AKIRA
Director of Retail Sales
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Founded in 2002 in Chicago, AKIRA has grown to 35+ boutiques nationwide and a thriving e‑commerce business (shopAKIRA.com). As we build our next‑chapter growth, our culture stands apart: we deliver fanatical, obsessive attention to the consumer's needs and desires. Every team member is empowered to “Act and Think Like an Owner.”
We are seeking a dynamic industry‑leading retail sales executive to elevate our store performance, build a high‑impact field leadership team, and drive exceptional growth and customer loyalty.
Job Title Director of Retail Sales
Location Chicago HQ | Travel: ~50‑75% across ~40 stores and new openings
Role Purpose You will own the strategy, leadership and performance of the store sales organization. Build and coach a best‑in‑class field leadership bench (District Managers, Store Managers, Stylists), drive sales productivity and customer‑centric performance, and build long‑term loyalty among our clientele. Partner with the Director of Retail Operations to ensure the store network is not only operating with excellence, but truly selling at scale.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Talent Development:
Build and lead the store‑sales leadership ecosystem, recruit, develop, mentor and retain District Managers and Store Managers; create a succession pipeline across field roles. Design and deploy a leadership development program (e.g., “Store Leadership Academy”) for Store Managers and Stylists, include field‑ride trainings, 30‑60‑90 onboarding plans, ongoing coaching cadences and performance forums. Define clear performance goals for every store leadership role: comp sales, conversion rate, average transaction value (ATV), repeat client ratio, client book penetration. Conduct field visits (~50‑75% travel) to lead store‑strategy check‑ins, coach teams, celebrate top performers, diagnose under‑performance. Foster an inclusive and high‑performing culture, build sense of ownership, accountability, client obsession and continuous improvement. Set recognition and incentive programs that celebrate high‑performing stores and leaders; partner with HR to manage under‑performance proactively.
Sales Strategy & Performance Management:
Develop and drive the annual sales growth plan for the store network: comp targets, store‑level stretch goals, promotional cadence, client‑eling strategy. Set and monitor key performance indicators: traffic, conversion %, ATV, UPT, repeat client rate, client book growth, retention metrics. Deploy and utilize sales‑tech platforms (Endear, StoreForce) to ensure real‑time visibility; ensure store leadership uses the tools habitually. Lead monthly business reviews with District/Store Managers and Finance: analyze variance vs. plan, root‑cause results, build action plans, track recovery/ramp‑up progress. Partner with Marketing/CRM for loyalty initiatives, store events, stylists’ client book growth, VIP activations and store‑driven traffic campaigns. Own profitability levers: margin impact of promotional cadence, client‑eling program ROI, average ticket growth, conversion improvement—partner with Finance for insights.
Customer Experience & Brand Elevation:
Define the in‑store customer journey aligned to brand promise: stylists as brand ambassadors, clienteling excellence, personalisation, fast‑fashion trend leadership. Embed best‑in‑class service standards, NPS, OSAT, repeat customer metrics. Lead field training to embed standards. Partner with Merchandising and Visual teams to ensure the store experience (layout, presentation, client traffic flow) supports selling excellence and repeat behaviour. Leverage field voice: capture insights from stylists & store leadership on product, trends, client feedback; feed into Merchandising/Marketing to refine assortments and campaigns.
Market & Competitive Insight:
Track customer behaviour, regional/market trends, competitor activity, client loyalty metrics – convert insights into field strategies (new client segments, VIP tiers, event models). Pilot new format experiments (VIP lounge, client‑book activations, mobile‑stylist shopping) and scale success across the network.
Qualifications & Skills
10+ years in multi‑unit retail sales leadership (ideally apparel/fast‑fashion) including ownership of store network performance and talent development at scale.
Demonstrable track record of building high‑performing leadership teams (DMs/SMs) and coaching field leaders to consistent results across 30‑100+ stores.
Diversity & Inclusion At AKIRA we believe that treating everyone in a first‑class manner is essential to fostering an inclusive environment that reflects our values and our community. We continuously strive to cultivate a company where employees feel a sense of belonging and contribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. Our unique workforce is directly linked to our success and makes us stronger collectively.
Benefits and Perks AKIRA offers competitive benefits for full‑time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and employee discount. We are committed to encouraging internal development and providing significant career enrichment opportunities.
Compensation Full‑time. Starting pay $135,000 - $205,000 annually, adjustable based on experience and qualifications. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.
