Melin Director of Retail Operations

Director Of Owned Retail Stores

At Melin, we set out to create the most premium, highest quality headwear in the world. We believe that with more thought, time and care invested into how we make our products that we can extend the life of our hats and the adventures we take them on. We are looking to expand our internal family and are seeking one incredible human capable of excellence in a fast-paced work environment and eager to join an elite, yet small team of "A Players".

The brand is sold globally through select wholesale accounts, an ecommerce site, and owned retail stores located in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Orange County, Hawaii, and growing. Additional owned retail stores "CELs" are planned over the next several years.

Melin is seeking an experienced Director of our owned retail stores which we call our "CELs" (Customer Experience Labs), to drive and lead the strategy and performance in current and future stores. The role is the first of its kind for the brand and we need a true trailblazer with a passion for telling stories and creating industry leading consumer experiences as well as the proven ability to successfully manage new store growth planning and pipeline management, lease negotiations, onboarding new stores and identifying, training and empowering teams to spread the Melin love in each new location. You will be expected to act like a business unit owner, owning the channel P&L and execution of all aspects of retail, inventory planning, merchandising strategies, road mapping in store experiences, staffing, coaching, operations, revenue growth, marketing, and profitability as well as assist in some aspects of MCEL mobile pop up trailer store activations. You will work closely with senior leadership on strategic planning as well as collaborate with multiple departments to deliver successful results and community engagements. As the Director of Retail Operations, your role would involve overseeing the growth and expansion of the company's retail experience and ongoing performance.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following :

• Full ownership of maximizing retail sales & profitability, ensuring the channel delivers a healthy and scalable ROI.
• Frequently report on financial performance to Executives, Investors, and Directors.
• Take a data driven approach to management including KPI reporting weekly, monthly, seasonally.
• Retail is a people business, as such a big focus for this role will be hiring and training District Managers, Store Managers, and teams to execute a best-in-class consumer and staff experience that aligns with the DNA of the Melin brand and ensures long term brand loyalty.
• As we are expanding our owned retail footprint swiftly this will require foresight and the ability to build budgets inclusive of thoughtful organizational growth inclusive of specifying role task clarity and new roles required to maintain excellence in a rapid growth environment.
• Develop in collaboration with management, creative and design an elevated store experience, partner with design for ongoing improvement of existing stores, and provide input that supports new stores.
• Partner with the retail operations team to drive efficient and consistent retail operations that ensure District and Store Managers can fully own their business.
• Maintain optimized inventory positions in all stores at all times based on company product initiatives.
• Collaborate with the eCommerce team on customer acquisition initiatives as well as online to offline direct-to-consumer experiences and implementation of omni-channel processes when available.
• Collaborate with the buying team to seasonally plan inventory, store assortments, and manage in-season allocations.
• Work collaboratively with the marketing teams to develop and execute the annual marketing strategy and host on-brand community events to build community through experiences and strategic partnerships.
• Partner with the wholesale department to ensure a positive working relationship between owned retail and local wholesale partners.
• Project planning and Budgeting : Creating development plans for new retail stores, outlining timelines, budgets, and resource allocation. Working with finance teams to ensure financial viability and cost control.
• Expansion Strategy : Participate with the new store development team to assist new store site selection & design through screening deals, proforma financial analysis, building & presenting pitch decks, and other tasks as well as merchandising layout to optimize sales and operational efficiencies.
• Oversee the store operational transition from construction to store opening, ensuring fully trained staff and smooth grand opening process.
• Assist with managing the MCEL trailer activations and oversee setting up and managing retail pop up opportunities.

Who You Are :

The Ideal Candidate :

Requirements and Qualifications :

Location & Office Structure : When not in retail stores, this position is an in-office position five days a week in San Clemente, CA and subject to change based on business needs.

Compensation : The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $140,000 plus opportunity for annual bonus; salary is based on the experience that you bring to the position.