Johnny's Markets - Area Manager

Area Managers are responsible for leading and overseeing a group of assigned retail locations, ensuring consistent adherence to company policies, procedures, and operational standards. This leadership role serves as a key link between corporate initiatives and in-store execution, driving performance, accountability, and continuous improvement across all locations.

Area Managers are directly involved in interviewing, hiring, training, coaching, and supervising Site Managers, while also supporting store management teams with recruitment, employee development, performance management, and disciplinary actions. In addition to providing strategic leadership, Area Managers offer hands-on support in day-to-day operations as needed particularly during training periods or in the absence of a Site Manager.

This position requires frequent travel and demands adaptability, strong leadership, and a focus on operational excellence.

What You'll Do

• Oversee the daily operations of multiple store locations, ensuring full compliance with company standards, systems, and expectations.
• Lead the full lifecycle of Site Manager development, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance management with a strong emphasis on building customer-focused, high-performing leadership teams.
• Provide direct operational support in stores during training periods or when Site Managers are unavailable to ensure business continuity and performance.
• Conduct in-person operational and image checklists regularly; identify opportunities and work collaboratively with store management to ensure consistent execution. Deliver timely, constructive feedback and work with management teams to create targeted action plans for continuous improvement.
• Serve as a role model for company values and expectations, fostering a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and exceptional customer service.
• Support the rollout of company-wide programs and operational updates by partnering with the Department Leaders of our company and guiding store teams through successful implementation.
• Analyze store performance data including KPIs, labor budgets, and other key metrics to provide strategic guidance and track progress toward operational and financial goals.
• Review store schedules weekly to ensure adequate coverage during peak periods, management presence as needed, and alignment with labor budget requirements.
• Investigate incident reports and audit findings thoroughly, ensuring timely resolution and proper follow-up to close the loop on all reports.
• Address customer feedback, and assist site management in doing so, in a timely, professional, and effective, manner.
• Conduct biweekly meetings via Teams with store managers to align business goals, address operational challenges, and reinforce performance expectations.
• Follow up on all store reports to verify accuracy of store-level inventory counts, jolt checklists, and bookkeeping records.
• Organize and lead at least one in-person team-building event per year to foster morale, strengthen team relationships, and promote company camaraderie.

What You’ll Need

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong detail-oriented leadership skills with the ability to lead, by example, motivate teams, and foster a high-performance culture.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally and courteously with employees, customers, supervisors, and vendors.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, while effectively managing responsibilities and holding self and site leadership accountable.
• Ability to multitask in fast-paced environments while remaining reliable, adaptable, and responsive to changing business needs.
• Demonstrates proficiency in delivering exceptional customer service and promoting service excellence within store teams.
• Skilled in hiring, training, coaching, and developing staff using effective leadership and management techniques.
• Solid understanding of performance management, problem solving, team building, labor budgeting and scheduling, and expense control.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook), with the ability to quickly learn and operate retail software systems and technologies.

Education and Requirements

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field preferred, or a minimum of 5 years of multi-unit retail management experience within the convenience store industry strongly preferred. Candidates with at least 5 years of single-store management experience in a high-volume convenience store setting will also be considered.
• Must possess a valid, unrestricted driver’s license with an insurable driving record and the ability to travel extensively, including frequent and extended periods of driving as required by the role.
• Work shifts typically range from 9 to 10 hours, with normal business hours, and are subject to store operational needs.

Benefits

It feels good to work at a company that cares about its customers and its community. We’re always looking for ways to take good care of each other, and that goes for your benefits, too. As a full-time employee, you can look forward to:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (after 60 days)
• Flex spending account (after 60 days)
• $10,000 life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance (after 60 days)
• LifeWorks employee assistance program (after 60 days)
• 401K with company match (age 18 , after 6 months of service)
• Paid time off to use for vacation, personal time, or time off in accordance with Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act, plus 6 paid holidays per year

Get to Know Johnny’s

You can feel good about working for Johnny’s. Our family-owned, Michigan-based chain of convenience stores can now be found at more than 60 Shell gas stations across Michigan and Northern Indiana, giving people a fun, friendly place to find a great cup of coffee, yummy snacks for the road, and home and car necessities. Wherever we go, we work hard to be a bright spot in the community, doing our best to Be More, Be Good, and Be Neighborly. Come join our team!