This role plays a critical part in delivering Lotus Cars’ commercial and brand ambitions across the UK and Continental Europe. It is accountable for shaping, delivering, and continuously optimising the retail and service network to ensure the right coverage, capability, and partner mix to support current and future sales models.

The role has a direct impact on market performance, customer experience, brand representation, regulatory compliance, and return on network investment.

The postholder will define, lead, and execute Lotus Cars’ UK and European retail and service network strategy, ensuring alignment with sales objectives, evolving business models, and national regulatory requirements, while delivering a consistent brand and customer experience across all markets.

What you will do -

• Define and deliver UK and European retail and service network strategies aligned with Lotus Cars’ sales models and local regulatory frameworks.

• Take end-to-end ownership of overall network management, balancing local market needs with UK and European strategic objectives.

• Lead and manage Network Development Managers to ensure effective planning, coordination, execution, and governance of network initiatives.

• Take accountability for market-level network decisions, including go-to-market approaches, partner appointments, terminations, replacements, and continuous performance improvement.

• Work closely with the Head of European Sales to ensure network capability, coverage, and execution fully support agreed commercial targets.

• Analyse market data, sales performance, and profitability metrics to prioritise network investment, expansion, optimisation, and rationalisation opportunities.

• Lead strategic planning activities across network development, including identifying capability gaps, mitigating risks, and ensuring future readiness.

• Plan and deliver phased network transitions to achieve target coverage, scale, and partner mix in each market.

• Oversee partner recruitment, onboarding, replacements, terminations, and site openings across the UK and Europe.

• Ensure all network activities comply with legal, contractual, regulatory, and brand requirements, including governance and Board approvals where required.

• Monitor partner performance to ensure network decisions drive financial performance, return on investment, and long-term sustainability.

• Collaborate with European and global stakeholders, including Retail Experience and Brand teams, to deliver Brand Experience Centres and key strategic initiatives.

• Develop and implement partner-facing materials, brand standards, induction programmes, and training frameworks to support consistent execution.

What you will bring -

Essential

• Full responsibility for defining and executing UK and Continental European retail and service network strategy.

• Proven experience managing complex local and international networks across the UK and Europe, balancing central strategy with market-level execution.

• Experience working with internationally recognised automotive brands, including exposure to global operating models and cross-cultural environments.

• Strong strategic planning and network development capability, including experience driving profitability, aligning network structure to sales performance, and supporting evolving sales models.

• Demonstrated ability to establish effective network management structures, define long-term strategy, and proactively identify and mitigate capability or performance gaps.

• Experience across multiple sales models (direct, agency, dealer, and service).

• High level of complexity handling due to differing national regulations, market maturity, and partner structures.

• Significant influence over network investment decisions, partner selection, and long-term commercial outcomes.

• Strong commercial and analytical capability, with the ability to use data to inform strategic decisions and business cases.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and external partners.

• Highly organised, proactive, and resilient, with a structured and methodical approach to complex challenges.

• Proficient in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Desirable

• Experience working within a premium or luxury automotive brand.

• Knowledge of European automotive regulatory frameworks and agency/direct sales models.

• Experience leading transformational change across retail networks.

What we offer:

In addition to a competitive salary, you will have access to the following benefits:

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.

• Pension scheme access. 

• Annual bonus - non contractual.

• Private Healthcare.

• Access to the Employee Car Ownership Scheme.

• Group income protection based on length of service.

• Family Friendly policies.

• Exclusive Employee discount, wellbeing and recognition platform #ForUSLOT.

Additional Information:

• This role will be working from our Coventry office. This role will be working on-site, full time. However due to the nature of this role, you will be required to be on the road for frequent business travel.

• Frequent travel might be required to visit different entities. Applicants must therefore possess the ability to travel freely without restrictions.

• Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK without VISA sponsorship.

Our Company:

Group Lotus is a leading sports car manufacturer with a 75-year long history of iconic designs, groundbreaking engineering and legendary victories on the F1 track. Today we are transforming into a truly global performance car brand focused on the electrical future. In 2022 we launched the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV, and in 2023 Emeya, our fully-electric Hyper-GT.

As part of the Lotus team, you push boundaries. Those of the car industry and of your own. Every member of the Lotus family has some of the pioneering mindset of founder Colin Chapman in them.

We're not just a car company; we're a diverse mix of talent from all walks of life. At Lotus, we firmly believe that diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords but essential pillars of a thriving and successful organization. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments during the interview process. If you require any special assistance or adjustments, please let us know in advance so we can ensure a fair and accessible interview experience. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive.

Do you want to know what Sophisticated, Rebellious and Pioneering mean for Lotus? Come and take a look at our career site and join the incredible adventure:

STEP OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY - Lotus Cars