Store Manager | Buffalo (Buffalo, New York)

This job is with lululemon, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

Description & Requirements

Who We Are

lululemon is an innovative performance apparel company for yoga, running, training, and other athletic pursuits. Setting the bar in technical fabrics and functional design, we create transformational products and experiences that support people in moving, growing, connecting, and being well. We owe our success to our innovative product, emphasis on stores, commitment to our people, and the incredible connections we make in every community we're in. As a company, we focus on creating positive change to build a healthier, thriving future. In particular, that includes creating an equitable, inclusive and growth-focused environment for our people.

Job Summary

As the ultimate leader of their store, a Store Manager is accountable for every aspect of the retail store performance, ensuring that all areas of the store are engaged, achieving key results, and that the store is delivering world-class guest experience. Store Managers are responsible for hiring and developing people. Store Managers are responsible for creating an environment and a store culture where people feel a deep sense of belonging and have the opportunity to grow. As a result, they ensure their store delivers quality guest experience in line with company values and directives (people experience, store operations, product, and community relationships).

Core Responsibilities of the Job

Leadership and People Management

1. Create and foster a respectful and inclusive team environment and culture by welcoming and celebrating differences to ensure a supportive, productive and fun experience for team members.
2. Establish a vision for the store, based on key metrics and initiatives, and cascade to all team members.
3. Manage the store's hiring strategy to build a strong and diverse team that includes team members with various experiences, backgrounds, and skillsets to drive store operations.
4. Support ongoing learning and development of all team members consistently and equitably by providing direct feedback, coaching, mentoring, continuous development check-ins and leading performance management activities.
5. Address all employee concerns and issues, including knowing when to partner with internal support to take appropriate action.

Guest Experience and Community

1. Lead an exceptional guest (customer) experience on the floor through assessing the level of guest connection and technical product education and supporting team members to address gaps through feedback and coaching.
2. Manage and direct in-store team members to ensure optimal guest experience that values guests' time and supports store operations.
3. Address emergent issues, including guest escalations and urgent requests.
4. Establish and increase brand awareness in the community by cultivating and maintaining inclusive relationships with local ambassadors, sweat leaders, community influencers and other external partners.
5. Plan and execute local, regional, and area driven Community projects and initiatives (e.g., local run club, International Day of Yoga).

Operations, Product, and Strategy

1. Drive overall store visual merchandising, product strategy, including product escalations, and execute company-driven product actions, projects, and initiatives.
2. Manage sell-through by monitoring product levels, ensuring accuracy of inventory counts, and organizing product deliveries in line with visual merchandising strategy.
3. Plan and execute high-level quarterly and seasonal planning for store with respect to strategy, budget, and labor (including recruiting and training/development).
4. Manage whole store profit and loss (P&L) in accordance with goals (sales, budget, etc.).
5. Move dynamically and lead from the floor to assess and fulfill the needs of the business, team, and guests through coaching and developing team members.
6. Understand and adhere to people safety policies and procedures to maintain a safe work environment.
7. Perform work in accordance with applicable policies, procedures, and laws or regulations.

Budget Responsibility

• Accountable for controllable budget; labor hours; annual sales plan target

People Management

• Leadership role directly responsible for managing all other store leadership roles
• Ultimately responsible for hiring and terminating all store employees

What We Look For

• Inclusion & Diversity: Creates/supports an inclusive environment that values/celebrates differences
• Integrity: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner
• Leadership: Is able and desires to lead and inspire others; motivates, empowers, develops, and directs people as they work
• Decision Making/Problem Solving: Identifies opportunities for improvement; evaluates alternatives and makes effective, timely decisions
• Drive/Entrepreneurship: Sets challenging, focused goals and is motivated and determined to meet or exceed them; is innovative and owns results
• Team Building: Creates and develops teams that maximize accomplishments; encourages unique contributions and different perspectives
• Strategic Thinking: Considers the lasting implications of decisions; Sets a plan and makes decisions aligned with company strategy, vision, and values
• Change Management Leadership: Leads others through change processes and uncertainty
• Business Acumen: Is able to quickly understand and address business information (e.g., profit and loss statements, budgets and sales forecasts, retail strategy and approaches)
• Interactive Communication: Conveys information effectively and understands information shared while interacting with others

Job Requirements

Eligibility

• Must be legally authorized to work in the country in which the store is located
• Must have the ability to travel to assigned store with reliable transportation methods

Schedule/Availability

• Work occurs on a variable schedule which could include early mornings, mornings, afternoons, evenings, late nights or overnights as well as weekends and holidays

Experience

• 1 year people management experience (including recruiting, hiring, and holding employees accountable to performance expectations)
• 1 year managing business operations and administration, including experience with retail scheduling and management of labor hours and managing projects or processes

Job Assets (i.e., nice to have; not required)

• Education: High school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Experience: 2 years retail or sales specific management experience

Work Context (e.g., environment, interactions, physical)

• Work occurs in an environment with bright lights and loud music
• Work is accomplished as part of a team and also independently
• Work may involve managing conflict or mediating problems between others or deescalating guest issues
• Work involves reaching out to meet and build relationships with strangers/new people, and to strengthen existing community partnerships
• Work is sometimes conducted on a computer or other technical devices, including to meet with others virtually
• Work involves moving through a store for most of a shift to help guests and accomplish work, but can also involve sitting for extended periods of time (i.e., more than 1 hour)
• Work may occasionally involve moving boxes weighing up to 30 lbs (13.6 kg)

Compensation & Benefits Package

Base Pay Range : $84,465 - $114,275/annually, subject to minimum wage in the location
Target Bonus: 30%
Total Target Base Pay Range : $109,805 - $148,558/annually

lululemon's compensation offerings are grounded in a pay-for-performance philosophy that recognizes exceptional individual and team performance. The base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. As part of our offerings, employees in this position may be eligible for our competitive bonus program and equity offerings, subject to program eligibility requirements.

At lululemon, investing in our people is a top priority. We believe that when life works, work works. We strive to be the place where inclusive leaders come to develop and enable all to be well. Recognizing our teams for their perfo]]>