Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always been colorful, bold, and optimistic. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand that designs extraordinary things for the everyday, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, home décor, and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles.
Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry portfolio – a global house of brands committed to stretching what’s possible.
Our company name Tapestry, represents the diversity of our brands and the diversity of our people. We know that having a diverse range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences makes us more innovative and successful and it brings us closer to our consumer. Our goal is to create a culture that is equitable, inclusive and diverse - where all of our employees, customers and stakeholders thrive.
Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.
As an Assistant Store Leader you partner with the Store Leader to maximize store productivity and profitability through leadership, coaching, and operational excellence. You set the tone on the sales floor, elevate service through omni-channel and virtual selling, and create an inclusive environment where associates can thrive as their authentic selves.
Key Responsibilities
Client & Service Leadership
- Model Kate Spade Service behaviors and selling standards; lead a high-energy, client-focused environment.
- Drive omni-channel and virtual selling; ensure clienteling through client books, outreach, and loyalty programs.
- Empower the team to personalize experiences and resolve customer issues effectively.
- Lead customer data capture to support marketing and repeat business.
Team Development & Leadership
- Recruit, onboard, and develop diverse talent; provide coaching and manage underperformance.
- Set clear goals, review KPIs (traffic, conversion, UPT, AUR), and coach to results.
- Act as Store Leader in their absence; foster an inclusive, motivating culture.
- Build community networks to support recruiting and brand awareness.
Sales & Business Planning
- Own store sales plans and forecasts; create action plans to address business opportunities.
- Inspire the team to exceed performance standards across all selling channels.
- Partner with corporate teams to analyze market data and optimize strategies.
Brand & Visual Standards
- Champion Kate Spade’s aesthetic and philosophy; maintain brand and operating standards.
- Execute visual directives and ensure an impeccable store environment.
- Communicate sell-through, stock trends, and customer feedback to improve results.
Operational Excellence
- Oversee opening/closing procedures, cash handling, and facility security.
- Manage schedules and payroll budgets; adjust staffing to business needs.
- Ensure compliance with policies, safety, and loss prevention standards.
- Support inventory management, cycle counts, and shipment accuracy.
- Manage live stream shopping sessions and leverage social media trends to drive engagement.
Requirements:
- 2+ years of retail management experience (fashion/lifestyle or comparable environment). A combination of education and experience will be considered.
- Strong leadership communication, and organizational skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experienced with retail systems.
- Ability to analyze selling reports, identify trends, and react quickly.
- Strong English language proficiency. (for EU)
Schedule: Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet business needs—including nights, weekends, peak busy season, and high-traffic retail days (including, but not limited to, public holidays).
Note: This document serves only as a sample of job duties and responsibilities and does not include an exhaustive list of all performance requirements.
What Kate Spade can offer you:
An inclusive, innovative, and fun working environment
Internal mobility & career progression
1 paid volunteering day per year and opportunities to volunteer with global projects.
Learning & development opportunities with our Ambassador Programme
Regular social events
Equity Inclusion & Diversity initiatives which include employee resource groups & regional inclusion councils.
Attractive employee discount
Compelling incentive programme
Our Competencies for All Employees
Courage : Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
Creativity : Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
Customer Focus : Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
Dealing with Ambiguity : Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
Drive for Results : Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
Interpersonal Savvy : Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
Learning on the Fly : Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
Our Competencies for All People Managers
Strategic Agility : Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
Developing Direct Reports and Others : Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each person's career goals; constructs compelling development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.
Building Effective Teams : Blends people into teams when needed; creates strong morale and spirit in their team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.
Tapestry is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant’s or employee’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law.
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