General Manager of Stores

Pendleton Woolen Mills Inc•Portland, OR

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The General Manager of Stores role is a rare opportunity to shape the physical retail strategy across 30 stores (and growing) for an iconic American brand, leveraging your vision to define the future of the retail shopping experience and capabilities, and sharp business acumen to maximize business results throughout the P&L.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive retail leadership experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a multi-unit or regional director capacity.
Demonstrated track record of driving top-line sales growth and margin improvement across a multi-door fleet.
Direct experience managing both full-price and off-price/outlet retail channels preferred.
Proven ability to develop leaders, build high-performing teams, and establish a winning field culture.
Strong financial acumen; comfort building and managing P&Ls, forecasting, and translating data into strategy.
Experience participating in or leading new store opening processes, including real estate evaluation and pre-opening execution.
Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive influence skills.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% to visit stores across the network.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience managing both full-price and off-price/outlet retail channels preferred.

Responsibilities

Own the retail P&L, with a particular focus on sales generation, gross margin and profitability, payroll, and controllable expenses across all 30 doors.
Set and drive delivery against annual revenue targets, comp-store sales goals, and Net Income objectives.
Partner with Finance to build bottoms-up operating budgets and quarterly forecasts; identify and close performance gaps with speed and rigor.
Build discipline around markdown cadence, promotional architecture, full-price sell-through and staff scheduling.
Develop and execute a channel strategy that optimizes the relationship between full-price and outlet doors, protecting brand equity while maximizing inventory productivity.
Use insights gleaned from both store-level data & analytics, and insights from field staff to actively plan and pull the levers that affect business outcomes.
Partner closely with Merchandising and Planning to ensure the right product is being featured in every store, at the right depth of inventory and at the right time.
Champion a selling culture that balances brand integrity with commercial urgency.
Lead fleet strategy, guiding decisions on where to pivot existing doors, pursue new openings, and relocate, close, or resize locations as leases approach renewal.
Monitor competitive landscape and consumer trends to inform network planning and emerging opportunities.
Partner with Finance, Operations and corporate leadership on site selection, pro forma modelling, lease negotiation, and new store readiness.
Develop and iterate a strategy and executional plan for pop-up and event-based retail, inclusive of format, location, assortment, service model, staffing and infrastructure required.
Directly lead a team of District Managers; provide coaching, development plans, and performance accountability that build bench strength at every level.
Foster a high-performance, inclusive field culture rooted in the brand's values and a genuine commitment to people development.
Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition to attract, hire, and retain top-tier store management talent.
Build succession pipelines for District Managers, Store Managers, and key support roles.
Serve as the cultural standard-bearer for the retail field organization.
Ensure consistent and on-brand execution of retail brand presentation, visual merchandising, store standards, and customer experience across full-price and outlet channels.
Collaborate with the Marketing and Creative teams to translate brand campaigns into compelling in-store environments.
Lead teams in creating visually stunning retail assortments and presentations that clearly articulate distinction in the product line and guide consumers in their shopping journey.
Champion the voice of the customer within the commercial organization.
Lead the development and implementation of clienteling programs, loyalty initiatives, and community engagement strategies.
Serve as the primary retail voice in cross-functional planning with Merchandising, Buying, Planning, Allocation, Marketing, E-commerce and Operations.
Partner with the Supply Chain and Operations teams to optimize inventory flow, replenishment timing, and in-store fulfillment capabilities.
Collaborate with the E-commerce and Omnichannel teams to develop seamless BOPIS, ship-from-store, clienteling and loyalty offerings.
Represent retail in senior leadership forums, contributing a field-grounded perspective to company-wide strategy.
Establish a deep understanding of each door's performance profile, team dynamics, and market context.
Deliver comp-store sales growth and margin expansion across the network.
Implement a structured cadence of field visits, business reviews, and team development conversations.
Deliver a strategic point of view on a roadmap for future store openings with clearly defined site criteria and financial guardrails.
Build trusted relationships with cross-functional partners and earned credibility as a strategic voice in the commercial leadership team.
Elevate the consistency of brand experience and selling behaviors across full-price and outlet doors.