About this opportunity
Executive Leadership Solutions lists this Vice President of Store Operations opportunity in elkridge, Maryland. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
The Vice President of Store Operations is responsible for leading and integrating all store-level merchandising, department performance, pricing execution, promotional compliance, inventory management, and operational performance across all company locations.
This position ensures that operationally that the company’s merchandising strategies are effectively executed at store level while maintaining excellent standards, customer satisfaction, sales growth, gross margin improvement, and consistent brand standards. The VP of Operations serves as the primary liaison between Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Suppliers, and Store Operations to drive sales, profitability, merchandising expectations, inventory controls, productivity goals, and an exceptional customer shopping experience.
Given the Company's significant focus on Fresh business, particular emphasis is placed on Produce, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery and Prepared Foods performance, presentation, quality, and profitability.
Key Responsibilities
Lead execution of all company merchandising strategies across all store locations.
Drive sales growth by effectively enforcing product assortment, pricing, promotions, merchandising standards, and seasonal programs to highest standards.
Ensure advertisements, displays, planograms, seasonal features, and promotional events expectation are achieved and promoted.
Collaborate with the merchandising team to maximize sales, gross profit, and customer value.
Partner with the finance team to measure and evaluate each store and department’s performance and recommend corrective actions and improvements.
Focus on the brands points of difference and other company initiatives to improve growth and maintain our competitive advantage.
Identify opportunities to improve basket size, transaction counts, and customer loyalty.
Implement merchandising and operational standards for Produce, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Prepared Foods and Bakery departments and encourage tasteful merchandising collaboration.
Monitor fresh department sales, gross margin, shrink, labor productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Ensure exceptional product quality, freshness, presentation, and service standards.
Drive seasonal, local, and specialty merchandising initiatives.
Support innovation and emerging consumer trends across all categories.
Champion & encourage merchandising across departments to maximize sales opportunities.
Pricing & Promotional Execution
Lead execution of the Company's pricing strategy.
Monitor key value item (KVI) competitiveness and market positioning in partnership with merchandising team.
Ensure pricing consistency and promotional compliance across all locations.
Evaluate promotional effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Support initiatives that improve the Company's overall price image and competitive position.
Store Operations Management
Establish and maintain operational standards across all stores.
Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, sanitation standards, labor policies, and operating procedures.
Monitor customer service, store conditions, and execution consistency.
Develop action plans to improve store performance and operational effectiveness.
Support store openings, remodels, and major operational initiatives.
Drive sales growth, gross margin improvement, gross profit dollars, and overall profitability.
Analyze sales trends, merchandising performance, inventory productivity, and operating results.
Develop and monitor store and departmental budgets and performance targets.
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
Inventory & Shrink Management
Oversee inventory productivity and replenishment effectiveness.
Improve in-stock conditions while minimizing excess inventory.
Lead shrink reduction initiatives with emphasis on Fresh departments.
Monitor inventory accuracy and compliance with inventory control procedures.
Leadership & Talent Development
Recruit, develop, and mentor store leadership teams.
Establish performance expectations and accountability measures.
Conduct regular store visits, merchandising reviews, and operational assessments.Develop succession plans for key operational and merchandising positions.
Foster a culture of customer focus, execution excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Customer Experience
Champion initiatives that improve the overall shopping experience.
Monitor customer satisfaction metrics and feedback.
Ensure stores maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, presentation, service, and product quality.
Support programs that strengthen customer loyalty and community engagement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and Loss Prevention.
Participate in strategic planning and growth initiatives.
Lead operational execution of company-wide merchandising and business initiatives.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Actively involved in the Operational budgeting process
Comparable store sales growth
Display and merchandising compliance.
Inventory controls and shrink management
Operational Performance
Shrink percentage.
Inventory turns.
Customer satisfaction scores
Food safety audit results
Employee retention and engagement
Requirements
Vice President of Store Operations
The Vice President of Store Operations is responsible for leading and integrating all store-level merchandising, department performance, pricing execution, promotional compliance, inventory management, and operational performance across all company locations.
This position ensures that operationally that the company’s merchandising strategies are effectively executed at store level while maintaining excellent standards, customer satisfaction, sales growth, gross margin improvement, and consistent brand standards. The VP of Operations serves as the primary liaison between Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Suppliers, and Store Operations to drive sales, profitability, merchandising expectations, inventory controls, productivity goals, and an exceptional customer shopping experience.
Given the Company's significant focus on Fresh business, particular emphasis is placed on Produce, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery and Prepared Foods performance, presentation, quality, and profitability.
Key Responsibilities
Merchandising Execution Leadership
Lead execution of all company merchandising strategies across all store locations.
