Associate Program Manager, International

Ulta Beauty; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Paid time off

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

Ulta Beauty is seeking an Associate Program Manager to support its partner-led international business from its Bolingbrook, IL corporate offices. The role focuses on platform access, playbooks, and knowledge management to enable efficient collaboration with global markets.

The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years in retail or beauty, a bachelor's degree (preferred), and comfort traveling to markets. The position is hybrid, with in-office weeks and strong cross-functional interaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience in Retail, Beauty, or similar field.
• In-office presence required during designated corporate weeks.
• Travel to markets as required.
• Strong experience in operations, program management, business enablement, international retail, consulting, or cross-functional transformation.
• Ability to manage complex initiatives across multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate partner access to key systems, platforms, creative assets, reporting tools, and shared workspaces.
• Own the creation, governance, and rollout of international playbooks and knowledge hub.
• Translate contractual and operational requirements into practical guidance and tools and monitor adoption.

Skills

Project management

Operations

Cross-functional collaboration

International retail

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Ultanet

Job description

OVERVIEW

Live the experience. From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in our strategic initiatives to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We've been defined as a "mature start-up." A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where our passion for better solutions drives us and is core to who we are.

We're engineering for the future of retail, and it's no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by whip smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you'll find that virtually nothing's impossible at Ulta Beauty.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE

The Associate Program Manager is responsible for supporting and maintaining the operating infrastructure required to support Ulta Beauty's partner-led international business across current and future markets. This role serves to connect Ulta Beauty's internal functions and international partners, ensuring teams have the processes, tools, playbooks, reporting, access, and ways of working needed to execute effectively.

The role will support existing international markets, including Mexico and the Middle East, while also helping prepare the business for future market expansion.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY

Platform Access & Tool Enablement

• Coordinate partner access to key systems, platforms, creative assets, reporting tools, and shared workspaces.
• Partner with IT, Security, and business teams to establish and maintain external user and contractor access.
• Resolve or escalate access issues that impact partner execution.

Playbooks, Training & Knowledge Management

• Own the creation, maintenance, governance, and rollout of international playbooks.
• Manage the International Ultanet/knowledge hub as the single source of truth for partner resources.
• Develop and maintain onboarding, store opening, merchandising, event, and service support materials.
• Ensure updates to standards, processes, and resources are communicated clearly to partners.

Governance, Standards & Partner Compliance

• Support governance of partner-facing standards, processes, and operating requirements.
• Translate contractual and operational requirements into practical guidance and tools.
• Monitor adoption of playbooks, reporting requirements, and established processes.
• Identify execution gaps and coordinate corrective actions with partners and cross-functional teams.
• Provide day-to-day operational and administrative support to Senior Program Managers, ensuring timely completion of project deliverables, coordination activities, and program-related tasks.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with IT, Security, Legal, and business partners.
• Ability to manage partner onboarding, access management, and knowledge-sharing processes.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and governance requirements.
• Ability to identify risks, troubleshoot issues, and drive resolution.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to translate complex requirements into clear, actionable guidance.

Position is located at corporate offices in Bolingbrook, IL (Hybrid work schedule - approx. 6 days in office per month)

ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in Retail, Beauty, or similar field
• In-office presence required during designated corporate weeks
• Travel to markets as required
• Strong experience in operations, program management, business enablement, international retail, consulting, or cross-functional transformation.
• Ability to manage complex initiatives across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of retail operations, merchandising, marketing, digital, reporting, and partner-led operating models.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable processes, playbooks, tools, and governance models.
• Comfort working in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Strong project management discipline, including tracking milestones, risks, owners, and dependencies.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Experience working with external partners, joint ventures, franchisees, or international teams preferred.

#LI-HYBRID

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The pay range for this position is $79,900.00 - $105,000.00 / Year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company's bonus plan. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business and organizational needs.

• Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits.
• Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.

For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page: https://learn.bswift.com/ulta

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring: hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.

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