Director Retail Portfolio Development - Bethesda, Maryland

Purpose:The purpose of the Director, Retail Portfolio Development is to support Business Development’s business growth and contract value improvement strategies, initiatives, and projects through local market research, concept planning in alignment with landlord requirements and internal “win strategy,” brand sourcing & negotiations, layout and design coordination, proposal preparation, and post-award implementation The role is responsible for ensuring close collaboration and coordination with Category Management, Operations, Design, Supply Chain, Marketing, Digital, Legal, HR and other key functions to ensure all key stakeholder input is considered throughout the development process.

Essential Functions:

• Reviews Business Development “win strategy” and landlord guidance/preferences (including but not limited to RFP requirements, landlord-published market research results, etc.) for each development opportunity within assigned markets to establish roadmap for concept planning.
• Develops and maintains in-depth understanding of the retail composition of assigned local markets, including identification of category leaders and/or popular or trending brands, products and concepts (national, regional, or local).
• Comprehends and examines project zone analysis with Business Development and Business Development Finance for each airport zone to understand traffic exposure, revenue potential, brand/concept adjacencies, competition, etc.
• Prepares and validates preliminary concept plan (including potential alternate concepts) in partnership with Category Management and works in partnership with Category Management to source and secure any new brands or products to fill portfolio gaps or to source & secure local brands or products. 
• Presents Preliminary Concept Plan to the Developer and core development project team for review, evaluation and final decision making (by the Developer).
• Partners with Category Management (and CM-Revenue team) to negotiate new brand agreements and supplementary supplier agreements with profitable business terms, and understanding/alignment with Supply Chain, QA, Operations, etc.  Where viable and when appropriate or in line with the development win strategy, secure brand exclusivity for RFPs.
• Obtains timely approval (e.g., Letter of Authorization) and brand logos, graphics, etc. from all brands in final Concept Plan (including local brands)  for inclusion in proposals (RFP submissions, lease extension proposals, etc.)
• Prepares concept-related documents for proposal submittals, including concept narratives, product & price lists, brand testimonials, etc.  Participates in oral presentations, as directed by Developer, including coordinating attendance by brand representatives, as needed.
• Coordinates securing stakeholder input from Category Management (and CM-Revenue), Operations, Marketing, Concept Development and external Brands, etc.) for the development of product assortment, pricing, concept layouts (including space allocation, fixture plans, and optimal flow-through), storage plans, signage, marketing programs, etc. to ensure all concepts are programmed to maximize sales, revenue, gross margin, capex efficiency and labor efficiency and to ensure compliance/alignment with RFP requirements.
• Maintains relationships with Local Concepts in assigned accounts and works with Operations and training resources to ensure awareness and familiarity with Local Concepts and Brands to drive optimal performance in stores
• Provides feedback on learnings which can be applied to strengthen the broader portfolio strategy

Reporting relationship:

• Sr. Director, Portfolio Development

Major interdependencies:

• Departments:  Business Development, Marketing & Communications, Digital, Category Management, Finance, Operations, Strategic Alliances, Master Data and IT

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:

• Education and Experience
  • The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 8 years.
  • Bachelor’s degree (note: if degree is in a program related to the functional area, it can count for an additional 3 years toward the 8 year requirement)
  • In a project management role: Requires 3 years of experience coordinating cross-functional resources engaged in executing retail development programs, or comparable relevant retail experience
  • In the industry: Hospitality, and/or Retail experience 5 years
  • Retail experience preferred with proven track record of success in Retail Portfolio development

• Specialized Training
• Training that leads to an in-depth understanding of North America traveler and constituency preference data related to travel retail industry (preferred)
• Actively engaged in Retail Industry Trade Shows, Publications and Data Sites to bring fact-based insight as part of the Concept Portfolio process

• Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits

• Business acumen and also has the mindset required to understand the long-term implications of concept development planning and to advance the organizations goals
• Demonstrated history of understanding the needs of the business, stakeholders, the employee population and individual circumstances
• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading teams to achieve common goals
• Awareness of Industry Trends in Retail, categories and Brands that are leading results
• and Customer acceptance with ability to align those with market demographics and needs
• Strong communication skills with ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously and ensure timely delivery in keeping with timelines
• Collaborator with ability to work across functions/functional levels to optimize results

• Travel/Location

• Requires up to 60% travel to airport locations

• • Requires a regular presence at the North America Support Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey