Store Operations Leader

Store Operations Leader

Position Overview

Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less" is seeking a Store Operations Leader who will run the daily operations of the Retail Store, reporting to the Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less” Director of Operations.  The Store Operations Leader will lead a team of Store Leaders, Department Leads, and up to 50 teammates.

The Store Operations Leader we seek to hire will understand our culture and promote our core values, growth, kindness, joy and personal responsibility to our 50 team members through consistent coaching, mentoring and development. 

The ideal candidate will also drive top-line sales, improving revenues and profits of the store through improving customer traffic and conversion, expense control, planning, recruiting, developing, and maintaining a highly motivated organization along with implementing customer experience and merchandising strategies while partnering with senior management and staff to achieve optimum communication and desired P & L results. 

Core Values

The Mission of Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less" is to create a Joyful Experience for all who touch the business. The culture is described as friendly and motivating.  They invest in their team members’ growth and development which, in turn, has a ripple effect on all aspects of the business. 

The Joyful Experience is created by cultivating a culture of the following Core Values:

People First: We appreciate and value our Team, Customers, Vendors, and the Community in which we serve.  We prioritize the growth and well-being of our team and strive to create positive outcomes for everyone impacted by our decisions.

Team Player: We collaborate for the greater good.  We foster a positive environment.  We know our team’s success starts with us.

Dedication: We are engaged, passionate, and truly care.  With a strong work ethic, we take responsibility for our actions, and get the job done.  We own our “Stuff”.

By living out the company Core Values, the Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less" Team fulfills their purpose of providing an affordable and fun shopping experience. As they expand, their goal is to maintain presence in each community they serve.

Key Accountabilities 

• Servant Leader: Oversee all aspects of Customer Experience, Merchandising, and Replenishment.

• People / Leadership Development: Lead, manage and hold the store team accountable for achieving agreed-upon commitments. Attract, recruit, retain, and motivate required members of the store team; provide mentoring for management development and succession planning. 

• Communication: Confirm that all key messages are properly and consistently cascaded store-wide, inherently ensuring that everyone is appropriately in the know. Verify that a high level of effective communication exists throughout the store team. Exemplify clear communication, written and oral.  

• Orchestrating: Ensure industry leading quality and safety practices are upheld. Ensure everyone is rowing together in the same direction, always working toward the greater good of the store.        

• Issue Solving: Resolve issues effectively – see real problems, be comfortable with conflict, call out the problems and solve them in a practical and healthy manner. Ensure the store team is healthy, functional, and cohesive. Demonstrate expertise in distilling information and driving the team to simple, right, and timely conclusions.

• Culture Champion: Serve as a culture builder and transformative leader. Consistently models the company core values, continually aligning and enhancing

the culture of the store to create stronger customer experience and team member retention.

• Achieving the Plan / Driving Operational Results: Evaluate operational performance through data analysis, KPI metrics, and reporting. Ensure the design and implementation of a long-range store sales strategy with collaboration from the Director of Operations to maintain operational health and create sustainability during growth. 

Qualifications 

The successful candidate will be an experienced leader with a history of success in retail or grocery management. The Store Operations Leader will possess a high school diploma and five plus years of Store Management experience.  Ideally this candidate will have led a team of around 50, including salaried managers.  An understanding of P&L and driving profitability is also required.   Experienced in grocery or high-turn inventory is preferred.

The Store Operations Leader must be a results-oriented individual who possesses both a broad strategic understanding as well as an ability to drive tactical issues to support team members and to provide leadership in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will be a manager at a fast-growth company who has been an intricate part of leading store teams.  

The ability to relate to people at all levels of the organization and maintain a positive team orientation is essential. This individual will be skilled at gathering, assessing, and sharing information, and will serve as a coach, mentor, and facilitator.

Our Company

Continental Sales “Lots 4 Less” is an independently owned premier off-price store in Chicago serving its community for 60 years. They have been a trusted source of everything from food, household consumables, health and beauty, seasonal products, and much more. Their customers will find a selection of merchandise that includes famous brands and private label merchandise at deep discount prices. 

Continental Sales “Lots 4 Less” opened 60 years ago with the intention to serve the neighborhood. Since then, the store has been providing the community with the products they need, and even some of those extra “wants” at prices that do not break the bank. With up to a thousand customers per day and deep discounts, it’s apparent how fast products fly off the shelf and just how true “Here today, gone tomorrow” can be. 

The Continental Sales “Lots 4 Less” team is proud to be an independently owned business and committed to remaining a pillar in the community throughout their expansion efforts.

Location Overview

Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less" is conveniently located adjacent to Chicago’s Midway Airport on Cicero Avenue, one of the most heavily trafficked streets in Chicago.

The unique combination of a grocery outlet and closeout store occupies 20,000 sq ft of retail space on the main floor of the building, with a handful of mezzanine office and meeting spaces, and another 20,000 sq ft of storage space on the lower level. Within a 5-minute drive, Continental Sales "Lots 4 Less" leases an additional 40,000 sq ft in warehouse space that has allowed the company to purchase larger palletized quantities, sell to wholesale clients, and secure store fixtures and equipment for future expansion efforts.

One Last Thing

This isn’t just a “Store Operations Leader” title — it’s your chance to help lead the future of a purpose-driven sales organization. If you’re passionate about people, process, and building something that delivers joy, we want to meet you!

Pay Rate

Annual Salary: $80,000 - $120,000

The pay range listed is the expected compensation for this role. Actual pay will be determined based on relevant experience, skills and skills.

Benefits & Perks

Eligible full-time team members may receive the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Simple IRA with company match
• Paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays)
• Employee merchandise discount
• Opportunities for career growth and advancement
• Training and development programs