Director of Store Development

Millman Search; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

BIG is seeking an entrepreneurial Director of Store Development to design and expand its national retail footprint. Lead customer experience, store prototypes, and site selection while overseeing construction and market launches. Build a scalable platform for 100+ locations nationwide and shape the evolving retail organization.

Travel across the United States is required as you partner with real estate professionals and operations teams to drive rapid growth and exceptional store performance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading multi-unit retail development and openings.
• Proven ability to identify and secure store locations nationwide.
• Experience with lease negotiations and construction management.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership across locations.
• Strong operational leadership in security, inventory, and compliance.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and execution of the retail store concept, layouts, and customer experience.
• Partner with real estate professionals to identify, evaluate, and secure locations.
• Manage all store development aspects, including construction, Vendors, and openings.
• Build prototypes and a scalable playbook for rapid national expansion.
• Launch markets from lease signing to grand opening with cross-functional teams.
• Own P&L for initial wave of stores and help grow the retail org.
• Set operational standards for exceptional customer experience and compliance.

Skills

Store development

Site selection

Lease negotiations

Construction management

P&L ownership

Cross-functional leadership

National expansion

Travel readiness

Job description

BIG is seeking an entrepreneurial Director of Store Development to lead the creation and expansion of our national retail footprint. This is a rare opportunity to build a retail concept from the ground up—from designing the customer experience and developing store prototypes to selecting sites, overseeing construction, and launching new markets.

We're looking for a leader who thrives in high-growth environments and wants to play a pivotal role in shaping a scalable retail organization.

What You'll Do

As Director of Store Development, you will:

• Lead the design and execution of BIG's retail store concept, including customer experience, store layouts, merchandising, security, and operational flow.
• Partner with CBRE and other real estate professionals to identify, evaluate, negotiate, and secure new store locations.
• Manage all aspects of store development, including construction, contractors, vendors, fixtures, and store openings.
• Build repeatable store prototypes and create a scalable playbook for rapid national expansion.
• Launch new markets from signed lease through grand opening, partnering with Operations, Marketing, HR, IT, and Finance.
• Own the P&L for the initial wave of stores and help build the retail organization, including Store Managers and future District Managers.
• Establish operational standards that ensure exceptional customer experience, inventory integrity, security, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the cross-functional leader representing the retail business as the concept evolves.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive multi-unit retail leadership.
• Proven experience leading new store development, including site selection, lease negotiations, and construction management.
• Experience working with national commercial real estate firms such as CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, or similar.
• Demonstrated success building or significantly evolving a retail concept.
• Full P&L ownership across multiple locations.
• Strong operational leadership with expertise in security, compliance, inventory control, and retail operations.
• Willingness to travel extensively throughout the United States.

Preferred Experience

• Luxury retail, jewelry, precious metals, watches, bullion, financial services retail, or other high-value retail environments.
• Omnichannel retail programs, including Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS), endless aisle technology, or in-store financial products.
• Opening 10+ stores and developing multiple new markets.
• Experience with hub-and-spoke or vertically integrated retail operations.

Why Join BIG?

This isn't a traditional retail operations role. It's an opportunity to define how an entirely new retail network is built. You'll have the autonomy to shape the strategy, build the team, establish best practices, and create a scalable platform that will support the growth of 100+ locations nationwide.

If you're passionate about building exceptional retail experiences and want to leave your mark on a rapidly growing company, we'd love to hear from you.