Skip to content

European IT Store Systems Manager

This is a very exciting time to be joining the URBN Shared Services team in Europe. Currently Urban Outfitters has 28 stores across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Belgium and will be rapidly expanding into Germany, France and the rest of Europe in the next 12-24 months. Further, Anthropologie has 2 London stores, a concession in Selfridges London and a store in Edinburgh and will be looking for further growth this year in France and Germany.

This role is directly responsible for the IT systems located in each of the 32 stores within the portfolio today and as we expand and grow around Europe, this role will play the essential part to ensure that our IT systems support our retail stores. With an acute sense of relevant business & retail technology trends, the successful candidate will be responsible to deliver reliable, secure and cost effective systems and related services. This manager must partner with the business, other IT teams and external vendors to set direction and priorities. You are likely doing a similar role today within a retail environment of a comparable, or larger scale.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Accountable for ensuring a high standard of service to URBN stores.
  • Own all store systems issues and aggressively drive to immediate and sustained resolution.
  • Management of external vendors responsible for supplying, installing and supporting store hardware.
  • Ensuring European business requirements and priorities are understood through effective relationships with brand teams.
  • Owning relationship with US internal Service Desk, ensuring European requirements are articulated, understood and delivered against.
  • Establishing, maintaining and reporting on service level agreements with the business.
  • Establishing, maintaining and reporting on service level agreements with outside vendors.
  • Responsible for the full asset lifecycle management including store hardware evaluation, procurement, maintenance, inventory management and sun-setting.
  • Accountable for the successful deployment of technology for all new stores, relocations, remodels and special needs such as holiday registers.
  • Owing the European POS OS and Application builds.
  • Ensures store technology is fully tested and certified prior to deployment.
  • Continually evaluate and improve technology, skills and processes to provide greater service.

Required Skills and Experience

Business Interface/Partnership

This role has a direct influence on the ability to provide customer service. As a result, he/she will interface with all levels of store personnel including senior store operations leaders.

Problem Solving, Analysis and Decision Making

Requires strong analytical and problem solving abilities, attention to detail and robust business knowledge. Judgments must be based on the analysis of factual information in order to make educated business decisions.

Team Building

Able to participate in a matrix organization. Foster teamwork at all levels of the organization. Leads and encourages change adoption.

Influencing and negotiating

Promotes ideas and proposals persuasively; able to work through conflicts to negotiate win/win solutions that benefit Urban Outfitters Inc.; shapes stakeholder opinions effectively; projects a positive image of the organization. Is able to influence and partner with other teams in the delivery of tactical and strategic solutions. Can drive or participate in fact-based negotiations with vendors for product and service delivery.

Seasoned Judgment

Makes timely, tough decisions taking all critical information into account; able to grasp specifics of an ambiguous situation yet keep the larger picture in focus.

Communications

Able to communicate complex technical and systems operational concepts to all levels of a business and IT organisation.

Calm Under Pressure

Ability to think clearly; managing escalations both internally and with vendors, and foster teamwork in the resolution of complex business impacting problems.

High-Impact Dialog

Delivers messages clearly, convincingly and in a well-organized manner; able to vary communications style for multiple audiences; projects credibility and poise; translates complex concepts and ideas into understandable terms.

Important Previous Experience

  • Strong retail industry knowledge is essential.
  • Store operations knowledge.
  • Demonstrated ability for:
    • Partnering with other IT and Business Teams.
    • Managing service delivery teams.
    • Driving execution and successfully delivering project delivery results, as measured in Post-Implementation Reviews.
    • Delivering outstanding internal customer satisfaction.
    • Setting long term priorities while achieving short term goals.
    • Simultaneously attaining continuous improvements in service delivery and cost effectiveness.
    • Experience with IBM 4690 and /or Oracle Point of Sale.

Salary: On application. Please note your current salary when applying.

Location: West Street, London.

Please specify the position for which you are applying in the subject line and attach your CV.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Apply for this position