Head of Global Franchise

Company Description

Studio Nicholson is an apparel and fashion company founded in 2010 by designer Nick Wakeman. The brand focuses on adaptable, elegant, and functional garments that form the foundation of a modular wardrobe. Head office operations are based at 9–15 Helmsley Place in London, England, supporting global wholesale and retail activities. The flagship store in Soho, London, showcases the collection and provides a central point of contact for customers and partners. Studio Nicholson continues to grow internationally while maintaining a strong design-led identity and commitment to quality.

Role Description

The Head of Global Franchise is a full-time, on-site role based in the London Area, United Kingdom. This is a high-impact opportunity for a commercially minded international head of Franchise to take ownership of a growing franchise portfolio globally, we focus on APAC and the Middle East, with responsibility for new market entry, store openings and long-term partner relationships. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will play a central role in translating the brand’s global vision into successful local operations, from initial market strategy and partner selection through to store design, collection planning and launch. Existing key franchise partners include Japan, South Korea and China.

With an ambitious pipeline of new openings across Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore and the Middle East, this role offers significant scope to shape the brand’s international retail footprint. The position is based in London and requires four days per week in the office, alongside regular international travel across the markets.

• Lead the global franchise strategy, with a particular focus on accelerating growth across APAC and the Middle East.
• Own relationships with franchise partners, ensuring strong commercial performance, operational standards and alignment with the brand’s positioning.
• Lead new market entry projects from initial strategy and partner engagement through to store opening and ongoing performance.
• Oversee a significant pipeline of new openings, including approximately 12–15 stores across priority international markets.
• Work closely with the Middle Eastern franchise partner to support the development and opening of multiple new locations.
• Lead the Tokyo opening, coordinating all aspects of the project and ensuring the store launches in line with brand and commercial expectations.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of new stores, including location strategy, commercial planning, store design, construction, merchandising, collection planning and launch execution.
• Take ownership of international and seasonal showrooms, including Paris, coordinating planning, set-up, partner appointments, commercial activity, order capture, post-showroom follow-up and on-site execution, with travel as required.
• Partner with internal teams across Design, Product, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance and Operations to ensure seamless delivery of international openings.
• Own end-to-end customer service and communication with franchise partners, proactively managing factory or stock delays before & after warehouse receipt and informing the customer. Work closely with Logistics and Finance to resolve issues and protect partner relationships.
• Take commercial ownership of franchise orders from order placement through payment and delivery, acting as the primary partner contact. Work with Finance to collect overdue balances, resolve payment issues and communicate credit or order holds, and with Logistics to manage shipment priorities, delivery delays and exceptions. Head of Franchise remains accountable for partner communication, escalation and resolution through closure.
• Maintain clear weekly visibility of franchise orderbooks, aged debt, payment commitments, shipment status, delivery risks and partner actions, working closely with the Finance Director, Finance team & Logistics.
• Develop market-specific collection and product strategies, balancing local customer insight with global brand consistency.
• Monitor franchise performance, trading results and market opportunities, identifying areas for improvement and further growth.
• Establish clear standards and processes across franchise markets, ensuring partners consistently deliver the required customer experience and brand presentation.
• Build strong relationships with senior franchise partners and key local stakeholders, acting as the central point of contact for international retail development.
• Travel extensively across APAC, the Middle East and Europe, including Paris, to support franchise partners, oversee store openings and showrooms, and assess market performance.
• Provide regular strategic updates and recommendations to the CEO, using market intelligence and commercial performance data to inform international growth decisions.