Area Coach

The Area Coach is responsible for the general oversight of Retail Stores. The incumbent is required to provide clear, consistent leadership and direction to Store Managers, to enable the business to achieve its objectives. He/she is expected to ensure that every area meets the needs of both internal and external customers in terms of standards and services to create the right culture. The incumbent is responsible for the delivery of exceptional customer experiences and strong, structured operational standards for locations under his/her leadership. He/she is expected to maximize the sales and profit contribution of the stores by implementation of corporate retail strategies.

People Development
• Works with management to develop the right culture of the stores by driving core values of Accountability, Care and Trust.
• Provides strong leadership to store management and develops and trains management by store and area.
• Responsible for ensuring that all stores under his/her leadership are always staffed correctly.
• Works with HR and store management to reduce turnover and increase retention rates for all levels of staff.
• Directs and supervises retail staff across several retail stores to ensure they meet set objectives.
• Trains employees in all aspects of store operations and when necessary, helps them to develop their skills to enhance job performance.
• Works closely with store management to develop their capabilities and improve the overall performance of the stores.
• Provides solutions that address performance issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Accurately estimates the needs of each store location and work with the store’s management to solve conflicts, making sure that scheduling needs are met and assist in improving employee performance and retention.
• Checks employee performance, gauges customer satisfaction and ensures effective and efficient management of operational resources.
• Ensures implementation of performance measures for store management and personnel, in conjunction with the Human Resources Department and in line with Human Resource Strategy.
• Guides, mentors, directs and trains all store management employees to ensure an adequate organization with motivated and trained personnel, capable of delivering all agreed objectives.
• Assists in the development and retention of all new trainee management personnel to ensure bench planning and succession planning objectives by store and area are realized.
• Ensures compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Leads, supervises and monitors the performance appraisal and coaching for improvement processes.
• Promotes a culture of recognition at team and management meetings and attends and monitors attendance of meetings.
• Ensures a Health and Safety standard of the store by working with the Facilities and Development team to drive an excellent standard of operating.
• Works closely with Retail managers to ensure compliance with the brand displays all locations.

Inventory, Cost Control & Governance
• Works with the Category Management team to forecast sales figures and inventory requirements for each retail location.
• Does periodic inventory analysis for each store and using that analysis coupled with sales figures, determines optimal stock levels.
• Liaises with the Accounts Department to ensure adherence to cash policies and procedures at all locations.
• Works closely with store management to ensure that cost control programs are in place, including but not limited to shrinkage levels and labour costs, in order to minimize overall costs.
• Identify local market and customer trends and developments based on sales information and competitor visits, giving quality feedback to all relevant departments for action.
• Works closely with store management to ensure realization of store budgets.
• Works with store management to plan and execute quarterly store stock counts.
• Performs continuous analysis to determine whether a store is meeting its goals and develops plans to suggest to store management how each location could change in order to maximize profits and reduce loss at the store level.

Visual Merchandising
• Works with Category Management to determine layout of store merchandise that is visually appealing to customers.
• Instructs store management on the execution of planograms for most effective achievement of sales targets and reduction of shrink on the shop floor.
• Instructs store management and employees on how to maintain planograms.
• Works with Category Management to teach the retail employees how to optimize space for seasonal and/or special events, including but not limited to in-store discount sales.

Store Operations/Operational Excellence
• Leads, directs and supports the activities of the store management teams.
• Ensures the development, execution, adherence and maintenance of policies, business processes and systems to support smooth and efficient store operations and excellent customer service delivery.
• Ensures compliance to set standards for store operations in line with company strategy and in conjunction with Finance, Purchasing, Merchandising, Marketing and Human Resources in order to improve competitive and financial positions in the long term.
• Creates an environment of teamwork and fosters cooperation with CSU/Warehouse in all areas.
• Promotes high levels of customer service including speed, hospitality, accuracy and ensures high quality products.
• Executes innovative ways to improve customer service by always raising the bar and comparing to competition in the trade area.
• Ensures that stores are kept to high standards by working with other functional areas.
• Monitors and measures all operational disciplines, initiates corrective actions and ensures proper follow-up, in order to maximize operational efficiency, control inventory levels and make effective use of all resources and personnel.
• Monitors customer service levels, and issues customer service guidelines and corrective action as required.
• Listens to customer complaints to address and resolve all issues.
• Ensures compliance with health/safety policies and procedures at retail stores.
• Ensures health and safety of all internal and external customers by maintaining safe working practices in all designated locations.
• Ensures the implementation of any and all new commercial opportunities.
• Participate in team feedback meetings,
• Perform any other duties as required by the Company.

Education & Experience Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Marketing or related field.
• 5 years relevant work experience in retail management within a multiple store organization OR extensive experience in the retail industry with a proven track record of accomplishments.

APPLICANT NOTE: We appreciate the interest of all applicants however, only candidates being screened will be contacted. Thank you for considering this opportunity with us.

Ref: JC