Aesop Retail Business Manager

About Aesop

Aesop makes skin, hair and body care, fragrances and scents for the home. It began in a Melbourne hair salon in 1987 and joined L’Oréal in 2023.

Role & Responsibilities

• Drive retail performance across a designated portfolio through consistent planning and execution.
• Uphold and demonstrate Aesop’s brand identity and values.
• Ensure high standards in store environments, product presentation and team presentation across the portfolio.
• Partner with Marketing and Visual Merchandising and recommend actions that support brand strategy.
• Monitor Aesop’s marketplace positioning, share insights and propose appropriate portfolio actions.
• Connect head office and retail teams, cascading communications effectively and promptly.
• Plan and conduct regular, purposeful store visits.
• Consider the environment, local community and commercial outcomes in business decisions.
• Optimise inventory management, seize opportunities proactively and mitigate risk.
• Uphold compliance and integrate it into personal and team workflows.
• Prioritise customers in decision-making.
• Manage portfolio scheduling to support productivity and customer outcomes.
• Partner with Training and Performance to develop team capability in line with portfolio and business goals.
• Hold self and others accountable for consistently delivering positive customer experiences.
• Analyse customer feedback and insights and take action to enhance the customer experience across the portfolio.
• Deliver portfolio goals and targets.
• Integrate observation, review and analysis of portfolio and team performance into daily workflows.
• Develop self and team proactively through training, coaching and feedback.
• Manage portfolio recruitment and build portfolio development and succession plans.
• Engage promptly in performance recovery.
• Maintain harmonious workplace relationships through open and effective communication.
• Support colleagues and work cooperatively with all employees.
• Take care in performing duties to protect the health and safety of self, employees, visitors and consultants.
• Uphold company Equal Opportunity and Occupational Health and Safety policies.
• Build open, trusting relationships; develop ideas collaboratively; value personal and cultural differences; listen actively and provide candid feedback where appropriate.
• Support creativity, explore situations and develop multiple approaches or solutions to problems; investigate and debate ideas to make well-formed decisions.
• Take accountability for high-quality outcomes, maintain attention to detail and consider the longer-term impact of decisions and actions.
• Maintain Aesop customers’ exacting standards and strive to exceed expectations; acknowledge strengths and shortcomings and pursue ongoing growth.
• Bring energy and enthusiasm to work, advocate for Aesop products and culture, and demonstrate resilience and adaptability when facing setbacks.
• Make ethical and responsible decisions, show sensitivity to others’ needs and share information to help colleagues perform.

Qualifications

• Experience in multi-site management.
• Accomplished team-building, motivation and development capabilities.
• Proven ability to analyse performance and take appropriate responsive action.
• Strong relationship management and collaboration track record.
• Ability to coach and provide performance feedback.
• Ability to lead discussions focused on performance improvement.
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions within business boundaries.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent commercial acumen.
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced, dynamic retail environment and adapt to rapidly changing operating conditions.
• Prioritise people development and use time in stores and the office effectively to deliver goals and targets.
• Motivated to meet or exceed goals and targets.

Skills

Culture

In an Aesop store, consultants demonstrate products and help visitors choose a routine. The architecture varies by location, down to the materials used around the demonstration basin.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.