.
• Support with national target-setting processes and final sign-off.

Store & Field Team Support

• Provide strategic oversight of quarterly field cascades to ensure clear communication of business priorities and execution standards.
• Lead planning and coordination of regional and area meetings to support operational engagement and alignment.
• Oversee the scheduling and communication of key activations and business-critical milestones.
• Lead the operational setup and readiness activities for the new fiscal year across all retail teams.

Job Requirements

• Strong experience in retail operations and multi-site leadership, with a proven ability to manage complex processes, drive execution excellence, and ensure consistent operational standards across diverse store environments.
• Strong analytical, financial, and organisational capability, including experience overseeing operational budgets, KPI frameworks and using insight to inform decision-making and performance management.
• Demonstrated strength in project management and cross-functional partnership, with a track record of delivering store openings, refurbishments, VM launches, and in-store activations through effective coordination, influence, and disciplined follow-up.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills, ensuring clear operational guidance, strong collaboration across teams, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining high standards of follow-through and accountability.