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Job #: 472
Title: VP of Operations - Retail
Region: Confidential
Compensation: $160,000.00
Description:

Compensation: $160K base (DOE) + bonus

As a key member of the Executive Management team, the VP will report to the Senior Executive Team.  The P will assume a strategic role in the overall management and direction of the company. The VP will have primary day-to-day responsibility for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all retail operations and marketing related activities of the company. This will include direct responsibility for retail operations, marketing, forecasting, strategic planning, and acquisition targeting and analysis.

 

Reporting to and partnering with Senior Management, the VP will play a critical role in developing and implementing the company’s overall strategy and will also work closely with the other members of the senior management team to grow and/or improve the retail business segment.

Key Functions

Direct the efforts of Retail Operations

  1. Implement best practices for retail operations at all levels
  2. Effective management of Region, and District Manager personnel, including the mentoring, training and coaching required to develop a strong bench and enable internal promotions
  3. Develop a culture of teamwork with the overall objective of improving morale and retention figures
  4. Strategic budgeting (sales, margins, expenses) and implementation to ensure operations meets all agreed-upon financial objectives
  5. Communicate quickly and frankly all relevant information to owners and senior management
  6. Ensure quality internal controls
  7. Proactive and appropriate reactive measures to address financial and operational performance issues
  8. Undertake and analyze regular retail inventory evaluations
  9. Effective management of retail payroll
  10. Ensure maximized use of Financial & Management software for the purposes of effective tracking

 

Contribute to strategic planning and development to ensure the company and its businesses reach full growth, profit and service potential.

  1. Stay abreast of industry trends and opportunities
  2. Maintain a strong awareness of SWOT, developing strategies to improve upon strengths and address competitive weaknesses.
  3. Seek out added-value opportunities both internally and externally
  4. Provide practical advice related to key business strategies
  5. Identify potential acquisition targets, providing sales, margin and expense estimates as needed.

 

Plan, develop and implement operational management system so as to meet agreed upon corporate performance plans within agreed upon budgets and timelines covering all relevant areas of operations.

  1. Stewardship of the retail organization’s financial results
  2. Develop and deliver plans to management designed to address financial shortcomings and / or continuous improvement of positive results
  3. Analyze operating results to highlight variances from established budgets
  4. Suggest guidelines for the retail organization’s financial goals
  5. Develop policies and systems for the retail division that enable the company to meet its goals
  6. Create mentoring systems and training plans to develop staff capacity

 

Provide the vision and strategic marketing direction to ensure competitive marketing presence.

  1. Development of a marketing vision, including comprehensive strategic plan designed to gain market share in the various operating regions and improve profitability.
  2. Via the marketing team is focused on win-win negotiations with a focus on offering an optimized product assortment (turns and margin).
  3. Work closely with marketing to develop best in class programs / best in class results for all categories, with special focus on the key categories of tobacco, food service, fountain, beverages, and snacks.
  4. Ensure marketing effectively manages the marketing communications functions – media, POP, advertising, Social Media, etc.
  5. Promote excellent cooperation between marketing and operations units

 

Maintain awareness and knowledge of contemporary business operational and marketing theory and methods.

  1. Research and develop best practice systems for retail operations and marketing in general, as well as the convenience store industry specifically
  2. Develop and ensure execution of these systems throughout company

 

Analyze and develop projections for potential acquisitions, remodels and rebuilds

  1. Provide feasibility assessment and recommendations for new acquisitions
  2. Develop acquisition analysis using cash flow, capital investment, branding variables and other relevant data to provide complete picture of investment opportunities
  3. Ensure marketing and operations teams track actual versus projected results of new acquisitions / new construction, including development of plans to address performance shortfalls

 

Other areas of potential responsibility: contracts and agreements, corporate level negotiations (e.g. premises, facilities, acquisitions and divestments, disposals), environmental policies, major supplier/customer/partner relationships.

  1. Develop implementation plans as required for any of these additional business aspects
  2. Special projects and directives as may be deemed necessary by CEO

 

Qualifications

  • Degree required.
  • Eight to ten years of experience in increasingly responsible marketing and operations positions encompassing a broad range of managerial roles.
  • Five years’ experience in a senior operations and/or marketing management role in a sophisticated and complex convenience retail environment.
  • Experience with, and/or understanding of, the special requirements of operating in a corporate business setting.
  • Strong communication skills.  Ability to communicate in a frank and timely manner around all work-related matters.
  • Strong financial and business analytical skills.
  • Extensive working experience with computerized industry-related marketing and financial systems.
  • Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
  • Superior leadership, management and interpersonal skills.  Ability to develop and operate successfully in a team environment.
  • Excellent creative and problem-solving skills, as well as strong team-player orientation

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