Job Description

The Director of Retail Experience provides strategic leadership and direction for Biltmore's retail shops, ensuring exceptional guest experiences while driving revenue growth, operational excellence, and alignment with Biltmore's brand standards and commitment to gracious hospitality.

This role leads a team of Retail Leaders across multiple retail locations and is accountable for the overall performance of the on-site retail locations, including sales, profitability, guest satisfaction, and team development. The Director develops and executes strategies that enhance the guest journey, strengthen operational effectiveness, and deliver a consistent, world-class retail experience across all shops.

They are a key partner to senior leadership, the Director collaborates across departments to advance business objectives, identify growth opportunities, and ensure retail operations support Biltmore's broader mission and guest experience goals.

Essential Job Duties:

1. Provide strategic leadership for Biltmore's Retail Shops, ensuring alignment with enterprise goals, financial objectives, and company's commitment to gracious hospitality and world-class service.
2. Oversee the performance and operations of multiple retail locations, ensuring excellence in guests experience, merchandising execution, operational standards, inventory integrity and brand presentation across all shops.
3. Lead the recruitment, development, coaching, and performance management of Retail Leaders and teams, fostering a high-performing, guest-focused culture and building organizational capability through succession planning and talent development.
4. Drive sales growth, profitability, and business performance by identifying opportunities to enhance the guest experience, optimize retail offerings, and execute strategic incentives, promotions, and partnerships.
5. Assist with annual strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis for the retail department, ensuring responsible resource allocation and achievement of financial goals.
6. Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Hospitality, Events, and other departments to align retail strategies with enterprise objectives, strengthen brand storytelling, and support the overall guest journey.

7. Promote collaboration and alignment between Retail Store Operations and other Retail departments to support shared goals and operational objectives.
8. Partner with senior retail leadership to develop and support long-range growth strategies and operational plans for the retail department.
9. Collaborate with retail leadership to plan and execute sales promotions and other initiatives designed to drive guest engagement and business performance.
10. Represent Biltmore at industry events, professional organizations, and other external functions, as appropriate.
11. Participate in internal committees, cross-functional teams, and special projects; represent the retail department in support of company initiatives and strategic priorities

Qualifications:

1. Education: Bachelor's degree in business, Retail Management, Hospitality, Marketing, or a related field preferred. Equivalent combinations of education, professional certifications, and relevant experience will be considered.
2. Experience: Seven to ten years of progressive leadership experience in retail, hospitality, resort, luxury, lifestyle, or guest-focused environments, including responsibility for multiple locations, business performance, and team leadership. Experience in a destination retail, hospitality, or tourism-driven environment is preferred.
3. Leadership & Talent Development: Demonstrated success leading, developing, and coaching management teams within a multi-unit environment. Proven ability to build high-performing teams, drive employee engagement, support succession planning, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
4. Business & Financial Acumen: Strong business acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasting, financial performance, labor planning, and operational metrics. Ability to analyze business trends and translate insights into effective strategies, and drive revenue growth and profitability.
5. Guest Experience & Service Excellence: Demonstrated commitment to delivering exceptional guest experience and fostering a culture of gracious hospitality and world-class service. Proven ability to lead service-focused teams and resolve complex guest concerns with professionalism and sound judgment.
6. Communication & Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills. Ability to build collaborative relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization, while representing Biltmore with professionalism and credibility.
7. Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Strong strategic planning, organizational, and project management skills. Ability to balance long-term objectives with operational priorities, make sound decisions, and effectively lead through change.
8. Technical Skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and retail business systems. Experience utilizing sales, labor, inventory, and performance reporting tools to drive operational and financial results.

Physical Requirements:

1. Significant time (90%) is spent walking or standing while monitoring floor operations; the ability to work in an office setting as needed.
2. Lifting up to 50 pounds daily.
3. The ability to climb steps is necessary.
4. Ability to reach overhead/below, kneel, stoop, bend, and crouch.
5. Ability to operate a computer and to work with word processing and Excel software is required. The ability to work with a fax machine and printer is necessary.