Retail & People Excellence Manager
People & Culture · New Delhi · Reports to: CRO
Step Into the World of Nicobar
Founded in 2016 by Simran Lal and Raul Rai, Nicobar is a modern, mindful, design-led lifestyle brand from India.
We wanted to create a new Indian sensibility that wasn't necessarily Westernised.
We're reimagining a contemporary Indian way of living, dressing, and looking at the world—rooted in culture, shaped by design, and guided by intention. At Nicobar, we believe in culture as much as commerce, and that how we build is just as important as what we build.
Our studio is tucked away in Tulsi Farms, Chhatarpur, Delhi—nestled among trees, a seasonal garden, a citrus grove, and our beloved dogs Nico & Dot. We call it the Treehouse. If you're drawn to thoughtful design, a youthful and nourishing team culture, and the chance to grow a brand with heart—we'd love to hear from you.
Your Role in the Story
We're looking for an Retail & People Excellence Manager who can operate across three interconnected pillars: Operations Excellence, Store Performance & Productivity Excellence, and People Excellence. This is not a compliance-first role—it's a role for someone who understands that frontline culture, team capability, and operational rigour are all the same thing expressed differently.
You will be the bridge between our people and the business—driving performance, strengthening employee experience, and ensuring that Nicobar's culture is felt as clearly on the shop floor as it is at the Treehouse.
PILLAR 1
Operational Excellence
Store Excellence, Capability Building & Customer Experience
Store Excellence Training
- Conduct store hygiene training covering cleanliness standards, stockroom organisation, and product folding and presentation standards.
- Drive and optimise store compliance on the Amply app
- Ensure training outcomes are measurable and tied to store audit scores
Operational Capability Building
- Deliver Amplify Training Programmes focused on store floor walk standards and section/category management
- Build store manager capability in people leadership—feedback, performance conversations, and team health
- Design and cascade capability-building interventions across stores in partnership with business stakeholders
Customer Experience
- Drive customer service training programmes to improve service quality and in-store experience
- Embed Nicobar's brand values and design sensibility into every customer-facing training module
- Track and act on customer experience metrics that are influenced by people behaviour
PILLAR 2
Store Performance & Productivity Excellence
Performance, Rewards & Inventory Integrity
Performance Management
- Drive and track store KPIs and operational performance in partnership with the Chief Retail Officer
- Use people data to identify performance outliers—stores and individuals—and design targeted interventions
- Drive monthly people reviews with Retail leadership with a bias toward action, not just updates
- Drive conversion as a key metric with Agrex
- Optimise store styling and merchandise planning, develop a robust mechanism to improve store feedback to HO
Rewards & Productivity
- Manage and execute incentive and uniform programmes to improve engagement and outcomes at the store level
- Ensure R&R frameworks are fair, visible, and aligned with Nicobar's culture—not just commercial metrics
Loss Prevention
- Lead shrinkage control initiatives and loss prevention measures
- Partner with Store Managers to build accountability frameworks that reduce shrinkage without undermining trust
- Identify and implement wastage reduction strategies across store operations
PILLAR 3
People Excellence
Talent, People Planning & Performance
Recruitment
- Lead retail hiring across the store network and business expansion requirements
- Manage campus recruitment programmes and build early talent pipelines
- Partner with TA to ensure quality of hire, not just speed of hire
People Planning & Development
- Drive strategic workforce planning including manpower planning (AOP) and capability building
- Manage Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) and Individual Development Plans (IDP) end-to-end
- Support employee engagement for campus recruits and new joiners through structured career progression planning
- Partner closely with the Chief Retail Officer, Area Managers, and Store Managers on all people matters
- Conduct fortnightly check-ins with AMs/ROMs to review performance, team health, and people challenges
Performance & Retention
- Oversee attrition management—go beyond exit interviews to understand root causes at the store level
- Drive targeted retention interventions in discussion with retail leadership
- Monitor and control AOP vs Actuals for manpower and people-related metrics
- Manage employee grievances end-to-end with timely, fair, and well-documented resolution
- Anchor disciplinary processes including warnings, corrective actions, and PIPs
- Build a culture of continuous feedback—not just annual review cycles
What You Bring Along
- 6–8 years of experience in frontline-heavy retail or consumer brand environments
- Proven experience in talent acquisition, performance management, PIPs, and employee relations
- Hands-on with L&D delivery—comfortable designing and facilitating training for frontline teams
- Familiarity with store operations metrics: KPIs, shrinkage, incentive structures
- Ability to read culture—not just follow process
- Strong stakeholder management; you can influence without authority
- Comfortable with data—Excel, HR metrics, and telling a story with numbers
- Hands-on and comfortable being on the ground across stores
- An appreciation for design, craft, and what makes a culture-led brand different
