Director of Retail and Sales

About Crown Affair

Crown Affair is a pioneering haircare company dedicated to helping individuals transform their connection with their hair through premium, accessible luxury products combined with expert advice and a supportive community. Their product lines are designed to work cohesively, creating a holistic haircare ritual. Collaborating with global artisans and chemists, Crown Affair ensures each product is thoughtfully crafted for daily enjoyment and care.

Role Overview

This leadership role commands the strategic management of Crown Affair's critical retail partnerships, especially their relationship with Sephora US, aiming to position the brand within the Top 3 prestige haircare brands by 2028. Reporting to the SVP of Sales & Marketing, the Director will independently oversee the retail sales budget, encompassing sales, visual merchandising, and field teams, while collaborating with Brand & Creative on marketing asset development.

Key Responsibilities

• Fully manage the Sephora relationship, including buyer interactions, joint business planning, and sales performance monitoring.
• Develop strategies and forecasts to advance Crown Affair's Top 3 prestige haircare ranking at Sephora.
• Set retail and net sales targets collaboratively with planning teams and track ongoing performance.
• Handle reorder processes, co-op negotiations, and account-specific forecasting.
• Create retailer presentations and facilitate regular business reviews with Sephora buyers.
• Analyze channel-specific business performance and competitive landscape to guide merchandising execution.
• Decide on in-store product assortments, visual merchandising, and fixture placements.
• Manage online merchandising strategies for Sephora.com and other platforms, working closely with retailer merchants.
• Promote strategic secondary merchandising opportunities (such as beauty on the go, towers).
• Advocate for new product opportunities, including exclusives and sets, liaising with product marketing and retailers.
• Oversee the end-to-end visual merchandising program, including vendor relationships and budgets.
• Lead the field sales and education programs, including Beauty Advisor training and certification.
• Develop and implement comprehensive education plans and in-store events to support new launches and core product sales.
• Direct and grow the field sales team through coaching, performance management, and talent development.
• Manage the North American field team and education budget aligned with strategic priorities.
• Supervise the Kohl's wholesale relationship and other wholesale accounts.
• Maintain specialty boutique partnerships (e.g., Goop, Violet Grey) as brand-enhancing initiatives.
• Conduct competitive tracking, category trend analysis, and monitor retailer data to inform strategy.

Candidate Requirements

• 7 to 10+ years of experience in retail sales or account management within prestige beauty or a related consumer category, including direct experience with Sephora accounts.
• Proven success in joint business planning and sell-through strategies with major specialty retailers.
• Experience managing retail sales budgets, including co-op and vendor management.
• Leadership experience in managing or building field sales and education teams.
• Hands-on experience managing visual merchandising programs and vendor relations fully.
• Ability to balance volume-driven accounts like Sephora and Kohl’s with brand-awareness-focused boutique accounts.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with international retail expansion such as entry into Sephora Canada, Mecca, or the UK markets.

Success Factors

• Achieving the objective of being ranked among the Top 3 prestige haircare brands at Sephora US.
• Effective management and reconciliation of retail marketing budgets, co-op funds, and visual merchandising vendor spend.
• Consistent execution of in-store and online merchandising as well as field education across all retail locations.
• Strong maintenance of specialty boutique partnerships that complement volume-driving channels.

Additional Information

The expected base salary for this position is $150,000, with final compensation based on candidate experience, skills, education, and internal budgets. Crown Affair provides a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, paid leave, flexible PTO, and paid holidays. The company is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workforce, making hiring decisions without discrimination on any protected characteristics under law.