Area Director of Retail

Retail Strategy & Leadership

Build and execute a cohesive retail strategy that aligns with brand standards, elevates the guest experience, and drives strong financial performance. Oversee operations and performance across all retail locations, ensuring consistency, quality, and profitability. Collaborate closely with Property Managing Directors and partners across Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Brand to ensure retail contributes meaningfully to the broader guest journey.

Mercandising & Buying

Lead the buying function, including product selection, seasonal planning, vendor partnerships, pricing, and assortment strategy. Curate thoughtful, high-quality product collections that reflect luxury, local relevance, and each property’s identity. Uphold excellence in visual merchandising, product storytelling, and in-store presentation. Continuously monitor trends, guest insights, and market activity to evolve and strengthen the retail offering.

Financial & Operational Performance

Manage the full retail P&L, including forecasting, margin optimization, inventory management, and expense oversight. Establish efficient systems, tools, and processes to ensure accurate inventory flow and data-driven decision-making. Define performance metrics for stores, categories, and guest engagement; deliver ongoing reporting and recommendations.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead, mentor, and develop retail managers, and merchandising talent across the portfolio. Foster a culture grounded in service, accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Build strong relationships with property-level retail teams to ensure alignment, communication, and partnership.

Brand & Guest Experience

Ensure every retail environment reflects the spirit and standards of our brand; from product curation to team training to visual presentation. Introduce experiential retail moments, seasonal stories, and exclusive or private-label collaborations that deepen guest connection. Champion exceptional guest engagement, ensuring retail teams deliver warm, genuine, service-led experiences.

Required Skills & Experience

• 8+ years in luxury retail, merchandising, or buying; hospitality retail experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success overseeing multi-location or portfolio-level retail operations.
• Experience in luxury merchandising or buying for high-end brands (e.g., Neiman Marcus, Saks, specialty boutiques).
• Strong vendor management, assortment planning, and product-curation capabilities.
• Strong financial acumen, including P&L ownership and data-driven planning.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and partnership skills.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on when needed.
• Refined taste level and a deep understanding of the luxury consumer.
• Warm, polished, and deeply guest-focused.
• Creative yet grounded in strong commercial judgment.
• Collaborative, agile, and effective across varied teams and properties.
• High personal accountability and a drive for excellence.
• Passion for luxury hospitality, design, and creating meaningful guest experiences.