Balenciaga Store Director

About Balenciaga

Founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917 and part of Kering, Balenciaga is one of fashion’s most influential houses, renowned for architectural cut, uncompromising craft, and a continual redefinition of modern luxury. As an employer, the House offers a demanding yet inspiring environment where heritage ateliers, bold creative vision, and global business expertise meet. Teams across design, product development, merchandising, retail, client engagement, communications, and corporate functions are encouraged to combine precision with experimentation, agility with excellence. Balenciaga seeks individuals who are culturally aware, rigorous, collaborative, and ready to contribute to a maison that shapes the conversation of contemporary fashion while respecting the discipline of couture.

Balenciaga is seeking a Store Director in Rio de Janeiro, reporting to the Market Director, to drive store performance, brand engagement, client loyalty, and operational excellence. The role leads sales and KPI delivery, clienteling, recruitment and team development, and compliance with company processes and guidelines. The source states no contract terms.

Role & Responsibilities

• Define, execute, and monitor the store action plan to achieve sales targets and KPIs.
• Set quantitative and qualitative objectives and ensure they are achieved; implement and follow up on action plans.
• Analyze results daily, weekly, and monthly, and conduct ongoing assessments.
• Focus on key KPIs and build a strong store culture and storytelling approach.
• Monitor the local business environment, including market trends and competition, and stay current with market and fashion trends.
• Share relevant insights with the store team, incorporate them into the store action plan, identify growth opportunities, and execute appropriate actions.
• Provide high-quality, relevant feedback and reports to headquarters and/or the store team.
• Oversee accurate weekly payroll reporting and complete the monthly store schedule to reflect business needs.
• Create and maintain a positive work environment consistent with Balenciaga behaviors; set a clear vision and goals for the team and individuals.
• Identify, attract, recruit, develop, and retain talent, partnering with the Head of Retail and HR to recruit top talent.
• Create development plans for store management and teams, supporting professional growth through training and coaching; keep the team current with the fashion industry.
• Coach direct reports, provide regular structured feedback, and conduct individual appraisal interviews at least twice a year.
• Regularly motivate and challenge store management and teams, and organize qualitative time with the team, such as team-building activities.
• Act as a Balenciaga Ambassador, promoting the brand’s culture internally and externally and embodying its codes to engage local people.
• Ensure the Balenciaga Signature and client experience are consistently delivered, and that the store image, team awareness, and team behaviors align with corporate standards, service standards, image, and values.
• Lead by example in client interactions; understand clients and prospects quantitatively and qualitatively to define action plans.
• Attract and recruit new clients through personal networks and external partners; develop a clienteling mindset and client loyalty and retention, from beginners to VICs, and oversee the clienteling approach.
• Maintain the brand’s required qualitative standards and engage VIPs and celebrities.
• Ensure processes comply with legal, safety, security, internal, sustainability, and HR requirements; handle administrative and accounting responsibilities.
• Plan, organize, and authorize activities and allocate available resources to manage expected workloads.
• Apply safety procedures to protect store teams and clients; safeguard products and valuable store materials, including warehouse stock, and ensure product packaging and positioning protect corporate assets.
• Supervise warehouse stock, assess it against the store’s sales potential, report to Retail Merchandising at headquarters, and promptly report inventory discrepancies.
• Open and close the store and oversee its day-to-day operations.
• Maintain a cost-conscious approach to initiatives, bill reviews, and expense decisions, protecting company profitability and sales.
• Process payroll as directed, maintain store schedules, and ensure staff attendance and punctuality.
• Ensure monthly petty cash and check reconciliations are correctly processed and submitted before the due date.
• Ensure Retail Excellence guidelines are implemented across the front of house, back of house, and team.
• Challenge and improve existing processes to support growth, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Commitment to taking part in an innovative project.
• Inclusive leadership style and entrepreneurial mindset.
• High sensitivity to client experience and loyalty.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and persuasiveness.
• Precision and organizational skills.
• Adaptability, openness, willingness to take risks, dynamism, listening ability, and curiosity.
• High availability and responsiveness.
• Product and fashion sensitivity.
• Mastery of digital skills.

Skills

Experience

3–5 years of successful experience in a managerial position, leading a minimum of 20 people, in the luxury retail industry.

Workplace

Benefits

Professional development opportunities within Balenciaga or the Kering group; opportunities to learn and grow in a stimulating and fulfilling workplace.

Culture

Balenciaga fosters a bold, forward-thinking workplace where creativity, experimentation, and cultural awareness drive the evolution of contemporary luxury. As an employer, the House encourages collaboration across disciplines, empowering teams to challenge convention while upholding exceptional standards of craftsmanship, precision, and brand integrity.

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.