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Founded in 2002 in Chicago, AKIRA has grown to 35+ boutiques nationwide and a thriving e‑commerce business (shopAKIRA.com). As we build our next‑chapter growth, our culture stands apart: we deliver fanatical, obsessive attention to the consumer's needs and desires. Every team member is empowered to “Act and Think Like an Owner.”
We are seeking a dynamic industry‑leading retail sales executive to elevate our store performance, build a high‑impact field leadership team, and drive exceptional growth and customer loyalty.
Job Title Director of Retail Sales
Location Chicago HQ | Travel: ~50‑75% across ~40 stores and new openings
Role Purpose You will own the strategy, leadership and performance of the store sales organization. Build and coach a best‑in‑class field leadership bench (District Managers, Store Managers, Stylists), drive sales productivity and customer‑centric performance, and build long‑term loyalty among our clientele. Partner with the Director of Retail Operations to ensure the store network is not only operating with excellence, but truly selling at scale.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Talent Development:
Build and lead the store‑sales leadership ecosystem, recruit, develop, mentor and retain District Managers and Store Managers; create a succession pipeline across field roles. Design and deploy a leadership development program (e.g., “Store Leadership Academy”) for Store Managers and Stylists, include field‑ride trainings, 30‑60‑90 onboarding plans, ongoing coaching cadences and performance forums. Define clear performance goals for every store leadership role: comp sales, conversion rate, average transaction value (ATV), repeat client ratio, client book penetration. Conduct field visits (~50‑75% travel) to lead store‑strategy check‑ins, coach teams, celebrate top performers, diagnose under‑performance. Foster an inclusive and high‑performing culture, build sense of ownership, accountability, client obsession and continuous improvement. Set recognition and incentive programs that celebrate high‑performing stores and leaders; partner with HR to manage under‑performance proactively.
Sales Strategy & Performance Management:
Develop and drive the annual sales growth plan for the store network: comp targets, store‑level stretch goals, promotional cadence, client‑eling strategy. Set and monitor key performance indicators: traffic, conversion %, ATV, UPT, repeat client rate, client book growth, retention metrics. Deploy and utilize sales‑tech platforms (Endear, StoreForce) to ensure real‑time visibility; ensure store leadership uses the tools habitually. Lead monthly business reviews with District/Store Managers and Finance: analyze variance vs. plan, root‑cause results, build action plans, track recovery/ramp‑up progress. Partner with Marketing/CRM for loyalty initiatives, store events, stylists’ client book growth, VIP activations and store‑driven traffic campaigns. Own profitability levers: margin impact of promotional cadence, client‑eling program ROI, average ticket growth, conversion improvement—partner with Finance for insights.
Customer Experience & Brand Elevation:
Define the in‑store customer journey aligned to brand promise: stylists as brand ambassadors, clienteling excellence, personalisation, fast‑fashion trend leadership. Embed best‑in‑class service standards, NPS, OSAT, repeat customer metrics. Lead field training to embed standards. Partner with Merchandising and Visual teams to ensure the store experience (layout, presentation, client traffic flow) supports selling excellence and repeat behaviour. Leverage field voice: capture insights from stylists & store leadership on product, trends, client feedback; feed into Merchandising/Marketing to refine assortments and campaigns.
Market & Competitive Insight:
Track customer behaviour, regional/market trends, competitor activity, client loyalty metrics – convert insights into field strategies (new client segments, VIP tiers, event models). Pilot new format experiments (VIP lounge, client‑book activations, mobile‑stylist shopping) and scale success across the network.
Qualifications & Skills
10+ years in multi‑unit retail sales leadership (ideally apparel/fast‑fashion) including ownership of store network performance and talent development at scale.
Demonstrable track record of building high‑performing leadership teams (DMs/SMs) and coaching field leaders to consistent results across 30‑100+ stores.
Diversity & Inclusion At AKIRA we believe that treating everyone in a first‑class manner is essential to fostering an inclusive environment that reflects our values and our community. We continuously strive to cultivate a company where employees feel a sense of belonging and contribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. Our unique workforce is directly linked to our success and makes us stronger collectively.
Benefits and Perks AKIRA offers competitive benefits for full‑time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and employee discount. We are committed to encouraging internal development and providing significant career enrichment opportunities.
Compensation Full‑time. Starting pay $135,000 - $205,000 annually, adjustable based on experience and qualifications. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.
#J-18808-Ljbffr