General Manager- Houston Retail

Role Overview

The General Manager is the overall business leader of the Leica Store, accountable for sales, profitability, client engagement, operations, and brand representation. This role ensures the store delivers a world‑class client experience while embodying Leica’s heritage of innovation, craftsmanship, and cultural leadership in photography. The position reports to the Vice President of Retail and serves as the strategic leader responsible for both business performance and brand representation at a local level, ensuring all store activities meet or exceed Leica’s global retail standards, with emphasis on clienteling, CRM excellence, and operational compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Sales and Client Experience: Define and implement the store’s commercial strategy and annual business objectives in alignment with regional and global retail goals; act as the business owner driving sales performance, profitability, and brand equity; cultivate top‑tier client relationships and community partnerships; provide visible leadership inspiring the team to deliver exceptional service and storytelling; oversee client development, including CRM strategy, VIP relationship building, and event hosting in partnership with Leica Akademie and Gallery; ensure consistent delivery of Leica’s global clienteling standards.
• Operations and Compliance: Hold full accountability for the store’s financial performance, including revenue, margin, and expense control; ensure operational frameworks, internal controls, and compliance align with Leica’s global standards and legal requirements; delegate day‑to‑day operational execution to the Deputy Manager while maintaining ultimate accountability for compliance, audit performance, and inventory accuracy; partner with corporate retail, marketing, and operations teams to implement national initiatives and local activations; review KPIs and operational reports to assess performance and drive strategic improvements.
• Leadership and Team Development: Lead and inspire a team of Client Advisors and the Deputy Manager to achieve business goals and deliver an exceptional client experience; recruit, train, and develop top retail talent; build succession plans and coach future leaders; drive performance management and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and client obsession; promote cross‑functional collaboration with Gallery, Akademie, and corporate partners to strengthen community and brand impact.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of premium or luxury retail management experience.
• Proven ability to drive sales through client development and team leadership.
• Strong operational acumen with demonstrated P&L management experience.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and presentation skills.
• Passion for photography, luxury goods, and cultural engagement.
• Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for driving business growth.
• Inspiring leader who motivates through vision, purpose, and accountability.
• Commercially astute with strong financial and analytical judgment.
• Brand and community advocate who embodies Leica’s heritage and values.
• Culturally aware, relationship‑driven, and confident in luxury environments.
• Calm, decisive, and solutions‑oriented under pressure.

About the Organization

Leica Camera is an international, premium manufacturer of cameras and sports optics. The legendary reputation of the Leica brand is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, German craftsmanship, and German industrial design, combined with innovative technologies. The company’s culture includes diverse activities that advance photography, such as Leica Galleries, Leica Akademies, the Leica Hall of Fame Award, and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA). Leica Camera AG is headquartered in Wetzlar, Hesse, with a second production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, and operates a worldwide network of national organizations and Leica Retail Stores.