Head of US Retail

Samsonite; Mansfield (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Samsonite's Mansfield, MA-based Head of US Retail will lead strategy, performance, and evolution of our U.S. retail business, overseeing ~80 stores.

Reporting to the President, North America, this executive role focuses on accelerating profitable growth, elevating the customer experience, and building a high-performing retail organization. The ideal candidate combines strategic vision with operational excellence, coaches field leaders, analyzes performance, and partners across Marketing,

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive retail leadership experience.
• Experience leading multi-unit or branded consumer retail businesses.
• Proven ability to drive profitable growth and exceptional customer experiences.
• Experience leading field organizations through growth and change.
• Strong financial acumen with P&L, budgeting, forecasting, inventory.
• Proven leadership in coaching and talent development.
• Strategic thinker with data-driven decision making.
• Excellent communication and executive presence.
• Bachelor's degree; MBA or advanced degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the U.S. retail strategy aligned with long-term growth.
• Drive profitable sales growth and elevate the premium brand experience.
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and operational reviews to meet objectives.
• Build and develop a high-performing retail leadership team.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver omnichannel customer experiences.
• Ensure store presentation reflects Samsonite's premium standards.

Skills

Retail leadership

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Executive presence

Communication

Influencing skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or advanced degree

Job description

As Samsonite's Head of US Retail, you will lead the strategy, performance, and continued evolution of our U.S. retail business, overseeing approximately 80 stores nationwide. Reporting directly to the President, North America, you will be responsible for accelerating profitable growth, elevating the customer experience, and building a high-performing retail organization that delivers exceptional business results.

This is a highly visible executive leadership role requiring a strategic, commercially minded retail leader who can balance long‑term vision with operational excellence. You will shape the future of Samsonite's retail business by accelerating growth, strengthening our premium brand experience, developing exceptional leaders, and driving sustained financial performance.

Success in this role requires an executive who can think strategically, execute operationally, inspire people, and build strong partnerships across the organization. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable shaping long‑term strategy, coaching field leaders, analyzing business performance, and making decisions that drive profitable growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Business Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute the U.S. retail strategy aligned with Samsonite's overall business objectives and long‑term growth plans.
• Drive profitable sales growth while strengthening brand presence and delivering a premium customer experience.
• Identify opportunities to grow market share, improve productivity, and enhance long‑term profitability.
• Evaluate market opportunities and lead retail expansion, relocations, remodels, and fleet optimization initiatives.
• Partner closely with executive leadership to identify new opportunities that strengthen Samsonite's competitive position.

Financial & Operational Leadership

• Own the overall financial performance of the retail business, including sales, profitability, payroll, operating expenses, productivity, inventory performance, and capital investments.
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, financial planning, and operational reviews to ensure achievement of business objectives.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators to evaluate business performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Drive operational excellence through continuous improvement of processes, productivity, inventory management, and store execution.
• Ensure disciplined expense management while balancing investment in people, customer experience, and future growth.
• Champion a customer‑first culture that consistently delivers an exceptional premium brand experience while increasing customer loyalty and lifetime value.
• Partner with Marketing, Digital, Merchandising, and Product teams to create a seamless omnichannel customer experience.
• Drive initiatives that strengthen customer engagement, clienteling, brand affinity, and customer retention.
• Ensure visual merchandising and store presentation consistently reflect Samsonite's premium brand standards.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, inspire, and develop a high-performing retail leadership team that delivers results through accountability, collaboration, and coaching.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, engagement, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Lead succession planning, organizational design, leadership development, and talent reviews to strengthen the organization's leadership pipeline.
• Develop store teams through ongoing training focused on leadership, product knowledge, selling skills, customer experience, and operational excellence.
• Build an engaged, customer‑focused culture where associates are empowered to deliver exceptional experiences and achieve outstanding business results.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Human Resources, Marketing, Merchandising, Product, Finance, Supply Chain, Legal, IT, Real Estate, and Store Development to execute key business initiatives.
• Build trusted partnerships across the executive leadership team to ensure retail priorities are aligned with enterprise objectives.
• Influence enterprise decisions through strong collaboration, sound business judgment, and data‑driven recommendations.
• Serve as the executive leader and voice of the U.S. retail organization across North America.
• Collaborate and partner with the Canadian team to ensure strong regional alignment in vision and strategy.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of progressive retail leadership experience with responsibility for large, multi‑unit retail organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading specialty, lifestyle, or a branded consumer retail businesses.
• Proven ability to drive profitable growth while delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Significant experience leading field organizations through growth, transformation, and organizational change.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing P&L, budgeting, forecasting, inventory, and operational performance.
• Demonstrated success building high‑performing leadership teams through coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
• Experience partnering across multiple business functions to deliver enterprise‑wide initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive leadership and successfully lead organizations through growth and change.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and influencing skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused, results‑oriented environment.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other advanced degree is a plus.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• This position is based out of our Mansfield, MA corporate office. Up to 50% domestic travel with occasional international travel.

WHY JOIN SAMSONITE?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of one of the world's most recognized travel and lifestyle brands. As the US Head of Retail, you'll influence enterprise strategy, lead a dynamic retail organization of approximately 80 stores, develop exceptional leaders, and play a key role in driving the next phase of Samsonite's growth.

If you're energized by transformation, passionate about developing people, and committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences and business results, we'd love to hear from you.