Manager Retail Jobs in Ridgefield, CT (NOW HIRING)

Senior Manager, Retail Operations

About us:

vineyard vines is a highly successful, privately held, American clothing and accessory retailer founded in 1998 on Martha’s Vineyard by brothers, Shep & Ian Murray. With Shep & Ian still at the helm today, vineyard vines has experienced exponential year over year growth and now operates over 120 retail locations including an outlet division, a successful e-commerce business, domestic distribution center, and expanding corporate headquarters. In addition, vineyard vines is carried in major department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdales as well as numerous specialty boutiques across the US.

vineyard vines was founded on a state of mind that Every day should feel this good.

You don’t need to be on a beach, by the ocean or on vacation to have Every day should feel this good moments. It’s a state of mind that we all experience, and one where everyone is invited. At vineyard vines, we don’t just live an #EDSFTG life away from our desks—we bring it to work with us, too.

In our stores, at our Harbor Drive headquarters or working remotely, our company culture is fun, encouraging and welcoming to all. We work hard and play harder, and we never take ourselves too seriously. And while we have many company goals, our number one priority is making vineyard vines a great place to work for all employees.

Our team is our family, and we’d never have grown to where we are today without them. We’re committed to building an inclusive team across all channels, departments and stores within our community. We hope you’ll join us and see what the smiling pink whale is all about.

Overview:

We're looking for a strategic, highly organized, and results-driven Senior Manager, Retail Operations to help shape the future of our store experience. This leader will drive operational excellence across the retail fleet by overseeing facilities, leading new store openings, optimizing partnership with store logistics, and continuously evolve operational processes that enable our crews to focus on what matters most, creating exceptional customer experiences.

This role serves as a key cross-functional partner, bringing together Retail, Construction, IT, Allocation, and external vendors to deliver scalable solutions, improve execution, and support the continued growth of the vineyard vines brand.

Key Responsibilities:

Store Facilities & Asset Management

• Lead the strategy and execution of facilities maintenance and repair programs across the retail fleet, ensuring stores consistently reflect the vineyard vines brand and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and external service providers to prioritize, resolve, and proactively manage facility issues while balancing speed, quality, and cost.
• Develop and oversee preventative maintenance programs that extend asset life, minimize business disruption, and reduce long-term operating costs.
• Ensure all stores operate in compliance with company, safety, and regulatory standards while maintaining a safe environment for both customers and crew.

New Store Openings & Retail Activations

• Serve as the Retail Operations lead for all new store openings, overseeing operational readiness from pre-construction through grand opening.
• Partner cross-functionally with Construction, IT, HR, Merchandising, Distribution, Planning & Allocation, and Store Leadership to ensure seamless execution and an exceptional opening experience.
• Develop and continuously improve launch playbooks, project timelines, operational checklists, and training resources that support scalable, repeatable execution.
• Lead operational planning and execution for store closures, liquidation events, relocations, remodels, and other strategic retail initiatives.
  

Retail Supply Procurement & Expense Management

• Oversee the sourcing, forecasting, inventory management, and distribution of all retail supplies.
• Build strong vendor partnerships to ensure consistent service levels, cost efficiencies, and timely replenishment across the store fleet.
• Identify opportunities to streamline supply programs, improve inventory visibility, and optimize spend while maintaining brand standards.
  

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Champion a culture of operational excellence by identifying opportunities to simplify processes, eliminate friction, and improve store productivity.
• Develop, implement, and evolve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and best practices that support changing business needs while driving consistency across the fleet.
• Lead operational communications and field readiness initiatives that improve awareness, compliance, and execution of company policies, processes, and strategic priorities.
• Partner with field leadership to identify operational opportunities and implement solutions that enhance the store experience and improve business performance.

Store Logistics & Inventory Flow 

• Partner closely with Distribution Center Operations, Planning & Allocation, Merchandising, and Transportation teams to optimize product flow into stores.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase inventory availability, improve execution, and reduce operational complexity throughout the supply chain.
• Oversee the physical inventory process to ensure accurate inventory accounting, consistent execution, and compliance with established procedures.

Retail Systems & Technology 

• Own the operational roadmap for in-store systems, ensuring technology investments drive meaningful value for both stores and the business.
• Partner with IT to prioritize enhancements, improve system performance, and reduce operational friction by translating field feedback into scalable solutions.
• Evaluate emerging tools and technologies that improve productivity, simplify store operations, and enhance the crew and customer experience.
• Support the planning, project management, and execution of key cross-functional initiatives and rollouts.

Qualifications:

• Deep expertise in retail operations with a comprehensive understanding of store processes, facilities, logistics, and field execution.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence without direct authority, and successfully manage multiple complex priorities.
• Strategic thinker with exceptional analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated experience driving operational improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and profitability.
• Passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and bringing the vineyard vines brand to life in every store.

Every day will feel this good because:

• We have a fun-spirited entrepreneurial culture filled with truly “good” people
• We offer a generous employee discount so you can rep our lifestyle on-and-off the boat
• We offer a competitive salary package, 401-K, commuter benefits, and paid-family leave, health savings, flex spending accounts, life & disability insurance
• We have an onsite gym as well as health & financial wellness programs to keep you active
• We offer 2 summer Fridays to take off in addition to a competitive vacation policy & holiday calendar