Retail Consulting Partner — Store Operations

Consulting Partner _ Retail Store Operations

Chicago, IL

Fulltime

Experience: 15 - 20 Years

Job Description:

Retail Consulting Partner — Store Operations

North America | Retail Business Consulting

About the Job

Client is seeking an experienced Retail Store Operations leader for the North America Retail Business Consulting division. The ideal candidate will bring deep store operations expertise—ideally within grocery, and/or specialty or department retail—with hands-on experience across store execution, labor productivity, and frontline operations at scale.

We are looking for a seasoned executive with a proven track record of driving transformation and measurable results across store networks. This includes improving labor efficiency, simplifying in-store execution, enhancing customer experience, and enabling digitally and AI-driven store operations.

The role requires deep expertise across key store operations levers such as store operating model design, workforce management, task management, store technology enablement, omnichannel execution (e.g., BOPIS and fulfillment), and field leadership effectiveness.

In this position, you will lead store operations transformation programs, redesign operating models, improve business processes and planning cycles, and enable technology adoption across store functions. Success requires industry depth, practical consulting capability, a strong commercial mindset, and the ability to build senior client relationships that shape the future of our consulting practice.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

· Develop and execute the store operations consulting strategy for the North America market, aligning with the company’s global vision and objectives.

· Own and deliver revenue targets for the store operations consulting business, including direct sales and expansion of downstream opportunities.

· Lead high-impact store operations strategy and transformation engagements, driving measurable improvements in labor productivity, execution consistency, and in-store customer experience.

· Determine retailers’ store operations priorities by assessing:

o Store operating models and organizational structures o Labor models, scheduling approaches, and workforce productivity

o Task management, execution processes, and store workload complexity

o Omnichannel execution capabilities (e.g., click & collect, ship-from-store)

· Identify opportunities to improve sales per labor hour, reduce cost-to-serve, and enhance frontline effectiveness.

· Collaborate with global leadership to ensure consistency and quality of delivery across regions.

· Leverage deep store operations expertise to shape transformation programs spanning operations, technology, and frontline execution.

Client Engagement & Business Development

· Build and maintain senior-level relationships with Chief Stores Officers, COOs, and Operations leaders across retail organizations.

· Identify and pursue new business opportunities in store operations strategy and transformation, expanding the client base and driving revenue growth.

· Serve as a trusted advisor on topics such as:

o Labor productivity and workforce optimization

o Store execution and task prioritization

o Store process simplification and workload reduction

o Omnichannel store operations and fulfillment execution

o Store technology enablement, including POS, workforce systems, and task management tools

· Develop new consulting propositions that address complex store operations challenges, including:

o Agentic AI-driven store productivity and decisioning

o Store Control Tower and execution orchestration models

o Frontline task optimization and simplification initiatives

· Leverage your network and industry insight to shape opportunities and build a strong consulting pipeline.

Practice & Team Leadership

· Play a key role in strengthening and expanding the store operations consulting capability across grocery and discretionary retail.

· Contribute thought leadership on store operations transformation, particularly at the intersection of operations, data, and AI.

· Support recruitment, coaching, and professional development initiatives as the team grows, building a strong bench of consulting talent.

· Foster a collaborative, high-performance consulting culture focused on execution excellence and measurable outcomes.

· Champion business process innovation and continuous improvement across store operations functions, applying proven transformation and change management methodologies.

Operational Excellence

· Ensure the highest standards of project delivery, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency across engagements.

· Monitor and manage the consulting practice’s financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, utilization, and profitability analysis.

· Drive disciplined program management, including governance structures, milestone tracking, and risk mitigation.

· Ensure value realization by linking transformation initiatives to measurable KPIs such as labor productivity, execution compliance, and customer experience metrics.

· Implement best practices in project management, quality assurance, and delivery consistency.

Qualifications:

· Deep functional expertise in retail store operations, ideally within grocery, with additional experience in specialty or department retail.

· Strong analytical, problem-solving, and leadership capabilities.

· Demonstrated ability to assess, redesign, and improve store operations processes, with hands-on experience in:

o Workforce management and labor optimization

o Store execution and task management

o Store operating model design and field leadership structures

o Omnichannel store operations and fulfillment

· Strong understanding of store economics, including labor cost structures, sales per labor hour, and cost-to-serve dynamics.

· Experience with store technologies, including POS systems, workforce management tools, task management platforms, and emerging automation solutions.

· Familiarity with AI-enabled retail operations, predictive analytics, and digital transformation is a strong advantage.

· Excellent understanding of client markets and challenges, with the ability to shape relevant consulting solutions.

· Familiarity with financial planning and operational budgeting processes is a plus.

· Willingness to travel as required.

Experience

· Minimum of 15 years in retail, with significant experience in store operations, field leadership, and operational transformation—within a major US retail organization; consulting experience is strongly preferred.