Wow! Kitchens & Gas

Location: Downriver Region, MI
Employment Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $22.50 per hour
Benefits: PTO, Health, Dental, and Vision.

About the Role

WOW! is seeking a Retail Operations Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our convenience store business.

The Retail Operations Manager reports directly to the General Manager and is responsible for the performance of the WOW! retail operation, including staffing, scheduling, inventory, merchandising, cash controls, customer service, store standards, and execution of company procedures.

This position directly leads the Assistant Store Managers and is expected to maintain a consistently well-run, fully staffed, clean, organized, and customer-ready store.

The Retail Operations Manager is a hands-on operating leader who translates company expectations and financial goals into strong daily execution.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Daily Store Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the WOW! convenience store.
• Ensure the store is properly staffed, opened, operated, and closed each day.
• Maintain consistent execution of company policies, operating procedures, and service standards.
• Ensure proper management coverage across all operating hours.
• Identify recurring operational issues and implement corrective action.
• Maintain effective communication between shifts and management team members.
• Ensure priority tasks and operational requirements are completed on time.
• Serve as the primary retail operations leader when the General Manager is not directly involved in the department.

Staffing & Scheduling

• Own preparation and maintenance of the WOW! employee schedule.
• Schedule employees based on sales volume, operating needs, employee availability, and labor expectations.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels throughout all dayparts.
• Manage call-offs, schedule changes, time-off requests, and shift coverage.
• Minimize unnecessary overtime while maintaining adequate coverage.
• Identify staffing needs before they negatively impact store operations.
• Recruit and interview candidates for retail positions.
• Make hiring recommendations and coordinate onboarding.
• Maintain an active pipeline of qualified employees to support turnover and business growth.

Assistant Store Manager Leadership

• Directly supervise and develop the Assistant Store Managers.
• Establish clear expectations for shift performance and leadership.
• Assign management coverage and operational responsibilities.
• Review shift execution and address recurring deficiencies.
• Coach Assistant Store Managers on employee leadership, customer service, cash controls, inventory, and store standards.
• Hold Assistant Store Managers accountable for the performance of employees working under their supervision.
• Identify development opportunities and prepare strong performers for increased responsibility.
• Communicate significant management or employee performance issues to the General Manager.

Employee Training & Performance

• Ensure new employees are properly onboarded and trained.
• Maintain consistent training standards across all shifts.
• Ensure employees understand customer-service expectations, job responsibilities, safety requirements, and operating procedures.
• Coach employees when performance does not meet company standards.
• Address recurring attendance, productivity, customer-service, or conduct issues in coordination with the General Manager.
• Promote a workplace culture centered around accountability, professionalism, urgency, teamwork, and customer service.

Inventory & Product Availability

• Maintain appropriate retail inventory levels.
• Manage routine product ordering and replenishment.
• Monitor product movement, out-of-stocks, and excessive inventory.
• Ensure deliveries are properly received, verified, and stored.
• Investigate receiving discrepancies and recurring inventory issues.
• Ensure products are properly rotated and expired or damaged products are removed.
• Coordinate required inventory counts.
• Maintain organized and accurate backroom inventory.
• Identify shrink trends and implement corrective action when necessary.

Merchandising & Pricing

• Ensure shelves, coolers, displays, checkout areas, and promotional sections meet company merchandising standards.
• Maintain strong product availability throughout the store.
• Ensure pricing and promotional signage are accurate and current.
• Execute company promotions and merchandising initiatives.
• Ensure high-volume and promotional products remain properly stocked.
• Correct merchandising deficiencies identified during store walks or audits.

Cash Controls & Loss Prevention

• Ensure all employees and Assistant Store Managers follow company cash-handling procedures.
• Review register shortages and overages.
• Ensure safe counts, deposits, lottery controls, and required cash procedures are completed accurately and on time.
• Investigate recurring cash discrepancies.
• Maintain appropriate controls over cash, lottery, tobacco, alcohol, and other high-risk inventory.
• Identify potential loss-prevention concerns and escalate significant issues to the General Manager.
• Ensure company security and loss-prevention procedures are consistently followed.

Store Standards & Cleanliness

• Maintain the WOW! retail operation in a clean, organized, and customer-ready condition.
• Establish daily and shift-level cleaning expectations.
• Ensure employees and Assistant Store Managers complete assigned cleaning responsibilities.
• Maintain standards for the sales floor, checkout area, beverage stations, coolers, restrooms, storage areas, exterior areas, and other assigned spaces.
• Perform routine store walks and correct deficiencies.
• Ensure cleaning, stocking, and recovery standards are maintained throughout the day, not only at opening or closing.

Customer Experience

• Maintain high customer-service standards across the WOW! team.
• Ensure employees provide fast, friendly, accurate, and professional service.
• Monitor checkout speed and customer flow.
• Resolve customer concerns that cannot be handled by an Assistant Store Manager.
• Identify recurring customer-service issues and coach employees accordingly.
• Create an environment that encourages repeat visits and customer loyalty.

Retail Performance

• Understand the WOW! department's sales, labor, shrink, inventory, and operating targets.
• Review performance results with the General Manager.
• Identify operational factors affecting department performance.
• Implement corrective action within the retail operation.
• Monitor labor productivity and adjust staffing practices where appropriate.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales, product availability, customer service, and operating efficiency.
• Communicate significant performance concerns and recommendations to the General Manager.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable retail operating requirements.
• Maintain required procedures related to tobacco, alcohol, lottery, cash handling, workplace safety, and other regulated areas.
• Ensure employees complete required training and follow age-verification procedures.
• Maintain required records, logs, and operational documentation.
• Correct compliance or safety deficiencies promptly.
• Escalate significant safety, legal, employee, or compliance issues to the General Manager.

What You'll Own

The Retail Operations Manager is directly accountable for:

• WOW! employee scheduling
• Retail staffing levels
• Assistant Store Manager performance
• Retail employee training
• Retail product ordering
• Inventory accuracy and product availability
• Merchandising execution
• Cash-control execution
• Retail shrink controls
• Store cleanliness and organization
• Customer-service execution
• Day-to-day WOW! retail operations

What We're Looking For

• Previous management experience in convenience retail, grocery, pharmacy, fuel retail, hospitality, or another high-volume customer-service environment.
• Experience supervising employees and managing multiple shifts.
• Previous experience managing or developing shift leaders or assistant managers strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of retail operations, staffing, scheduling, inventory, cash handling, and customer service.
• Ability to create and manage employee schedules effectively.
• Strong leadership and employee-coaching skills.
• Ability to identify operational problems and follow through on corrective action.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Dependable, professional, and accountable.
• Convenience-store and fuel experience preferred but not required.

Schedule & Availability

This is a full-time management position requiring schedule flexibility based on business needs.

The Retail Operations Manager must be available to work a combination of mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed. Availability during peak operating periods and occasional schedule adjustments due to staffing needs are expected.

This position is responsible for ensuring proper store coverage but should build and maintain a team capable of operating effectively without relying on the Retail Operations Manager as the routine solution for uncovered shifts.

Why Join WOW!

WOW! is focused on building a convenience-store experience that is clean, modern, efficient, and centered around strong customer service and high operating standards.

As Retail Operations Manager, you will have meaningful responsibility for how the store operates every day. You will lead the retail management team, build a strong employee culture, manage key operating controls, and directly influence the performance of the business.

If you are an experienced retail leader who knows how to build a team, maintain high standards, and take ownership of store operations, we want to hear from you!

If you’re looking to succeed at a progressive, growth-oriented company and you meet our Core Values, we’d love to talk to you! We offer part-time and full-time opportunities.