About Topologie
Topologie creates functional accessories inspired by the spirit of exploration and urban living. Combining thoughtful design, modularity, and everyday versatility, the brand has built an international community through a distinctive product offering and retail experience. With five stores currently operating in the United States and additional locations in development, Topologie is entering an important stage of North American growth. We are seeking an experienced retail leader to strengthen our existing operations and lead the expansion of our physical retail footprint across the region.
The Opportunity
The Head of Retail, North America will lead Topologie’s physical retail business across the region, with responsibility for store performance, profitable growth, team development, and new-store expansion.
This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role for an experienced multi-unit retail operator and builder. The successful candidate will strengthen the performance of our existing stores while developing the people, processes, and infrastructure needed to grow the business from five to approximately 25–30 North American locations over the next three years.
The role is exclusively focused on physical retail. Topologie’s e-commerce business will continue to be managed by the company’s global headquarters in Hong Kong.
Key Responsibilities
Retail Operations and Performance
- Lead the overall strategy, performance and day-to-day effectiveness of Topologie’s North American retail organization.
- Hold full accountability for retail P&L performance, with a strong focus on four-wall profitability and sustainable growth.
- Establish clear performance expectations, operating standards, reporting practices, and accountability across all locations.
- Analyze store-level sales, payroll, occupancy, inventory, conversion, customer experience, and other key performance indicators.
- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, profitability, service, and operational consistency. ● Conduct regular store visits and business reviews to ensure brand standards and commercial objectives are being achieved.
- Develop scalable operating processes that support a rapidly growing store portfolio.
Store Expansion and Real Estate
- Lead the expansion of Topologie’s North American retail footprint from site evaluation through successful store opening.
- Partner with brokers, landlords, architects, contractors, vendors, legal advisors, and internal stakeholders throughout the real estate and construction process.
- Evaluate potential locations using market, customer, financial, and operational data.
- Oversee site tours, lease negotiations, construction timelines, permitting, budgets, and opening readiness.
- Manage store build-outs against established capital expenditure targets.
- Ensure new stores open on schedule, within approved budgets, and to Topologie’s brand and operational standards.
- Support a portfolio that includes high-street locations and premium shopping centers.
Leadership and Organizational Development
- Build, lead, and develop a strong North American retail organization, including district and store leadership.
- Establish a scalable field management structure that enables consistent execution across markets.
- Recruit, coach, and retain high-performing leaders who reflect Topologie’s values and customer-centered approach.
- Create clear roles, decision-making authority, performance expectations, and development pathways across the retail organization.
- Partner closely with People & Culture and operational support functions on workforce planning, employee relations, compensation, training, and organizational development.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, inclusive, and commercially focused culture.
Cross-Functional and Global Partnership
- Serve as the senior North American retail partner to the CEO and Hong Kong headquarters.
- Translate global business priorities into practical and effective regional retail strategies.
- Present performance results, expansion progress, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
- Collaborate across Finance, People & Culture, Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, and other functions to support successful retail execution.
- Maintain strong communication across Pacific Time and Hong Kong working hours.
Qualifications and Experience
- Significant progressive leadership experience in multi-unit physical retail, including experience in a senior regional, national, or executive retail role.
- Demonstrated success scaling a store portfolio and opening multiple locations across different markets.
- Strong record of improving store performance and delivering consistent four-wall profitability.
- Full retail P&L ownership and a strong command of store-level financial and operational metrics. ● Direct experience with real estate development, site selection, lease negotiation, construction, and store-opening programs.
- Experience managing brokers, landlords, contractors, and other external business partners.
- Proven ability to build and lead district and store management structures during a period of rapid growth.
- Strong commercial judgment, financial discipline, and analytical ability.
- Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on involvement in an entrepreneurial and evolving organization.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, including experience working across cultures, functions, and time zones.
- Experience in premium apparel, accessories, lifestyle, technical apparel, or another relevant specialty retail environment is strongly preferred.
- Experience operating across the United States and Canada is an asset.
Leadership Profile
The successful candidate will be:
- A strong retail operator who understands how to translate strategy into consistent store-level execution.
- A builder who enjoys creating teams, processes, and infrastructure in a growing organization.
- Commercially rigorous, with a clear understanding of the factors that drive store profitability.
- Comfortable making decisions while maintaining alignment with global leadership.
- Collaborative, direct, and capable of building trust across different cultures and functions.
- Customer-focused and passionate about creating distinctive physical retail experiences.
- Adaptable and willing to work at both strategic and operational levels.
Location and Travel
This position will be based in the Greater Vancouver area. The successful candidate must be able to travel frequently throughout the United States and, as needed, to Topologie’s global headquarters in Hong Kong. During the first six months, travel may represent up to 50% of the role to support existing stores, active build-outs, team integration, and operational assessment. Travel is expected to decrease to approximately 25–30% as the North American field leadership structure is established. Candidates must be able to meet the travel and entry requirements associated with regular business travel between Canada and the United States.
Compensation and Incentives
The anticipated base salary range for this position is CAD $170,000–$200,000, depending on the successful candidate’s experience and qualifications.
The position is also eligible for:
- An annual performance bonus with a target opportunity of 20% of base salary, based on retail profitability and operational performance.
- A milestone-based incentive for qualifying new-store openings that meet established timing, budget, and operational-readiness requirements. The final compensation package and incentive terms will be confirmed during the recruitment process.
Equal Opportunity
Topologie is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without discrimination on any basis protected by applicable law. Topologie welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and is committed to providing reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process.
