Assistant Director of Operations
3 days ago
Queens
The Assistant Director of Operations I at LaGuardia International Airport serves as the second-in-command for medium-to-large airport retail operations up to $100M, partnering with the Senior Director to drive commercial success and operational excellence. This leadership role takes ownership of day-to-day operations management, team development, and performance optimization while ensuring superior customer service delivery and maintaining key stakeholder relationships across the retail portfolio. Essential Functions: • Partners with Senior Director of Operations to establish and execute fiscal revenue, expense, and profit goals; monitors KPIs and performance metrics across all retail locations to ensure achievement of budgeted targets and operational standards, • Leads daily retail operations across all locations with full accountability for operational excellence, compliance with company policies, and achievement of performance metrics while serving as primary operational decision-maker in Senior Director's absence, • Implements Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across airport retail operations by conducting regular operational reviews, ensuring management and staff execute opening/closing procedures with full accountability for operational standards, and supporting ACDBE partner collaboration on reporting and certification processes; ensures subordinate management teams maintain consistent adherence to operational protocols while monitoring SOP effectiveness and recommending operational improvements to Director of Operations based on performance data and field observations, • Develops and implements comprehensive action plans to optimize sales performance by store, category, and brand; conducts regular operational reviews and communicates strategic initiatives to management teams, • Oversees implementation of daily timekeeping review processes by Multi-Unit Managers and Shift Managers; monitors overtime trends and labor cost performance across assigned areas to ensure compliance with company policies and labor regulations, • Makes strategic hiring, termination, advancement, and promotion decisions for retail management and associates while promoting company brands as employer of choice and ensuring diversity and inclusion execution across operations, • Ensures all company and brand standards, visual merchandising requirements, safety guidelines, and operational procedures are consistently executed across retail operations with full compliance accountability, • Provides executive-level leadership development, performance coaching, and strategic guidance to retail management teams while fostering employee engagement and supporting comprehensive career advancement initiatives, • Manages complex inventory control, merchandise receiving processes, vendor relationships, and supply chain coordination to ensure optimal stock levels, product availability, and cost-effective operations, • Collaborates with brand partners, specialty managers, and corporate teams to maintain brand compliance, execute promotional initiatives, and implement marketing programs with measurable business impact, • Resolves complex operational challenges and customer issues using sound business judgment while maintaining authority for significant operational decisions and escalating only strategic matters to Senior Director, • Ensures display areas maintain superior visual appeal according to brand standards, optimizes equipment functionality, and maintains store presentation that exceeds customer expectations and drives revenue, • Monitors market trends, competitive landscape, and consumer behavior to inform operational strategies while ensuring compliance with category management principles and retail space optimization, • Leads cross-functional collaboration with Supply Chain, Commercial, and Marketing teams to optimize store assortments and marketing support while developing comprehensive training programs for operational procedures Reporting Relationship & Role Information: • The position reports to the Senior Director or Director of Retail Operations of their assigned location, • The Assistant Director of Retail Operations I position is expected to work a varied and rotating schedule to be on site on various operating days and hours each week; some opening shifts, during some busy day parts, and during some closing shifts to monitor staff work activities during these different days and times Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills: Education and Experience: The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 8 years: • In a leadership role: Requires 3 years of experience supervising a team of operations professionals engaged in executing retail operations programs, • In a technical role: Requires 8 years of experience engaged in developing and delivering retail operations programs, • A bachelor’s degree in a program related to the functional area can count for 3 of the 8-year requirement Specialized Training: • Training that leads to knowledge of all applicable federal, state, and local safety and health standards, and all procedures and protocols to comply with retail compliance requirements, • Understanding of visual merchandising principles, inventory management systems, and brand standards Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits: • Knowledge of retail or consumer goods industry with understanding of travel retail concepts and multi-brand environments, • Demonstrates team management, delegation and issue resolution skills and the ability to manage multiple, conflicting, and concurrent priorities in a fast-paced retail environment, • Demonstrates knowledge of company policies and products, service, quality, equipment and retail operations standards, or able to demonstrate this knowledge within a reasonable time from hire or promotion, • Strong understanding of visual merchandising, inventory management, brand compliance, and customer service excellence, • Business acumen and the mindset required to understand the long-term implications of retail operational planning and to advance the organization's goals, • Demonstrated history of understanding the needs of the business, stakeholders, the employee population and individual circumstances in a retail environment, • Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading retail teams to achieve common goals Opportunity, growth, and meaningful rewards! We offer: • Compensation: $123,527 – $154,409 + up to 33% annual bonus, • Health, dental and vision insurance, • Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick), • Holiday pay, • *401(k) retirement plan, • *Company paid life insurance, • *Tuition reimbursement, • Employee discounts across all company brands, • Employee assistance program, • Training and exciting career growth opportunities, • Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus, • *Benefits may vary by position Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates (“the Company”), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as “protected characteristics”).
