Director of Retail - US

JOB NUMBER: JB04292

VACANCY NUMBER: ADV05278

SHARE: https://www.careers.msccruises.com/vacancy/ADV05278/director-of-retail-us-fort-lauderdale

ORGANIZATION: MSC Cruises INC.

BUSINESS AREA: Office

LINE MANAGER: Senior Vice President, Onboard Revenue Operations

The Director of Retail is directly responsible for leading our US Travel Retail Operation and creating a best-in-class Cruise Retail experience. By developing exciting strategies & new concepts for our fleet of US-based vessels, the ultimate goal for the role will be to ensure continuously increasing revenue, an optimized product / brand mix tailored for our US guests, well-managed inventories, and the highest level of guest experience & satisfaction.

Organizational Context

The aim of the Retail Division is to maximize the economic return for MSC’s cruise brands, defining and delivering a best-in-class retail offering which caters to our ever-evolving, international clientele, and to offer a wide-ranging and enjoyable shopping experience for both guests and crew.

The Retail Department, is organized into:

• Operations
• Planning & Logistics
• Multiple Category Management Teams: responsible for Cosmetics, Tobacco, Fashion Watches, Fashion Jewellery, Food, Drinks, Sunglasses, Sundries, Leisure, Electronics, Leather, Luxury accessories, Boutique Apparel, and Logo and Destination Souvenirs

The Director of Retail role will be responsible for working with our existing Operating, Category Management & Planning teams (based in Geneva, Switzerland), our Fulfilment & Logistics Teams (based in Genova, Italy and South Florida) and our shipboard retail team teams (based on our US vessels homeporting in North America).

This role will report directly to the SVP of Onboard Revenue Operations – US and will have a dotted line to the Head of Retail in Geneva, Switzerland.

• Drive MSC’s US Retail Strategy, and work with our GVA-based team to execute best-in-class Retail strategies, promotions, incentive plans, inventory management practices, and initiatives to drive sales performance and achieve revenue targets.
• Research, develop & integrate new cutting-edge retail initiatives, brands and experiences, catered to our US guests & demographics where we sail.
• Work with SVP of Onboard Revenue, Head of Retail and our Newbuild Design teams to define and design new retail store concepts for newbuilds and existing storefronts.
• Support in building Annual Budgets and Quarterly forecasts (including Operating Costs, Revenues, SG&A, New Capital Projects, etc) to accurately project financial goals for the US division; present material to senior management for review and approval.
• Review performance of shops on-board daily, and regularly introduce strategic and tactical solutions to ensure financial targets are achieved.
• Verify that category, product and brand mix follows a sound long-term strategy catered to the US market; ensure that the product offering is in accordance with MSC’s brand image and in line with our sustainability goals wherever possible.
• Optimize retail processes on-board and bring innovative solutions in order to improve customer satisfaction; monitor customer satisfaction scores, verbatim feedback & reports, in order to continually track opportunities and improve quality of service.
• Implement changes to streamline processes, reduce costs, minimize losses/spoilage, and improve accountability.
• Constantly propose innovative opportunities: e.g. new selling techniques, new products, new initiatives, cross-promotions, new brands, new technologies which facilitate better retail store design/performance, etc..
• Personally manage key relationships with US suppliers in order to ensure optimum collaboration. Maintain relations with division’s main commercial partners. Sponsor and promote joint commercial actions and investments and co-branding initiatives.
• Work with Logistics teams globally to ensure retail shipments are properly orchestrated and received onboard in a timely manner.
• Collaborate and offer valuable insights into local vendor negotiations with the Geneva team
• Collaborate with remote Retail Division team members (shoreside and shipboard globally) in order to enhance performance, ensure team engagement, and to optimize the US divisions’ success.
• Align with Geneva team to set clear objectives for each Vessel; ensure that onboard targets are achievable and appropriately motivating our teams to constantly strive for higher revenues, while keeping them engaged.
• University Degree preferred in Business, Economics, Supply Chain, or Procurement.
• 8 years+ experience in International Travel Retail, 5 years+ in Management role.
• Fluent in English; any other European language is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, knowledge of how to utilize common Business Intelligence systems & reporting is an advantage.
• Proficient in problem-solving, with proven ability to pivot quickly as the business dictates.
• Team builder; strong leader capable of inspiring team members and harnessing collaboration.
• Excellent communication, presentation & interpersonal skills.

Must be a US citizen or legally authorized to work in the US

MSC Cruises USA is an E-Verify employer

MSC Cruises USA is an equal opportunity employer that complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations. It is our policy to employ and promote qualified candidates without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, age, origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications and business needs.

In the course of our recruitment and selection process, we may make your Personal Information available to third parties such as recruitment agency, intermediaries and other business partners.