Group Director - Boutique Architecture Operations

Group Director - Boutique Architecture - Operations

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of everyone increases the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience, and potential you could bring to CHANEL. 

About the role:

CHANEL is looking for a Project Manager to join our Boutique Architecture Team in New York. This role is part of an in-house regional team of professionals that manages the design and construction of CHANEL fashion boutiques in the US. Your immediate task will be to play a leading role in implementing process improvements and tracking the Capex spend for our new and renovated boutiques. Future responsibilities will be managing the workflow of the boutique architecture team and looking for opportunities to streamline the way we work. The Group Director Operations will report to the Head of US Boutique Architecture. Our ideal candidate will have 8+ years of experience in cost estimating, project management, architectural design, construction management or related industry with a passion for architectural construction and the process of creation, project management, and problem solving.  

What impact you can create at CHANEL: 

• Analyze budgets, project spend, vendors and consultants
• Bring rigor and transparency to the bidding and construction process
• Manage large number of projects simultaneously  
• Ensure compliance and quality standards
• Maintain great accuracy of information within current and future data sets 
• Evaluate, evolve, and maintain processes
• Advise on carbon footprints and sustainability
• Elevate Brand Image at point of sale

You are energized by:

• Working in a highly collaborative environment with passionate teammates
• Attention to detail, cost management, project tracking and scheduling
• Navigating complexity and supporting consistent transformation and change 
• Connecting the dots on problems, bringing a keen eye for details and problem perception 
• Process improvement and continuous development in a fast-paced environment
• Reducing environmental impact and lowering operating costs by creating more sustainable and energy efficient buildings 

What you will bring to the team:

• An understanding of architectural design and construction process workflows
• Ability to build and control construction budgets, estimate costs and facilitate future scenario planning
• Strategic thinking to bridge the gap between finance, technical architecture teams and business stakeholders, ensuring design and project goals align with overall company strategy
• A desire to collaborate with internal and external resources 
• You are autonomous, curious, and rigorous.  A self-motivated, diplomatic communicator with excellent interpersonal skills & social fluency.
• Exceptional organization and analytical abilities 
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize projects and deadlines, have adept project management skills, attention to detail
• Fluency in Microsoft Teams, Excel, Smartsheet  
• Experience using project management tools and architectural software (AutoCAD, Sketchup) a plus 

What skills you will learn? What experiences might you have?  

• You will learn to interpret and apply Architectural Designs to various luxury retail environments, from highly experienced Architectural experts  
• You will encourage collaboration to help build a highly organized workgroup   
• Build CAPEX budgets based on historical project information within projected design parameters
• Design and implement process workflows, standard operating procedures and manage key performance indicators
• Manage financial and contractual aspects of our construction projects, ensuring they are completed within budget and offer value for money.  Responsibilities Include project cost tracking, budgeting and estimating, and value-engineering initiatives
• Compile US Boutique Architecture team needs and evolve briefing process. Ensure US design brief has been completed accurately by field, business, corporate teams and that documentation and project request information is submitted to design architect  
• Partner with the US Boutique Architecture team to ensure store designs are aligned with the needs of the Global Boutique Architecture Team and the US business teams  
• Create process documents, schedules, and a responsibility overview for the various projects, making sure that milestones and deliverables are respected; create and maintain progress reports that control and track; complete risk assessment; responsible for the end-to-end coordination, timelines, consistency, and efficiency of project delivery. Keeping Global and US teams aligned and informed.  
• Ensure quality and consistency of processes and protocols within the department (bidding and procurement, project management, ordering and logistics, staffing, internal/external communication) 
• Conduct feasibility studies to vet proposed projects
• Qualify new vendors, consultants and bidders
• Assist the Boutique Architecture team in managing and prioritizing workloads, assign parallel work to cross functional teams, and work closely with other teams to prioritize projects 
• Lead and facilitate boutique project review meetings with various US business divisions (Fashion, Watches and Fine Jewelry and Fragrance & Beauty)
• Carry out retrospectives to analyze and allow constant improvement of our processes 

Position Logistics: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying, Design, Architecture, Construction or related field  
• 8+ years of experience in architectural firm or retail architectural/ store design/construction management  
• Partially Remote: Role requires a minimum of three-days in-person office presence at the NYC mid-town location/office
• Travel requirement 10%  

Compensation:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $134,900- $165,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other components [may/will] include additional compensation, benefits, and perks. 

Benefits and Perks:

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing: 2-week August Office Closure and a Wellbeing fund
• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership)
• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days
• 401K and other incentives

• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking

Additional Information:

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in:

Diversity and Inclusion:

• At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy, and dignity for all.  We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organization and the connections we have with each other and our clients.  
• We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support. 

Chanel Community:

• CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents, and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities. 
• Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations. 

Fondation Chanel:

• Since 2011, Fondation CHANEL’s mission is for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny.  Through multi-year partnerships with financial and technical support, Fondation CHANEL is committed to improving the safety and autonomy of women and adolescent girls around the world, impacting over a million women and girls in its first 10 years.    
• For more information, please navigate to the Fondation CHANEL website here  

Sustainability:

• CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. 
• Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives. 

Arts and Culture:

• We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent.  US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center. 

Career and Leadership Development:  

• We have dedicated in-house teams focused on supporting the onboarding of employees, developing leadership skills via custom programs like Imagine CHANEL People, Heart of Leadership and group and individual coaching, and blended online and live classes offered on our Bloom platform and by skilled trainers, such as Shape Your Career, to develop career building skills. 

*Chanel, Inc. benefits and perks are dependent on eligibility and subject to modification by Chanel at any time.