Retail Area Manager

Reports to: Key Account Manager

Permanent contract (6-months trial)

Barcelona, Spain + 2 trips/month are to be expected

Hybrid mode (2 days/week home-office)

Start date: at the earliest convenience

OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.

At Columbia Sportswear, we're as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we're proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.

Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: "It's perfect. Now make it better." As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving.

Discover a world of diversity within our team of 700+ across 13 European countries, united by the common goal of elevating Columbia to the pinnacle of outdoor brands in Europe. Our omnichannel approach seamlessly integrates Columbia and Sorel brands' engaging in-store and online experiences.

Nestled at the heart of the Alps in Geneva, Switzerland, our European headquarters hosts the Executive Committee, go-to-market functions, and Planning and Logistics teams. In Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg, our shared services center thrives with over 100 professionals managing Finance and Operations/Customer Service. Our distribution center in Cambrai ensures swift delivery to customers, while our 30+ Columbia stores adorn major European outlet centers. Finally, the Sales and Trade Marketing teams are displayed in 3 regions across Europe, close to their customers and markets.

We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.

And we believe in you.

ABOUT THE TEAM

You will be based in our Barcelona office, located right next to the city in Sant Just Desvern, providing easy access to our office while remaining connected to Barcelona's vibrant atmosphere.

The Retail Team consists of approximately 70 people divided into three key groups: Shop assistants operating in our ECI concessions, Regional Coordinators, and HR and Marketing Coordinators, ensuring a well-rounded and effective approach to supporting our retail operations.

ABOUT THE POSITION

As our Retail Concessions Manager, you will take ownership of the operations across 25 El Corte Inglés (ECI) concessions in Spain. You'll lead a team of three Area Coordinators and approximately 70 Columbia staff members to deliver exceptional customer experiences and achieve sales targets. Your primary focus will be fostering a cohesive team environment ensuring all staff members work towards common goals. Your role will be crucial in driving the strategic direction and day-to-day efficiency of our ECI concessions, ensuring alignment with Columbia's values and business goals.

In this role, you'll serve as the central link between ECI site teams and our headquarters, working closely with the Key Account Manager to elevate our retail performance.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Lead Your Team: Manage a team of 3 ECI Area Coordinators and approx. 70 Columbia staff at ECI concessions across Spain. You'll work together to deliver great customer experiences and meet sales targets.
Support Staffing and Development: Partner with the HR Coordinator and your team on hiring, onboarding, and training. Ensure staffing levels are maintained during peak periods like sales events and holidays.
Monitor and Improve Performance: Review weekly sales data by region and concession, share insights, and identify areas for improvement with practical steps.
Be Present and Engaged: Regularly visit ECI locations to meet your team, review their work, and provide constructive feedback and support.
Build Relationships: Negotiate with ECI centers and floor managers to secure better store locations, additional storage space, and new marketing opportunities.
Manage Operations: Oversee the opening and closing of concessions, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Coordinate Inventory: Work closely with the Account Services Rep to keep track of product levels, handle special orders, and develop strategies to optimize stock availability based on store capacity.
Implement Brand Guidelines: Coordinate visual merchandising, marketing initiatives, and promotional offers to ensure alignment with Columbia's standards.
Support Wholesale Activities: Assist the Key Account Manager with ECI wholesale business activities, such as seasonal training and promotional alignment.
YOU ARE

A people leader who enjoys motivating, supporting, and coaching her/his staff.
Committed to ensuring a smooth running of the day-to-day activities and operations to support our business goals within concessions.
Able to manage stressful situations in a calm and assertive manner.
A strong communicator and business partner, able to build trusting relationships with your stakeholders.
A problem solver who can make decisions independently while respecting the company's guidelines and customer needs.
A team player with a positive mindset who enjoys working hand-in-hand with his colleagues.
YOU HAVE

2 to 4 years' experience managing a large sales team in multiple concessions/locations within the retail industry.
An in-depth understanding of El Corte Inglés' environment, policies and practices, and knowledge of the competition at all concessions.
Strong knowledge of retail management, sales techniques, and customer service tools and the ability to train your staff in these areas.
Particularly good analytical skills, which make you confident using MS Excel to navigate reports and to analyze KPI's, data, etc.
Fluency in Spanish and English, both in writing and in speaking.
Availability to travel 70% of the time.
PERKS & BENEFITS

Significant discounts on Columbia and Sorel products.

Health insurance allowance for employees in Switzerland.

Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning.

A monthly Learning Hour for training, discovery, and learning.

Unlock your potential: access to in-house training courses (feedback, leadership, Insights...).

DEI initiatives to exchange and strengthen our involvement around these themes.

ABOUT THE CULTURE

At Columbia Sportswear, we value an inclusive and open culture that emphasizes the absence of barriers between team members. We are committed to fostering a sense of belonging by encouraging personal connections at all levels, which creates a cohesive and supportive work environment.
Team members serve as ambassadors for our brand, finding motivation in being part of an organization dedicated to activities they are passionate about. This dedication reflects our commitment to building a team that takes pride in our products and values.
We offer the opportunity to work for a US-based company within a multicultural environment, where your job has an impact across different countries.
Our "Always Be Learning" culture of continuous learning enables our employees to identify and develop skills that will enable them to continue to grow within the company.
"Unlock Your Potential" is the spirit that characterizes our vision of employees' development: to offer them opportunities to grow, in their job, in their team or even to change jobs completely. We grow our people to grow our business.
ABOUT THE HIRING PROCESS

Ready to unlock your potential at Columbia Sportswear Company? Apply now to help us connect active people with their passion The hiring team will review your application in the following weeks.
If your application is selected: a 30-45mn introductory interview with our Talent Acquisition Team to talk about yourself, your motivations, and the role.
In-person interview with the hiring manager.
Online interview with a case study presentation to the hiring manager and Country Manager.
Final online call with HR.
Your unique strengths align perfectly with our team: we are thrilled to extend you an offer
This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.
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