Retail Performance & Trade Activation Manager (Luxury Beauty & Fragrance)

An exceptional opportunity to join one of the world’s most iconic luxury beauty and fragrance houses. As Retail Performance & Trade Activation Manager, you will lead the strategic sell-out agenda across key retail partners and department stores, driving performance excellence, client experience, and commercial results.This role is ideal for a commercially minded leader who combines strong retail understanding with analytical acumen, operational excellence, and the ability to translate data into actionable insights. The position bridges sell-through, trade execution, and retail operations, shaping how the brand is experienced at the point of sale and ensuring every activation delivers measurable impact.The RoleThe Retail Performance & Trade Activation Manager will be responsible for optimizing sell-out performance across the local market, managing retail investments, and driving trade efficiency in collaboration with commercial, marketing, and retail field teams.You will oversee trade budget management, sell-out forecasting, and retail performance analysis, while coaching and inspiring field managers and retail staff to deliver best-in-class execution. The role requires a hands-on leader with strong commercial instincts, data literacy, and a passion for elevating retail excellence within the luxury beauty industry.Key ResponsibilitiesRetail & Sell-Through PerformanceLead and manage the sell-through strategy across all distribution channels (department stores, travel retail, and boutiques).Analyse retail KPIs, sell-out trends, and productivity metrics to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.Define and implement retail performance targets, ensuring alignment with overall commercial objectives.Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of trade activities and retail initiatives to maximise ROI.Partner closely with key retailers to optimise assortment, visibility, and stock efficiency.Trade & Activation ManagementDevelop and execute annual trade activation plans in collaboration with Marketing and Sales, ensuring alignment with brand priorities and retail calendars.Manage trade marketing budgets, forecasting, and investment efficiency across channels and accounts.Ensure best-in-class execution of in-store activations, product launches, and promotional campaigns that drive sell-out.Collaborate with merchandising and visual teams to enhance in-store visibility and consumer engagement.Retail Operations & People LeadershipLead, coach, and develop a team of two direct reports and a network of up to 50 indirect retail staff (field teams, beauty consultants, and supervisors).Partner with Training and Retail Excellence teams to enhance productivity, service standards, and client experience at POS.Drive cross-functional collaboration between sales, training, marketing, and logistics to ensure operational alignment.Support retail managers in developing action plans to close performance gaps and exceed sales objectives.Analytics, Insights & PlanningDeliver weekly and monthly retail performance reports and insight decks to senior management, highlighting opportunities and business drivers.Forecast sell-out performance by door, product category, and channel, supporting demand and supply planning.Manage and track trade budgets, ensuring investments are data-driven, strategic, and yield measurable ROI.Utilize data tools and dashboards to enhance visibility of retail KPIs and enable performance-based decision making.Business PartneringAct as a key interface between commercial, marketing, and retail field teams to ensure cohesive execution across all points of sale.Build strong relationships with external retail partners, aligning on joint business plans and performance improvement opportunities.Contribute to the development of 360° activation plans that align product launches, consumer experience, and retail execution.Candidate ProfileMinimum 8–12 years of experience in luxury beauty, cosmetics, or prestige retail environments.Proven expertise in sell-through management, retail operations, and trade planning, ideally within multinational brand structures.Strong analytical and commercial acumen with a data-driven approach to performance optimization.Hands-on experience managing trade budgets, sell-out KPIs, and retail forecasts.Excellent leadership skills with the ability to manage, inspire, and develop large retail teams.Strong understanding of department store environments and retail partnerships.Comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing senior stakeholders.Advanced Excel and Power BI or similar analytics tools preferred.Fluent in English; other languages a plus.EducationBachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, or a related discipline.Postgraduate qualification (MBA or equivalent) is desirable.