Retail Experience Innovation Manager at Store Support Team (CKH) – Carrboro, North Carolina

As a member of the Retail Experience Team, this position leads the identification, testing, and scaling of retail experience innovations across the Fleet Feet brand. This role plays a key part in improving the in-store experience and operational effectiveness, while also developing future leaders through programs like the Operating Partner Development Program (OPDP) and Quick Start.

{Lead Candidate Identified}

This role serves as a key driver of retail experience innovation, with ownership of testing, refining, and launching initiatives that improve the in-store experience and operational effectiveness across the brand. Below are some of the main responsibilities of this aspect of the role:

• Proactively identify and evaluate opportunities for retail experience innovation

• Design, execute, and evaluate pilot programs to validate new retail experience concepts

• Leverage cross-functional partnerships as needed to project manage larger initiatives

• Serve as the primary point of contact for testing locations, incorporating qualitative and quantitative feedback to refine initiatives

• Develop and coordinate communication and enablement plans to support brand-wide rollout of successful initiatives

• Champion new initiatives post-launch to support adoption, consistency, and long-term success

In addition to this work, this role leads our Operating Partner Development Program (OPDP), and the initial training of the Quick Start program for incoming franchisees and Operating Partners from strategy through execution. Below are some of the main responsibilities of this aspect of the role:

• Support trainees through the OPDP curriculum

• Recruit for the program while promoting career advancement opportunities internally

• Develop and facilitate training on various retail operations and leadership topics

• Work closely with the local store team to ensure a strong training environment

• Ensure new franchisees have a thorough understanding of the Outfitting Experience and basic store operations as part of the first week of the Quick Start Program

• Enhance the OPDP curriculum as needed on an ongoing basis

Additional retail experience initiatives may be assigned as business needs evolve.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of experience in retail management or similar field

• Retail store management experience preferred

• Run specialty industry experience preferred

• Ability to travel periodically, at times up to 25%

• Strong presentation skills and comfortable speaking in front of large audiences

• Experience with the Google Suite, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and retail POS systems

• Excellent communication (both verbal and written), collaboration, and facilitation skills

• Strong organizational skills with business-oriented thinking

• Passionate, positive, self-motivated, and detail-oriented

• Collaborative and customer-centric

Other requirements:

Position requires occasional walking and standing with light (1-10 lbs.) carrying, lifting, pushing, or pulling. The position is mostly sedentary and requires the employee to have close visual acuity to perform job requirements. The position requires frequent talking, hearing, and repetitive motion with the hands, wrists, and/or fingers. This position is located within an office environment and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.