Assistant Manager, Retail (Stores) Communications

L.L.Bean•Freeport, ME

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Manager of Retail (Stores) Communications leads, manages and develops/maintains all communications, task/workload and delivery portals for the Retail division. Accountable to deliver an efficient, consistent and accurate communication platform that includes policy, procedures, education, task management and workload planning resources for the entire division. Ensures that all communications for all initiatives impacting the stores are scalable and able to be effectively executed in a live retail store environment. Serves as the gatekeeper for all communication flow between the field and corporate office departments, ensuring store priorities, constraints, and execution realities are reflected in how communication is designed and delivered, through management of the division inbox, intranet sites, and regular management of the store’s task management platform. This individual represents the Stores division and is the voice for Senior Leadership with a deep understanding of store operations, store leadership needs, and frontline execution in all corporate initiatives related to communications, information platforms and education support for all employees of the Retail division. This role is based in our Corporate HQ located in Freeport, Maine and is not a remote position.

Requirements

Hands-on experience supporting retail store operations.
Direct experience communicating to, supporting, and enabling store leaders and frontline teams in a live retail environment.
Must live within a commutable distance to our Corporate Office located in Freeport, Maine.
3+ years of experience in a retail communication role focused on field or front-line audiences.
2+ years in a retail store leadership role.
Exceptional communication skills.
Excellent time management skills.
Ability to prioritize / manage significant multiple tasks & projects.
Strong track record developing & implementing strategies & tactics in a cross functional environment, focused on balancing store needs/desires with corporate business strategy objectives.
High sense of urgency with demonstrated ability to work independently and make effective decisions in a timely manner.
Experience building and delivering communications specifically for a decentralized retail store environment, including task, workload, and execution planning tools.
Exceptional technical aptitude and experience with various technical communication platforms to include Microsoft Office Suite and O365 sites/site management.
Exceptional written communication skills with demonstrated experience communicating to retail store leaders and frontline teams.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills with the ability to translate technical information into simple language store teams can understand and execute against.
Ability to interact and negotiate frequently with senior management.
Proven track record of driving results in sales, service and people development.
Strong attention to detail and innovative problem-solving skills.
On-call responsibility as needed for urgent and/or emergency business matters, including after-hours and weekend support for store operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with and proficiency in store communications platforms such as Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Zipline preferred.
Occasional travel required (a few times per year for short trips).

Responsibilities

Translate business goals, results and strategy into clear, engaging, motivational messages for store leaders and frontline teams.
Lead and develop Store Coordinator(s) to create, edit and deploy store / HO communications.
Facilitate alignment across multiple departments to gain consensus on communications, learning and task/workload strategies.
Act as a leader and subject matter expert of the business in all stakeholder / cross functional settings, representing Store Operations and Retail.
Develop and manage an annual communication plan for stores that aligns to retail operating rhythms, peak periods, and workload capacity.
Own the communication content and platform for the Retail division.
Maintain an accurate repository of all communication, reporting, policies and procedures, ensuring content is actionable, prioritized, and executable at store level.
Ensure that all content presented to the division is on time, accurate and easily navigated by the end user.
Oversee all store related document development to ensure end user efficiency, consistency of presentation and accuracy.
Conduct ongoing communications needs assessment to ensure desired outcomes.
Secure all resource needs with L.L.Bean information services, as well as the corporate Learning and Communication department to deliver efficient communication tools.
Serve as communication consultant to leaders to ensure effective planning, developing and dissemination of key business information.
Design and maintain the functionality of all performance management and evaluation tools for the Retail division.
Develop strategies to increase the efficiency and consistency of Store communication and education delivery at L.L.Bean by monitoring industry trends, communication methods and tools for remote locations.
Own workload balance and volume released to stores, grounded in firsthand understanding of store labor models, staffing realities, and service expectations.
Identify areas of workload management contention and facilitate solutions for maximum efficiency while meeting financial budget targets.
Create and maintain an accurate activity calendar for stores and all related task planning tools.
Maintain an accurate workload tracking tool that utilizes current labor standards and delivers clear reporting showing the impact of workload.
Ensure corporate partners are knowledgeable about field priorities and challenges, understanding how timing, task volume, and execution impact store performance and team experience.
Manage the timeline, templates and collection of data for all workload driving initiatives.
Maintain formal documentation related to the expectations and timelines for all store workload.
Manage the deployment of effective learning solutions and/or programs of varying complexity across all learning content platforms that stores utilize.
Work collaboratively with Store Operations Leadership and Corporate Learning and Communications to ensure alignment of strategy, consistency of content and ease of execution in a fast-paced store environment.
Contribute to a safe and healthy workplace by actively participating in health and safety by following all safety policies and procedures, reporting unsafe conditions or at-risk behaviors to leadership, and conducting work in a safe manner.
Model safe behaviors, evaluate risk, and ensure that risks are reduced to acceptable levels.

Benefits

Programs and perks designed to support your health and financial goals.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance and re-charging outside are all part of the plan.

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