Director of Retail Operations

Company: Born in Los Angeles, Cult Gaia is known for creating beautiful heirloom pieces designed to live in your closet forever. The cornerstone of Cult Gaia’s DNA is creating objects d’art that make you look twice. Since its inception, Cult Gaia has grown from an accessories brand into a global lifestyle brand offering ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, jewelry, and more—a complete world of Gaia. Position Summary: The Director of Retail Operations is responsible for leading the operational strategy, execution, and continued growth of Cult Gaia’s domestic and international retail business. As Cult Gaia rapidly expands its global retail footprint, this role will oversee the opening, stabilization, and ongoing performance of multiple retail locations across the United States and international markets. The Director will establish scalable operating standards, build high-performing store teams, and ensure each location delivers a consistent and elevated Cult Gaia client experience. This role requires a highly operational, hands‑on leader who can balance long‑term strategic planning with the day‑to‑day needs of a fast‑growing retail organization. The Director will travel regularly to support new store openings, recruit and develop retail teams, and partner closely with Human Resources to ensure compliance with applicable employment laws, company policies, and local retail regulations across all markets. What You Will Do Retail Operations and Strategy Lead the operational strategy and execution for Cult Gaia’s domestic and international retail locations. Develop and implement a scalable retail operating model that supports rapid growth across multiple markets. Establish and maintain consistent operational standards, policies, procedures, and best practices across all stores. Create and implement standard operating procedures for store operations, inventory management, client service, loss prevention, scheduling, cash handling, and general store administration. Identify operational challenges and develop practical, creative, and scalable solutions. Use client and employee feedback to continuously improve retail operations and the overall store experience. Partner with store leadership to ensure consistent execution of Cult Gaia’s brand standards and operational expectations. New Store Openings and Expansion Lead the operational planning and execution of new store openings in the United States and international markets. Travel regularly to new and existing retail locations to support openings, training, operational assessments, and performance improvement. Develop detailed opening plans, timelines, staffing strategies, training schedules, and operational readiness checklists. Partner with Design, Construction, Visual Merchandising, IT, Finance, Human Resources, and external vendors to ensure stores open on time, on budget, and to brand standards. Evaluate potential retail locations by reviewing market opportunities, client demographics, operational requirements, and financial considerations. Support lease discussions and provide operational input related to new store locations. Ensure new stores are properly staffed, trained, equipped, and operationally prepared prior to opening. Recruiting, Training, and Team Development Lead recruiting efforts for store leadership and retail teams across domestic and international locations. Partner closely with Human Resources and Recruiting to develop hiring plans, identify staffing needs, interview candidates, and build strong opening teams. Create scalable onboarding and training programs for new hires and existing retail employees. Ensure store leadership teams are equipped to recruit, onboard, coach, develop, and retain high‑performing employees. Establish clear performance expectations and development plans for retail leaders. Build a strong leadership pipeline to support continued retail expansion. Regularly assess store structure, staffing levels, productivity, and leadership capabilities to ensure the organization can scale effectively. Retail Compliance and Human Resources Partnership Partner closely with Human Resources to ensure retail operations remain compliant with applicable federal, state, local, and international employment laws. Support compliance with scheduling, meal and rest breaks, timekeeping, payroll practices, attendance, leave requirements, workplace safety, and other retail employment regulations. Ensure store leadership understands and consistently follows company policies and local legal requirements. Partner with Human Resources on employee relations matters, performance management, investigations, accommodations, and corrective action. Identify potential compliance risks and work proactively with Human Resources to implement appropriate solutions. Support the development and communication of retail policies that can be applied consistently while accounting for local market requirements. Financial and Business Performance Oversee the financial and operational performance of the retail store portfolio. Partner with Finance and store leadership on store budgets, payroll planning, expense management, and profitability. Monitor store performance against sales, payroll, expense, productivity, and profitability targets. Ensure store structures, staffing levels, and operating expenses adjust appropriately as the retail business grows. Develop reporting and analytics that support strategic decision-making and performance assessment. Identify opportunities to improve revenue, conversion, productivity, operational efficiency, and profitability. Hold store leadership accountable for achieving operational and financial goals. Client Experience and Brand Standards Drive the execution of an elevated, consistent, and highly personalized client experience across all retail locations. Ensure every store reflects Cult Gaia’s brand identity, service expectations, and visual standards. Partner with Retail Experience, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Creative teams to improve the in‑store client journey. Establish service standards and tools that support clienteling, relationship building, and long‑term client retention. Evaluate client feedback and store performance to identify opportunities to improve service, selling practices, and operational processes. Merchandising, Inventory, and Cross-Functional Partnership Partner with Merchandising, Planning, and Buying teams on assortment strategies, product allocation, replenishment, transfers, and inventory needs. Ensure stores have the appropriate product assortment and inventory levels to support sales targets. Partner with Marketing to drive store traffic, local awareness, client events, and coordinated market launches. Collaborate with Visual Merchandising and Design teams to evaluate current store layouts and optimize future locations. Oversee the implementation and continued improvement of retail technology, point‑of‑sale systems, clienteling platforms, and other store tools. Project manage internal and external partners responsible for sourcing, implementing, and troubleshooting retail systems and technology. What You Bring to the Role Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Operations, or a related field required; MBA preferred but not required. Minimum of eight years of progressive retail operations experience, including leadership responsibility across multiple store locations. Experience supporting a rapidly growing luxury, contemporary, fashion, or lifestyle retail brand. Demonstrated experience opening multiple retail locations and building store teams from the ground up. Experience managing both domestic and international retail operations strongly preferred. Strong knowledge of retail operations, store labor planning, recruiting, training, compliance, inventory management, and financial performance. Experience partnering closely with Human Resources on retail compliance and employee relations matters. Proven ability to manage complex growth initiatives requiring significant investment, cross‑functional coordination, and operational discipline. Strong financial acumen with experience managing store budgets, payroll, expenses, and profitability. Ability to analyze retail performance data and translate findings into clear business recommendations. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, point‑of‑sale systems, clienteling platforms, workforce management tools, and retail‑related software. Exceptional project management, organizational, and problem‑solving skills. Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization. Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial, creative, and constantly evolving environment. Ability and willingness to travel frequently throughout the United States and internationally for store openings, recruiting, training, and operational support. What We Offer: #J-18808-Ljbffr CULT GAIA