Regional Manager, Retail Operations

Regional Manager, Retail Operations

Job Summary

The Regional Manager, Retail Operations is responsible for leading the overall performance, growth, and operational excellence of a multi-unit portfolio of convenience retail stores and branded food service concepts, including but not limited to Subway, Sbarro, Doña Tota, and future food service partnerships.

This position provides strategic leadership and operational direction to District Leaders, ensuring exceptional execution in customer experience, food service operations, employee engagement, talent development, safety, compliance, and financial performance. The Regional Manager is accountable for driving profitable sales growth, reducing turnover, developing future leaders, improving retention, fostering a high-performance culture, and delivering best-in-class operational results across the region.

The ideal candidate is a results-oriented leader who combines strong business acumen with a passion for developing people, building culture, and executing strategic initiatives that support long-term organizational growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Performance

• Develop and execute regional business strategies aligned with company goals and growth objectives.
• Lead and oversee the operational performance of multiple retail and food service locations.
• Drive revenue growth, market share expansion, food service sales, and overall profitability across the region.
• Analyze operational and financial metrics to identify opportunities, risks, and performance trends.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop and implement strategic initiatives that enhance business performance and customer satisfaction.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures for regional leadership teams.
• Lead regional forecasting, workforce planning, budgeting, and operational resource allocation.

Financial Management

• Directly accountable for regional P&L performance and achievement of financial objectives.
• Develop, manage, and monitor annual operating budgets.
• Review and analyze sales, labor, inventory, food costs, shrink, waste, and operational expenses to maximize profitability.
• Identify opportunities to improve margins while maintaining operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with financial controls, company policies, and operational standards.
• Deliver consistent, measurable improvements in key business metrics including sales growth, EBITDA contribution, labor productivity, and inventory management.

Retail & Food Service Excellence

• Champion operational excellence across all retail and food service offerings.
• Ensure consistent execution of brand standards, food safety requirements, merchandising programs, and operational processes.
• Partner with food service leaders and vendors to drive sales growth and profitability across all concepts.
• Monitor food quality, service speed, customer satisfaction, and operational compliance.
• Develop action plans to improve underperforming locations and elevate overall regional performance.
• Lead execution of promotional initiatives, seasonal programs, and new product launches.

Talent Development & Leadership

• Build, lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams across the region.
• Establish a strong succession planning framework to ensure leadership continuity and bench strength.
• Identify high-potential employees and create targeted development plans to prepare future district and store leaders.
• Conduct regular talent reviews, performance assessments, and leadership development discussions.
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, recognition, and continuous improvement.
• Lead onboarding, training, coaching, and development programs that enhance team capabilities and operational execution.

Employee Engagement & Retention

• Drive employee engagement initiatives that create a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve retention and reduce voluntary turnover.
• Monitor engagement, turnover, and employee satisfaction trends and create action plans to address opportunities.
• Promote recognition programs that celebrate employee achievements and reinforce company values.
• Ensure leaders consistently communicate expectations, provide feedback, and support employee growth.
• Partner with Human Resources to strengthen employee relations, workforce planning, and culture initiatives.

Customer Experience

• Ensure every location delivers a safe, welcoming, and exceptional customer experience.
• Analyze customer feedback and operational data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Drive execution of customer service standards and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Champion a customer-first culture throughout the region.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all company policies, operational procedures, food safety regulations, and governmental requirements.
• Maintain a strong commitment to workplace safety and risk mitigation.
• Lead initiatives that promote a safe working environment for employees and customers.
• Conduct regular operational audits and compliance reviews.
• Implement corrective actions to address operational, safety, and compliance gaps.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Operations, Human Resources, Marketing, Facilities, Maintenance, Real Estate, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to achieve business objectives.
• Support new store openings, remodel projects, food service expansions, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Serve as a key ambassador for company culture and values throughout the region.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Management, Retail Operations, Hospitality Management, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• MBA or advanced business degree preferred.

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive retail, restaurant, food service, convenience store, or multi-unit operations leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading multiple locations through direct and indirect leadership structures.
• Proven experience managing large-scale P&L responsibility in excess of $25M+ annual revenue.
• Demonstrated success in driving sales growth, profitability, operational improvements, and culture initiatives.
• Experience leading both retail and food service operations strongly preferred.
• Experience within convenience retail, fuel, quick-service restaurant (QSR), food service, or multi-site consumer operations environments preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience overseeing 20+ multi-unit locations.
• Strong understanding of fuel operations, convenience retail, and branded restaurant concepts.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven success in reducing turnover and increasing employee engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to build leadership pipelines and succession plans.
• Strong analytical capabilities utilizing KPI, labor, inventory, and financial performance metrics.
• Experience leading change management and transformational business initiatives.

Organizational Competencies

Drive for Results

Establishes ambitious goals and consistently delivers strong business results while maintaining high operational standards.

Strategic Thinking

Translates business strategy into actionable plans that drive sustainable growth and organizational success.

Leadership & Talent Development

Builds exceptional teams, develops future leaders, and creates a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous learning.

Business Acumen

Applies financial and operational expertise to improve profitability, efficiency, and long-term business performance.

Customer Focus

Places the customer at the center of decision-making and drives initiatives that improve customer experience and loyalty.

Change Leadership

Successfully leads organizational change, embraces innovation, and adapts quickly to evolving business needs.

Collaboration & Influence

Builds strong relationships across all levels of the organization and effectively influences outcomes without direct authority.