WHO WE ARE

At Vancouver Running Company our purpose is to bring happiness to every runner in the world. We strive to cultivate change in run and create a culture of diversity and sustainability by inspiring communities and contributing to a better world in everything we do.

Our goal is to provide an outstanding experience for our people, our customers and our crew.

THE ROLE

As General Manager of our new flagship store at 2033 W4th Ave you are accountable for every aspect of the retail operations and for bringing our purpose and vision to life in our store, our people, and through our community and events.  The General Manager will oversee our entire team at this new location and be directly supported by both the Retail Lead and the COO.

The General Manager is responsible for serving our customers, building and developing our in-store team and partnering with team members and partners to foster growth within our community. This person will be responsible for managing the retail budget, the retail strategy, the community strategy, and will be a key contributor in achieving key results for Vancouver Running Co.

This role will oversee all events, community engagement and brand activations that take place at the store level, and will liaise with both internal and external stakeholders regularly. Your team will be a mix of retail professionals so the ability to understand roles and responsibilities of each person as well as how these individuals contribute to the overall customer experience will be key in your success. You will do this by building upon internal processes and training, creating new systems and by always being in a state of betterment. The right candidate for this role will have opportunities to continue their growth and career development through many channels during this time.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Management

• Create and foster a respectful and inclusive team environment and culture by welcoming and celebrating differences to ensure a supportive and engaging experience for all of our people.
• Play a lead role in creating and executing our annual store plan including strategy and budget, as well as establish and communicate key results to the team
• Manage training and development, including the store’s hiring process, including recruitment, selection, and onboarding.
• Support ongoing development and performance feedback of all store team members consistently
• Plan and prepare team member schedules and submit payroll reports according to labour requirements, availability, and budget considerations.
• Accountable for a controllable budget; labour hours; annual goals and targets.

Store Management

• Ensure an exceptional customer experience and support team members to do the same.
• Create processes to manage emergent issues including customer escalations and warranty requests.
• Understanding Product Knowledge and ensuring that information reaches all team members.
• Regular review of inventory levels and re-ordering needs to ensure successful fulfillment.
• Fulfill and manage all online orders directed to store inventory.
• Responsible for store maintenance and merchandising, including restocking, cleaning and special orders.

Community & Innovation

• Discover key trends through regular customer interaction and work with Product and Brand to review opportunities in new areas.
• Manage community marketing and Flight Crew Rub Club initiatives including events and community runs.
• Manage all brand activations and key marketing initiatives held in-store.
• Network and build community with neighbouring businesses with activations and marketing strategy in mind.

 WHO YOU ARE

• Honest, fair, and ethical
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Desire to lead, influence, and inspire others; motivates, empowers, develops, and directs people as they work
• Use logic and reasoning to evaluate alternatives and make effective, timely decisions
• Tolerates uncertainty and ambiguity and can change priorities
• Thinks independently and can offer creative and strategic solutions for growth and advancement of the company
• Creates and develops teams that maximize accomplishments; encourages unique contributions and different perspectives
• Considers the ‘big picture’ and sets strategies that are aligned to the vision and values of the company
• Remains persistent; recovers quickly from setbacks
• Is able to understand and address business information (e.g., profit and loss statements, budgets and strategies)
• Creates a welcoming and inclusive experience for our team and our customers

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

MUST HAVE'S

• You run!
• Understand the needs of road and trail and be open to all types of running and all abilities of runners
• Get the importance of a post-run social
• An eye for style and trends in running
• Flexible, assertive and patient
• Friendly and approachable
• Creative
• Well-versed in financial acumen
• Able to understand and manage budgets actively
• Able to use Excel, Powerpoint (or similar software), Slack effectively
• Working knowledge of cloud based programs like Google Suite
• Able to manage a team of 15+
• Able to work autonomously and make decisions independently
• Must be legally authorized to work in Canada
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Willing to work a flexible schedule when required
• Willing to work as part of a team and also complete work independently
• Willing to move boxes weighing up to 30 lbs (13.6 kg)

NICE TO HAVE'S

• Knowledge of Photoshop not required but considered an asset
• Experience in a retail environment preferred
• Post-secondary education preferred

COMPENSATION

Compensation will include a competitive base salary, plus bonus opportunities and other perks and benefits.

Please email Rob Smith at rob@vanrunco.com with resume and cover letter explaining why you feel you would be good for this role.