Retail Development Leader VIC

King Living Pty; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous discounts on premium products

Competitive base salary with incentive

Paid parental leave

Employee assistance program (EAP)

Job summary

King Living is seeking a high‑performing Retail Development Manager to lift the view from a single showroom to the VIC network, partnering with the Regional Retail Manager to drive performance, campaigns and standards across showrooms. This is a genuine development role, aimed at building breadth, credibility and senior leadership readiness through influence rather than authority.

You will lead across the VIC network, support peers, participate in state projects and work closely with the People

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a showroom/store leader with commercial results.
• Ability to read and interpret performance data and translate into actions.
• Experience coaching and developing people across a network of showrooms.
• Ability to influence peers and lead through collaboration, not authority.
• Strong operational discipline and judgment on what to resolve and escalate.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Regional Retail Manager to read VIC network performance and surface actionable insights.
• Support Showroom Managers across VIC, sharing best practices and coaching peers.
• Ensure consistent execution of campaigns, VM, product launches, and Road to Sale.
• Partner with People Team on recruitment, onboarding and succession input across the state.
• Develop yourself by planning, reporting and participating in state-level projects.

Skills

Showroom management

Data analysis

People development

Influence without authority

Operational discipline

Cross‑functional communication

Premium lifestyle retail experience

Microsoft Office & retail systems

Tools

Microsoft Office

Retail systems

Job description

The King Difference

This is your chance to elevate your leadership beyond a single showroom.

Retail Development Manager was created for high-performing Showroom Managers who are ready for more scope — the ones already thinking about the wider network rather than just their own floor, and who want to build the breadth, the credibility and the skills that senior retail leadership calls for.

Working closely alongside the Regional Retail Manager, you will lift your view from one showroom to a whole state. You will get across performance right through the VIC network, support your fellow Showroom Managers, help campaigns and standards land consistently, and sit in the conversations where state priorities get set. Showroom Managers continue to report to the Regional Retail Manager, which leaves you free to lead through influence rather than authority — and learning to lead that way is one of the most valuable things a retail leader ever picks up.

It is a genuine development role and we are open about that. You will work close to regional decision-making, take on state-level projects, and build the kind of track record that multi-site and senior retail leadership roles are decided on.

And you will do it in one of Australia’s most design-literate markets, where a discerning customer and a high bar for execution will sharpen your judgement quickly.

What You Will Do

Network Support & Commercial Insight

Work alongside the Regional Retail Manager to read performance across the VIC network — sales to budget, conversion, average order value, sales per consultant, NPS and Mystery Shop. Prepare the analysis, surface what is really driving the numbers, and track that agreed actions actually land.

Peer Support & Capability Building

Support Showroom Managers across VIC without managing them. Share what works, help newer managers find their feet, be a sounding board on tricky customers and floor problems, and move good practice between showrooms instead of letting it sit in one.

Consistency of Execution

Help campaigns, visual merchandising, product launches and the Road to Sale land the same way in every showroom. Spot where execution is drifting, work with the manager to close the gap, and flag anything that needs the Regional Retail Manager’s call.

Talent & Culture Support

Partner with the People Team on recruitment, onboarding, induction and succession input across the state — helping build a culture of accountability, high standards and genuine care.

Your Own Development

This part is deliberate. You will work closely with the Regional Retail Manager on planning, reporting and decision‑making, take on state‑level projects, and build the breadth and evidence you need to move into a multi‑site role.

Who You Are

You are most likely a high-performing Showroom Manager, or someone in a similar single-site leadership role within premium furniture, interiors, lifestyle or another considered‑purchase environment. What matters most is the standard you hold, the results behind you, the people you have developed, and your readiness to lead through influence rather than authority.

You are ready to lead beyond your own four walls — and honest enough to know you are still learning how.

• A strong track record as a Showroom Manager, Store Manager or equivalent, with consistent commercial and customer results behind you
• Commercially sharp — comfortable working with data, spotting patterns and turning them into a clear recommendation
• A genuine developer of people, with examples of team members you have coached, stretched and seen progress
• Able to influence peers without authority — you bring people with you rather than direct them
• Strong operational discipline and the judgement to know what to resolve yourself and what to escalation
• Confident communicator who builds credibility quickly across showrooms and support functions
• Experience in furniture, interiors, design or premium lifestyle retail is highly regarded
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and retail systems; comfortable with performance reporting
• Based in VIC or willing to relocate to Melbourne, and available to travel across the state

AI at King Living

King Living is actively embracing AI across the business to remove friction, increase visibility and accelerate decision making. We are looking for people who are curious, open‑minded and excited by the opportunity to use AI and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, automate repetitive tasks and create more time for creative thinking and innovation. You do not need to be an AI expert — but you should have the mindset and willingness to adopt new tools that help us move faster and work smarter.

Why People Join King Living — And Stay

An Iconic Australian Brand

Since 1977, King Living has redefined Australian furniture design. With showrooms across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, the USA, China and Thailand — this is a brand with genuine global reach and a product worth leading.

A Network Worth Learning In

Victoria is a design‑led market with a customer who notices everything, and a well‑established showroom network to learn across. It is a market where consistency of execution is what separates a good month from an exceptional one.

A Clear Pathway to Multi‑Site

This role exists to develop multi‑site leaders. You will build the breadth, the exposure and the track record that Regional Retail Manager and other multi‑site roles are decided on.

Close to the Decisions

Direct access to the Regional Retail Manager and to national retail leadership, with genuine visibility of how the business plans and prioritises.

Structured Support

Coaching from your Regional Retail Manager, development through our retail learning programs, and a People Team invested in retail careers.

Generous Discounts

Employee and family & friends discounts on our full premium product range.

Competitive Remuneration

Competitive base salary with performance incentives aligned to network results.

A Team That Backs You

A values‑driven, collaborative environment with paid parental leave, an EAP program and a business that genuinely invests in its people.

About King Living

King Living is a family‑owned Australian design company with a global footprint and a reputation for innovation, craftsmanship and timeless design. Everything we do is guided by four values: Passion. Integrity. Collaboration. Innovation. These are not words on a wall — they shape how we lead, create and grow.

Passion. Integrity. Collaboration. Innovation.

Our hiring decisions are based not only on experience and skills, but on mindset, attitude and alignment with our values. King Living is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered regardless of race, sexuality, religion, colour, gender identity or parental status.

Ready to elevate your leadership and grow towards senior retail leadership at King Living? We’d love to hear from you.