The Area Manager will support the District Manager with multiple stores while supervising their own retail store team. The position will account for sales, profitability achievement, operational performance, and talent management efforts in the locations supervised. The successful candidate must possess an entrepreneurial spirit and be able to create and maintain a consistent brand image for their store environments and team. Regular travel and a hands-on, high-touch approach to leadership will serve the incumbent well.

Responsibilities

The incumbent must be able to perform all the following duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

Store Management Responsibilities

• Hires, trains, and develops store team members.
• Creates and maintains scheduling for store team members.
• Coaches and leads store team members to provide an exceptional guest experience and achieve sales goals.
• Exercise discretionary authority, prepares reports, and hold self and team accountable for performance measures and execution of organizational initiatives.
• Creates an environment of kindness and empathy towards pets and pet parents.
• Consistently communicates our commitment to holistic pet wellness.
• Provides guests with an exceptional experience.
• Manages store operations.
• Shares product knowledge and suggestions to fit customer needs and promotes pet health.
• Performs front-end duties such as handling the cash register, bagging, replenishing merchandise, and preparing displays.
• Oversees all aspects of inventory such as merchandise replenishment, inventory, adjustments, weekly cycle counts, store transfers, RTVs, and shipment processing.
• Organizes special store events and promotions in store.
• All other assigned duties by any member of the Retail Leadership Team. 

Sales and Profitability 

• Achieves area store sales and profitability goals through consumer education and experience, payroll and expense management, and inventory and loss prevention management. 
• Ensures (Chuck & Don’s/Kriser’s) culture and pet nutrition education and messaging is woven into every store’s DNA. 
• Maintains and maximizes store performance through consistent and effective coaching and feedback for store managers and store teams. 
• Performs regularly occurring store visits to evaluate and identify sales growth, marketing events and customer service opportunities. Work with District Manager to close any performance gaps to expectation as appropriate. 
• Liaise with Store Support partners to share feedback and recommendations on product and field initiatives. 
• Work in partnership with District Manager to create action plans to increase profit and control variable expenses, including payroll, through analysis and translation of available financial reports.
• Leverages reports and metrics to make decisions that positively impact sales, customer experience, profitability, shrink, payroll, and staffing.
• Treats (Chuck & Don’s/Kriser’s) like their own business, controls expenses, and hires talent that will do the same.

Operations and Services

• Ensures the highest level of customer service is achieved at area stores and partners with store team members to resolve any customer service issues. 
• Drives consistent execution of (Chuck & Don’s/Kriser’s) visual presentation directives and store/services brand standards. 
• Ensures Store Operations, IT, Marketing and HR initiatives are successfully implemented. Act as SME for district on projects.
• Responds and reacts to all communication in a timely manner.  

Talent Management 

• Communicates clear expectations and holds teams accountable to (Chuck & Don’s/Kriser’s) standards of performance and behavior. 
• Networks, recruits and interviews store associate and grooming level candidates. 
• Consistently recognizes team member performance. 
• Work in collaboration with District Manager to provide strategies and opportunities for retention and professional development by creating individual development plans and career pathing when appropriate. 
• Continually trains team members to be effective and reliable representations of the (Chuck & Don’s/Kriser’s) brand. 
• Coaches to correct and actively manage performance when organizational standards and objectives are not being met.

Team and Culture

• Ensures people feel cared for and connected to each other and foster a culture that values inclusion and diversity.
• Attracts, leads and develops teams that are ambassadors of IPP’s culture.
• Regularly visits stores to learn from and recognize leaders who are driving business performance and to coach and develop leaders who need support.
• Present facts clearly, coaches effectively, and actively listen to inspire trust and respect of direct reports.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual must demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Business Acumen – Understand business implications of decisions and orientation to profitability; Demonstrate knowledge of market and competition.
• Organizational Excellence – Applies to issues a knowledge of the mission, values, resources, culture, systems, and business strategies to find solutions that best serve the organization and its customers. Knows the reasoning behind key policies, practices, and procedures, and seeks exceptions when needed to achieve goals.
• Results Focus – Focuses on results and desired outcomes and how best to achieve them.
• Initiative – Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Motivation – Set and achieve challenging goals; Demonstrate persistence and overcome obstacles; Measure self against standard of excellence; Evaluate calculated risks to accomplish goals.
• Attention to Detail – Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Planning/Organizing – Ability to use time and resources efficiently and effectively.
• Time Management – Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Teamwork – Balance team and individual responsibilities; Exhibit objectivity and openness to others' views; Give and welcome feedback; Contribute to building a positive team spirit; Put success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Support everyone's effort to succeed.
• Instructing – Teaching others how to do something.
• Coaching and Developing Others – Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Change Management – Work with change and adapt to revisions. Support change and overcome resistance.
• Conflict Management – Ability to help others through emotional or tense situations, tactfully bringing disagreements into the open, and defining solutions that everyone can endorse.
• Problem Solving – Shows insight into the root-causes of problems. Generates a range of solutions and courses of action with benefits, costs, and risks associated with each.
• Decision Making – Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints, and risks.
• Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Active Learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Verbal Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Qualifications

• 3 years of multi-unit and/or store leadership retail experience. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or equivalent work experience.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with the natural pet retail industry.
• Ability to identify, motivate and retain top talent.
• Strong business ownership, action orientation and demonstrated initiative. 
• Able to achieve high levels of performance through others. 
• Strong analytical, strategic and conceptual capabilities. 
• Familiarity with or proficiency in translating financial reports into actionable insights and goals. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• A sense of adventure and ability to incorporate fun into work. 
• Exercise discretionary authority and hold self and team accountable for performance measures and execution of organizational initiatives. 
• Passion for Pets. That’s why we exist!

Physical Demands

• Position requires a person to be both indoors and outdoors (to assist with customer carry out).
• Must be able to stand 8 hours per day with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds on a regular basis with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be comfortable working with a wide variety of animals including small and large dogs.
• Must be able to work around pet hair and dander.

Full-time team members enjoy the following:

Programs and benefit eligibility will vary based on average hours worked and length of service.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)/ Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – medical and dependent care
• $25K life insurance policy (employer paid)
• Short and Long-term disability (employer paid)
• Greatly discounted, employer-subsidized pet insurance
• PTO (paid time off) – 2 weeks in first year, 3 weeks in second year
• Paid Parental Leave and Paw-Ternity (paid Pet Adoption bonding time)
• 401(k) Program
• Employee Assistance Program/ 24X7 – completely confidential
• Generous discounts on goods and services
• Bonus Incentive Program

$70,000-$80,000 per year DOE/DOQ

Subject to change depending on State/City/County minimums.

IPP is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or team member based on any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions) gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, sexual orientation, age (40 or over), or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.