Vice President, Retail

VP, Retail – Brilliant Earth  

Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg founded Brilliant Earth in 2005 with the goal of transforming and modernizing the fine jewelry industry through transparency, sustainability, compassion, and inclusivity. Brilliant Earth is successfully executing this strategy, as the largest independent jewelry company in the US and the leading digital-first brand for millennial and Gen-Z consumers.   

Brilliant Earth creates exclusive, award-winning fine jewelry that is different in every way – how it’s made, how it’s sold, how it’s sourced and crafted, and how it gives back. The company is nimble and tech-enabled, utilizing industry-leading features to optimize highly personalized, seamless omnichannel experiences and an asset-light, agile model. As one of the first jewelers to offer blockchain-enabled diamonds at scale, Brilliant Earth provides unparalleled traceability of a diamond’s origin and ownership.   

The company raised $100 million in its initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol of BRLT on September 23, 2021. Brilliant Earth is quickly expanding their retail footprint, currently operating 40 stores across the US, and services customers in over 150 countries worldwide.  Through their growth, Brilliant Earth’s mission-driven ethos remains at the core of everything they do. 

Role & Responsibilities 

The Brilliant Earth Customer Experience, Sales team is committed to delivering exceptional sales service and a personalized, joyful, seamless omnichannel experience to Brilliant Earth customers in retail showroom locations and via eCommerce channels. You will create and execute the vision in alignment with business goals to achieve outstanding performance and provide customer centric experiences delivered by highly engaged and knowledgeable employees. You will provide analysis and insights to ensure overall success and productivity of your teams. The VP, Retail will be instrumental in the development and management of key customer experience initiatives and driving Brilliant Earth’s showroom and omnichannel sales performance and growth.  

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• Guide showroom and ecommerce channel sales leaders to build their teams, achieve sales targets, provide an excellent customer experience, and meet team KPIs in a fast-paced, omni-channel retail environment.  

• Oversee Workforce Analytics, and drive the optimization of productivity while meeting customer demand. 

• Drive a successful sales training program, aimed to provide an excellent onboarding experience using engaging content, while preparing the team to deliver an exceptional customer experience.  

• Introduce process and system improvements aimed to improve efficiency of the team and improve the customer experience. These best-in-class processes and strategies should be aimed to maximize effective pipeline management, excellent customer communication, and clienteling. Partner cross functionally with Marketing, Retail Operations, and Talent Acquisition teams to ensure smooth and successful showroom opening operations.  

• Foster a culture of high sales performance, luxury customer experience, and continuous improvement with the goal of expanding and elevating the showroom experience.  

• Translate forecasts and business goals into strategic sales strategies and goals at the department, showroom and individual level.  

• Collaborate with business leaders across the organization on cross-functional initiatives, e.g. HR, Operations, Customer Care, Marketing and Finance.  

• Provide analysis-based insights to drive improved customer experience and sales performance, including showroom and e-commerce channel performance, sales per labor hour metrics, NPS, and other KPIs  

• Develop the leadership ability of Customer Experience Managers and Regional Managers; collaborate with leaders to motivate and inspire their teams.  

• Strategically scale sales growth by utilizing technology. Continue to advance our use of tools, such as Salesforce, Verint, and others to drive efficiency and customer experience.   

• Stay abreast of retail and eCommerce industry trends, bringing best-in-class and trend-forward strategies to improve the customer experience and drive the goal of establishing Brilliant Earth as the premier global jewelry brand 

• Lead a team of approximately 400 direct and indirect reports, and inspire excellence in performance and service.  

Qualifications  

• 10+ years’ experience in a sales leadership role, managing retail and eCommerce channels, luxury brands preferred   

• Experience scaling brick & mortar operations for service oriented or digitally native brands   

• Demonstrated experience managing teams to achieve / exceed goals  

• A true passion for developing and building high-performing sales teams in an environment focused on luxury products/experiences.  

• Proven track record of recruiting and retaining high performing and accountable managers and staff.  

• Highly organized with focus on execution, problem solving, and improving processes  

• Highly analytical with an ability to translate data into actionable insights, strategies and goals.  

• Robust CRM or ERP software experience (NetSuite, Salesforce a plus)  

• Ability to travel domestically approximately once per quarter 

• BA degree or equivalent, preferred   

Characteristics: 

• Motivated self-starter with high efficiency work style  

• Excellent written and verbal communications in a customer facing, luxury setting  

• Attention to detail  

• Ability to think critically and adapt quickly in a flexible environment  

• Exceptional time management skills and accountability  

• Team player with an ability to work collaboratively  

• Understanding and acceptance of diversity, equity, inclusion and workplace belonging concepts  

• Entrepreneurial spirit / self-starter  

• Interest in socially and environmentally responsible organizations and products  

Recent Press 

• Brilliant Earth Unveils Fourth Annual Mission Report, Marking the Company's Landmark 20th Anniversary
  • 2024 Mission Report
• Brilliant Earth Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results
• Carbon Capture Diamonds & Recycled Gold: Jane Goodall Partners with Jeweler Brilliant Earth 
• Brilliant Earth Announces International Shopping Expansion, Partners with Leading E-Commerce Platform Global-E 
• Brilliant Earth Achieves SBTi Validation of Net-Zero Emissions Target