Longines Retail Development and Operations Manager

About Longines

Founded in Saint-Imier in 1832, Longines is one of Switzerland’s most distinguished watchmaking houses, renowned for its timeless elegance, technical precision, and deep association with equestrian sport, aviation, and chronometry. As an employer within the Swatch Group, Longines offers professionals the opportunity to contribute to a heritage brand that balances tradition with contemporary international reach. The Maison values craftsmanship, reliability, service excellence, and a refined sense of detail across its watchmaking, retail, marketing, operations, and corporate functions. Employees join a culture shaped by Swiss discipline, understated luxury, and a commitment to preserving and advancing a celebrated legacy.

Role & Responsibilities

• Assess and challenge market proposals for store openings, relocations, renovations, extensions, closures and franchise projects.
• Analyze business plans, financial projections, market potential and investment assumptions.
• Ensure local strategies align with the company’s global objectives.
• Make recommendations and identify risks and opportunities to optimize returns on investment.
• Coordinate analyses with the Finance, Retail and Retail Environment departments.
• Prepare strategic dossiers and recommendations for the CEO and Retail Committee.
• Consolidate the financial, operational and strategic analyses required for decision-making.
• Clearly present opportunities, risks and recommendations.
• Track decisions made by the group.
• Review all Retail investment requests submitted by markets.
• Assess project profitability, payback periods and strategic relevance.
• Ensure compliance with the company’s investment processes and policies.
• Monitor approved investments and analyze their results.
• Coordinate lease renewals across the store network.
• Analyze contractual terms and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Collaborate with markets and internal stakeholders in Finance, Retail and Retail Environment.
• Proactively monitor lease deadlines.
• Design, draft and update Retail procedures, guidelines and standards.
• Ensure consistent practices across the network.
• Support the implementation of new processes.
• Identify and promote operational best practices.
• Conduct regular analyses of the network’s commercial and operational performance.
• Identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop dashboards, activity reports and presentations for management.
• Make recommendations based on collected data.
• Monitor key performance, productivity and profitability indicators.
• Serve as the Loss Prevention contact for Switzerland.
• Analyze incidents, inventory discrepancies and operational risks.
• Implement preventive actions to reduce losses.
• Coordinate investigations and corrective action plans.
• Ensure compliance with security and internal control policies.
• Share operational best practices.

Qualifications

• University-level or equivalent education in management, business, finance or administration.
• Proven experience in retail, network development, finance or project management.
• Excellent financial and strategic analysis skills.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to prepare dossiers for senior management.
• Very good command of Excel and analytical tools.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with international stakeholders.
• Strategic vision.
• Strong analytical ability.
• Critical thinking and the ability to challenge proposals.
• Project management.
• Results orientation.
• Rigour and strong organizational skills.
• Proactive and solution-oriented approach.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Ability to present recommendations to senior management.
• Fluent French and English, both spoken and written; additional languages are an asset.

Skills

Experience

Proven experience in retail, network development, finance or project management.

Education

University-level or equivalent education in management, business, finance or administration.

Culture

Longines fosters a refined and collaborative workplace culture rooted in Swiss precision, timeless elegance, and a deep respect for watchmaking heritage. As an employer, the brand encourages craftsmanship, innovation, and excellence within an international environment where employees contribute to a legacy associated with performance, tradition, and understated sophistication.

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.