Regional VIC & Client Development Manager

Maison Alaïa; Dubai; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Maison Alaïa in Dubai seeks a senior regional strategist to define VIC and client development objectives across multiple stores, aligning with HQ targets. You will map the regional luxury client landscape, identify top relationships, and coordinate with Couture teams to elevate the Couture selling ceremony.

The role requires 8–10 years in luxury retail with multi-door experience, strong CRM and data skills, budget accountability, and fluency in English and Arabic.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years in luxury retail with senior in-store experience.
• Multi-door regional or network-level experience within a luxury Maison.
• Proven ability to influence and align store teams without direct authority.
• Solid CRM and data consolidation skills; translate data into strategy.
• Budget management and A&P accountability preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define regional VIC relationships and client development strategy.
• Lead regional events and cross-market activations.
• Coach store teams through onboarding and targeted coaching.
• Oversee CRM hygiene and data quality across regional doors.
• Travel within the region to develop relationships and opportunities.

Skills

Strategic clarity

Leadership presence

Market intelligence

Entrepreneurial mindset

English & Arabic fluency

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

1- REGIONAL CLIENT STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT.

• Define and deploy annual VIC and client development objectives per store within the territory, in alignment with HQ targets and Retail Manager direction (retain / upgrade / recruit).


• Map the regional High-End client landscape — tier distribution, geographic concentration, cross-door client opportunities — and set store-specific action plans accordingly.


• Identify the region's top-priority VIC relationships and personally invest in the highest-potential and most strategic, complementing store-level management.


• Partner with Couture teams to identify regional Couture prospects; ensure the regional network is equipped and motivated to deliver the Couture selling ceremony at the required standard.


• Provide strategic guidance on local market dynamics — competitor activity, cultural calendar, wealth migration — to support store directors in adapting their client approach.


• Support the Head of VIC Relations with C-suite reporting on regional VIC and client development performance, flagging key relationship developments and commercial opportunities. Set a baseline of residents vs. tourists clients per door and define local recruitment target with clear strategy to achieve local clients objectives & development.

2- RETAIL SUPPORT, TRAINING AND ORCHESTRATION.

• Serve as the primary interface between HQ client development strategy and store-level execution — cascading priorities, clarifying expectations, and troubleshooting implementation barriers.


• Design and deliver regional training programmes on VIC service standards, CRM best practices, outreach personalisation; adapt content to local market specificities when necessary with up-to-date training calendar


• Support stores management in new joiners onboarding on VICs development and service standards.


• Conduct regular store visits to audit clienteling practices, observe team behaviours, and deliver targeted coaching to store managers and Client Advisors.


• Identify high-potential talent within the retail network and support their development into future in-store client development roles or couture ambassadors.


• Coordinate with regional HR and Learning & Development teams to integrate client development competencies into onboarding and performance frameworks.


• Own the regional A&P budget allocated to VIC and commercial events — allocating resources across doors, managing forecasts, and reporting on spend vs. return in accordance with the Head of VIC Relations and Client Development.

3- REGIONAL ANIMATION & CROSS-MARKET ACTIVATIONS.

• Propose and orchestrate a regional event calendar — covering in-store activations, cross-door moments, regional trunk shows, and previews — ensuring coherence with the HQ animation framework and local relevance, and ensuring a coherent annual planning with local happenings and business needs.


• Develop flagship regional client experiences that leverage Alaïa's brand territories.


• Define guest lists and engagement strategies for international Maison events (fashion shows, re-sees, dinners); manage client logistics in partnership with HQ & Store management


• Personally host key client moments across the region, embodying the brand’s values.


• Liaise with local partners to ensure all events are executed to the highest experiential standard.

4- PARTNERSHIPS, BUSINESS PROVIDERS & CLIENT RECRUITEMENT.

• Build and maintain a regional network of strategic business providers — private offices, luxury concierge services, stylists, cultural institutions, private members' clubs — capable of introducing qualified new clients to the Maison.


• Identify and formalise partnership frameworks with relevant regional players, reporting opportunities to the Head of VIC Relations and Client Development for brand-level validation and broader activation.


• Develop a systematic new client recruitment strategy for the region, including prospecting protocols, referral programmes, and community penetration plans for underserved client segments in line with the Alaïa codes and aesthetic.


• Act as brand ambassador in key market environments — attending cultural and social events to represent Alaïa and naturally expand the house's relationship map.

5- DATA ANALYSIS & REGIONAL REPORTING.

• Consolidate and analyse VIC and High-End client performance data across the regional store network — spend trends, tier migration, client acquisition costs, and activation ROI.


• Produce structured reviews for the Head of VIC Relations and Client Development and Local GM-Brand President: monthly performance dashboards, post-activation reviews, and annual strategic assessments.


• Identify regional patterns and anomalies in client data that signal commercial opportunity or relationship risk, and propose data-driven responses.


• Oversee CRM hygiene standards across all regional doors, establishing consistent protocols and holding store teams accountable for data quality.


• Model budget scenarios and event ROI projections to support resource allocation decisions within the regional A&P envelope.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Background

• Minimum 8–10 years in luxury retail, with a clear trajectory that includes senior in-store roles (store management, department management, or senior client-facing position) — store experience at a high level is non-negotiable.


• Demonstrated experience in a multi-door, regional, or network-level role within a luxury fashion, jewellery, watches, or lifestyle Maison.


• Proven ability to influence, coach, and align diverse store teams without direct line management authority.


• Solid command of CRM systems and regional data consolidation; ability to translate data into actionable strategy.


• Prior exposure to budget management and A&P accountability is strongly preferred.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic clarity combined with operational rigour — able to think at altitude and execute at ground level with equal precision.


• Natural leadership presence: inspires confidence in store directors and Client Advisors alike; leads through example, not authority.


• Deep market intelligence and relationship capital within the territory — existing networks in luxury, culture, and finance are an asset.


• Entrepreneurial mindset: proactively identifies opportunities, proposes solutions, and operates with a high degree of autonomy.


• Exceptional written and verbal communication; fluency in English & Arabic required.


• Aesthetic alignment with the Alaïa universe — a genuine understanding of and connection to the house's philosophy of the body, craftsmanship, and cultural rootedness.


• Ability to travel to different markets in the region is necessary.