What are the responsibilities and job description for the Interim Retail Operations Manager position at Russell Stover?
At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!
A day in the life…
As Interim Retail Operations Manager, you will help ensure assigned retail stores operate efficiently by overseeing inventory, cash handling, sales and payment audits, compliance, and operational processes. You will partner with store teams and corporate stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement, implement solutions that enhance performance, and support a seamless customer experience. Success in this role requires balancing company standards with the realities of store operations while influencing and supporting teams across multiple locations.
What you will be doing…
- Analyze store operations, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements to enhance performance and the customer experience.
- Monitor inventory levels, coordinate restocking activities, and maintain accurate inventory records.
- Support store teams with operational procedures and, when directed, assist stores facing staffing challenges by supporting day-to-day operations and covering retail store shifts as needed.
- Travel to store locations to implement operational improvements and provide hands-on support to store teams in the field.
If visiting our manufacturing plants, you will be expected to:
- Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
- Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
- Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
- Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.
This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.
Do you have what it takes?
(Basic Qualifications)
- 5 years of retail management experience, sales, or operations experience or 2 years multi-unit retail management experience
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to frequently lift up to 5 pounds with the ability to periodically lift up to 50 pounds
- Ability to constantly stand, bend, reach and work with your hands
- Up to 95% domestic travel to retail locations
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation
Do you stand above the rest?
(Preferred Qualifications)
- Bachelor’s degree
- Familiarity with inventory systems, retail logistics, and compliance programs is highly valued
At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.
We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.
Make Happy. Work Happy.