Director of Retail

What You’ll Do

BRUNT Workwear is seeking a Director of Retail who is ready to roll up their sleeves and build. This is not a "maintain the status quo" corporate management role. This is a hands-on player-coach position for an operational powerhouse who thrives in ambiguity and builds without a roadmap. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will define the operational DNA of BRUNT retail, transforming our physical spaces from a single flagship into a scalable, high-growth network.

How You’ll Do It

• Infrastructure & Systems
• Define store standards, daily operating procedures, inventory control, and shrink processes.
• Write the comprehensive new store opening playbook we will use for every future location, and select the retail tech stack that ties it all together.
• Establish impactful visual merchandising standards that remain authentically true to the BRUNT brand and the trades.
• Selling Model & Experience
• Optimizing associate engagement, product education, floor coverage, conversion, and attachment strategies.
• Ensure retail functions as a seamless extension of our DTC brand by defining BOPIS strategy, assisted selling, clientele tools, and cross-channel inventory management.
• People & Culture
• Design roles, hiring profiles, onboarding programs, and training modules tailored for high performance.
• Establish compensation structures, performance systems, and career progression pathways that scale smoothly as the organizational footprint grows.
• Growth & Economics
• Own the bottom line for retail performance, managing labor productivity, labor modeling, sales/sqft benchmarks, site selection analytics, lease economics, and national expansion planning.
• Identify and rally internal partners across Marketing, Finance, Merchandising, Supply Chain, IT, and Digital Product to build out infrastructure without relying on a pre-assembled support team.
• Directly manage BRUNT’s Retail Strategy Operations Manager and lead the expanding retail team, while traveling regularly to existing stores and scouting potential future sites.

What You Need to Succeed

• 8–15 years of retail leadership experience, including multi-unit or field responsibility. Experience in apparel, footwear, or trade-oriented/workwear retail is highly preferred.
• A proven track record of scaling an emerging or high-growth retail brand ideally bringing a founder-led or DTC brand into physical retail by rapidly opening 5+ stores.
• Exceptional ability to build operational systems, labor models, and selling structures entirely from scratch. You don't need a roadmap; you enjoy drawing it.
• Deep fluency in 4-wall economics, labor efficiency, site selection analytics, and lease evaluations. You understand how operational decisions impact the profit and loss statement.
• Strong communication skills and leadership presence, with a demonstrated history of developing high-performing store teams and mentoring future leaders.

Benefits & Perks

• Healthcare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with Company Match.
• Paid Time Off: 15 days of PTO, plus 11 paid holidays and sick leave.
• Incentives: Performance-based bonus eligibility and Equity if applicable.

The anticipated salary range for this role is:

$160,000 - $180,000 USD