About the Role
We are looking for an experienced retail leader to help shape store operations and mission delivery from day one. This is an incredible opportunity to create a positive, welcoming and high performance operation that will have huge impacts in communities across Denver. As Director of Operations in a brand new organization, you will need to be flexible, adaptable, highly motivated, and comfortable with creating the plan rather than just following it. This role will start in a direct store leadership role in the first store and expand to oversee multiple stores as they come online. You will be responsible for the development of people and process and for driving positive performance and delivery of the mission with your team. The Director of Operations will have a store team of 10-12 employees as direct reports. The Director of Operations will report to the CEO/Executive Director.
Roles & Responsibilities
● Define and Manage Process – as the first hire into a new organization, your primary responsibility will be to create processes and SOPs for all aspects of grocery store operations. Working with grocery consultants, you will create the operating manual for how the stores will run from ordering, receiving, inventory management, cash register, customer service and more.
● Customer Experience and Standards – Oversee the delivery of outstanding customer service, ensuring that every customer is treated with the respect they deserve and has an excellent experience. Working with your team, identify creative ways to improve sales, merchandising, processes, cost reduction, signage, customer count, average transaction, and sales per person hour.
● Team Building/Coaching & Development – Create a positive and performance-focused culture where every employee is treated with respect and also held to high standards. Understand that people are the most valuable resource and that investing in their development is essential to building a strong team team. Achieve results working through your team, entrusting them with key tasks so that they can learn by doing in addition to more formalized 1/1 coaching and training. Hold your team accountable, hire effectively, and nurture the growth and development of the team at all levels.
● Optimize processes– Work with store leadership to create, refine, and implement operational processes that ensure high standards are met and are sustained over time.
● Maximize financial performance – Responsible for meeting and exceeding budgeted financial metrics of the retail and kitchen operations.
● New Stores – Play a critical role in all operational aspects of new store openings, including but not limited to equipment sourcing, hiring, on-boarding/training. As a second store is developed, this role will transition away from direct store management and into multi-unit oversight.
Requirements
Passionate about Denver Table’s mission and commitment to creating access to healthy, affordable food across Denver.
Proven experience managing multi-unit retail grocery and/or other retail, or equivalent experience.
Very self-motivated; there is no playbook for this role and a successful candidate will be eager to create the processes and do the work necessary to build a grocery operation from the ground up.
Flexible schedule; a successful candidate will respond to the needs of the business which will require some early mornings, evenings and weekends.
Engaged leadership; this role is very hands-on with the majority of time spent supporting our customer experience through enhancing store and kitchen operations.
Demonstrated experience in developing high performing teams with a passion for training and coaching.
Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal skills and comfort working with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience levels.
Experience managing a budget effectively.
Entrepreneurial mindset; comfortable with ambiguity and change and growth in a start-up environment.
Enthusiastic about standards; understands that building a strong team is only possible through rigorous definition and maintenance of high standards for execution.
Computer literate; comfortable working with Office/Google Drive, POS software and reporting tools.
Understands the need to use data and information to inform decision making.
Must be able to perform physical demands, such as; standing, walking, bending, reaching, and lifting up to 50lbs
About Us
The Denver Food Market Consortium (DFMC) is a new nonprofit organization opening grocery stores tentatively named “Denver Table” across the Denver metro area with the mission of providing access to healthy, affordable food in the areas where it is needed most. The first store is planned to open in mid-2025 with additional stores to open in late 2025 and 2026.
To Apply: Click the Apply Now button below to send your resume and cover letter with subject line “Director of Operations"