Drive sales growth by effectively enforcing product assortment, pricing, promotions, merchandising standards, and seasonal programs to highest standards.
Ensure advertisements, displays, planograms, seasonal features, and promotional events expectation are achieved and promoted.
Collaborate with the merchandising team to maximize sales, gross profit, and customer value.
Partner with the finance team to measure and evaluate each store and department’s performance and recommend corrective actions and improvements.
Focus on the brands points of difference and other company initiatives to improve growth and maintain our competitive advantage.
Identify opportunities to improve basket size, transaction counts, and customer loyalty.
Fresh Department Leadership
Implement merchandising and operational standards for Produce, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Prepared Foods and Bakery departments and encourage tasteful merchandising collaboration.
Monitor fresh department sales, gross margin, shrink, labor productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Ensure exceptional product quality, freshness, presentation, and service standards.
Drive seasonal, local, and specialty merchandising initiatives.
Support innovation and emerging consumer trends across all categories.
Champion & encourage merchandising across departments to maximize sales opportunities.
Pricing & Promotional Execution
Lead execution of the Company's pricing strategy.
Monitor key value item (KVI) competitiveness and market positioning in partnership with merchandising team.
Ensure pricing consistency and promotional compliance across all locations.
Evaluate promotional effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Support initiatives that improve the Company's overall price image and competitive position.
Store Operations Management
Establish and maintain operational standards across all stores.
Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, sanitation standards, labor policies, and operating procedures.
Monitor customer service, store conditions, and execution consistency.
Develop action plans to improve store performance and operational effectiveness.
Support store openings, remodels, and major operational initiatives.
Drive sales growth, gross margin improvement, gross profit dollars, and overall profitability.
Analyze sales trends, merchandising performance, inventory productivity, and operating results.
Develop and monitor store and departmental budgets and performance targets.
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
Financial Performance
Drive sales growth, gross margin improvement, gross profit dollars, and overall profitability.
Analyze sales trends, merchandising performance, inventory productivity, and operating results.
Develop and monitor store and departmental budgets and performance targets.
Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and profitability.
Inventory & Shrink Management
Oversee inventory productivity and replenishment effectiveness.
Improve in-stock conditions while minimizing excess inventory.
Lead shrink reduction initiatives with emphasis on Fresh departments.
Monitor inventory accuracy and compliance with inventory control procedures.
Leadership & Talent Development
Recruit, develop, and mentor store leadership teams.
Establish performance expectations and accountability measures.
Conduct regular store visits, merchandising reviews, and operational assessments.
Develop succession plans for key operational and merchandising positions.
Foster a culture of customer focus, execution excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Customer Experience
Champion initiatives that improve the overall shopping experience.
Monitor customer satisfaction metrics and feedback.
Ensure stores maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness, presentation, service, and product quality.
Support programs that strengthen customer loyalty and community engagement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and Loss Prevention.
Participate in strategic planning and growth initiatives.
Lead operational execution of company-wide merchandising and business initiatives.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Merchandising & Financial Performance
Actively involved in the Operational budgeting process
Comparable store sales growth
Fresh department sales growth
Gross margin percentage
Gross profit dollars
Promotional effectiveness
Private label penetration
Category performance
Display and merchandising compliance.
Inventory controls and shrink management
KVI competitiveness
Operational Performance
Shrink percentage.
Labor productivity
Inventory turns.
In-stock percentages
Customer satisfaction scores
Food safety audit results
Store standards compliance.
Employee retention and engagement
Requirements
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor’s degree in business preferred, Retail Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, or related field preferred.
Equivalent grocery retail leadership experience will be considered.
Experience
10+ years of progressive grocery retail leadership experience.
5+ years leading multi-store merchandising, fresh foods, and operational functions.
Demonstrated success improving sales, gross margin, shrink performance, and profitability.
Strong experience in Produce, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery, and Center Store merchandising.
Experience in budgeting, forecasting and P&L management.
Skills & Competencies
Grocery merchandising expertise
Fresh foods merchandising and operations
Strategic planning and execution
Financial and analytical acumen
Inventory management and shrink control.
Clear understanding of pricing and promotional strategy execution
Leadership and talent development
Customer-focused decision making
Effective communication and presentation skills
Reporting Structure
Reports To:
Chief Operating Officer
Direct Reports:
Store Managers
Store Department Managers
Loss Prevention
Facility Manager
Success Profile
The ideal candidate should be a operational and merchandising-focused grocery executive who understands how to champion fresh department excellence, pricing discipline, and promotional execution into sustainable sales growth and profitability. This individual is highly visible in stores, deeply knowledgeable in Fresh categories, and capable of creating consistent execution across multiple locations while maintaining strong operational standards.
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Worksite address
elkridge, MD, 21075, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.