Business License and Operational Compliance Team Lead

Wawa, Inc.

About The Position

The Business License and Operational Compliance Team Lead oversees licensing and regulatory documentation to support new store growth and annual license renewals. This role executes the established compliance governance playbook by coordinating with cross‑functional partners to gather required operational inputs and ensure they are accurately captured for licensing purposes. After compliance needs are identified, the Team Lead coordinates handoff to support teams for implementation and ongoing monitoring. The role provides guidance across the full licensing lifecycle, manages key internal and external relationships, ensures timely and compliant execution of all licensing activities, and drives continuous improvement.

Requirements

Strong leadership, supervisory, and team-coordination skills
Strong communication skills and stakeholder-management abilities
Customer service oriented.
Establish and maintain a working environment conducive to positive morale, individual style, quality, creativity, and teamwork
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and drive results
Attention to detail, organizational efficiency, and process discipline
Strong time management with the ability to manage multiple priorities
Independent research
Associate’s degree preferred, Bachelor’s a plus
3+ years of experience, preferably in regulatory, licensing or related field with demonstrated supervisory responsibilities
Experience with Microsoft’s Office Suite, especially Excel, and Word

Nice To Haves

Experience with SAP , Tango, LicensePro a plus

Responsibilities

Licensing & Compliance Leadership: Oversee the acquisition, renewal, and compliance tracking of all Business Licenses. Ensure regulatory requirements are met, help establish standardized procedures, and proactively identify dependencies & risks that could impact new store project timelines. Coordinate with local authorities, external partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure all required documentation is accurately submitted. Monitor annual renewals and maintain strict compliance with all state-specific regulations. Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for the Licensing system and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the system. Oversee, manage and test system releases and enhancements, research problems and provide appropriate responses. Responsible for reviewing releases and determining potential impacts. Maintain complete documentation on system processes and procedures. Ensure accurate and timely entry of licensing details for all new store openings within the Licensing and/or ERP systems. Maintain system data integrity and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure licensing information is up to date, complete, and audit-ready. Serve as the primary liaison between Construction, Legal, Government Relations, and other internal domain owners. Implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and strengthen interdepartmental communication. Manage all ongoing operational license renewals and ensure continuity of store operations by preventing license expirations. Process and approve payments
Operational Compliance Lead: Continuously refine the governance process used to identify local operational compliance requirements, collaborating with cross‑functional partners (Construction, Legal, Government Relations, Store Operations, Quality Assurance) to ensure requirements are captured consistently across new and existing markets. Assist with setting clear expectations, ensuring partners complete required research and implementation steps, and escalating risks when compliance needs are not met. Document all compliance requirements and ensure they are captured, communicated, and tracked through to successful implementation and ongoing support.
Implementation Handoff: After compliance requirements are identified, coordinate the handoff to support teams (e.g. Store Operations, People, QA) for implementation. Monitor progress and provide guidance to ensure successful execution and ongoing compliance. Provide overall direction for team and support and monitor and assess individual work in accordance with high standards of excellence. Provide feedback, coaching, support, opportunities for development, complete performance appraisals, take corrective action when appropriate, and participate in hiring decisions.