Retail Operations Director, Helly Hansen

Role Overview

Retail Operations Director for North America is responsible for defining and executing strategic initiatives that support Helly Hansen’s Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) retail business across the region. This role provides leadership to a team of people leaders who oversee day-to-day store operations, ensuring alignment with DTC objectives while delivering a consistent, high-quality brand experience for both internal and external stakeholders.

• Monitor, analyse, and interpret financial performance to ensure achievement of targets and proactively identify opportunities to improve profitability and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Establish and maintain KPIs and performance reporting frameworks to generate actionable business insights and inform decision‑making.
• Promote innovation initiatives across the retail organization, ensuring clear ownership, accountability, and disciplined execution.
• Lead improvements rooted in customer needs across the retail organization, ensuring clear ownership, accountability, and disciplined execution.
• Develop and implement strategies across all retail channels within the assigned region, and lead retail operational excellence programs to improve productivity, efficiency, and profitability.
• Oversee the achievement of functional objectives by managing budgets, controlling expenses, and maintaining awareness of competitive and industry trends.
• Execute strategic decisions related to store growth, expansion, optimization, and closures, while identifying and evaluating new market opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with e‑commerce, wholesale, marketing, and IT partners to execute and continuously improve initiatives that enhance sell‑in and sell‑through performance across all locations.
• Provide inclusive, effective leadership through coaching, mentoring, and development of diverse, cross‑functional teams to achieve company objectives and support long‑term growth.
• Model ethical leadership by prioritizing integrity and handling conflicts ethically.

• Eight or more years of relevant retail leadership experience; experience with fashion, outdoor, or global brands is preferred.
• Experience managing multi‑location retail operations and leading geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven ability to develop future leaders and build high‑performing, engaged teams.
• Strong business acumen, including experience with profit and loss accountability and achieving defined financial and operational goals.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 50%, including occasional international travel.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

This position will be based in Denver, Colorado.

• Target hiring range: $131,750 to $178,250.
• Bonus eligible role.
• 401(k) with company matching.
• Health insurance.
• Flexible spending account.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Family planning and mental health benefits.
• Employee assistance program.
• Life and AD&D insurance.
• Employee discounts.
• Paid time off.
• Parental leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Training and career development opportunities.

• Evolving Leader:
  Global Agility – Leads Diverse Teams, adapts amidst ambiguity.
• Purposeful Integrity – Leads with values, earns team’s trust, handles conflicts ethically.
• Strategic Foresight – Connects teamwork to business strategy.
• Customer‑Centric Innovation – Leads improvements rooted in customer needs.
• Urgency for Impact – Drive priorities forward with pace and purpose.
• Bold Accountability – Set high standards and model responsibility.

Kontoor Brands is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer of minorities, females, protected veterans and the disabled. Kontoor Brands is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and treating our Kontoor Brands associates and Kontoor Brands applicants without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, HIV/AIDS status, or any other legally protected factor.