Operations Manager | Chicago

Blank Street • Chicago, IL

1d • $100,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The Operations Manager is the leader of an area comprising five or more stores and the General Managers who lead them. The role focuses on hiring, coaching, and developing General Managers; owning the area's P&L; and planning and prioritizing work to improve store performance. The Operations Manager builds clarity, capability, accountability, hospitality, and continuous improvement in a fast-moving business.

Reporting to the Director of Operations and working closely with the Field Leadership team, the Operations Manager supports leadership development and helps scale the business while delivering an exceptional experience for employees and customers. Responsibilities include maintaining hospitality standards, managing area financial and operational plans, developing talent and succession pipelines, and implementing company initiatives across stores. Regular travel between stores in the Chicago market is required.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of leadership experience in hospitality, retail, or another fast-growing consumer business.
• Experience leading multiple locations, specified as 3–10 locations, and developing the managers who run them.
• Strong operational and financial judgment, including the ability to interpret P&L and KPI dashboards and act on the findings.
• Experience developing managers, hiring, coaching, making decisions, and leading through change.
• Ability to plan a quarter ahead and translate priorities into actionable plans for General Managers.
• Strong written communication skills, including use of Slack, Notion, and email, and confidence speaking in area meetings and workshops.
• Passion for creating excellent customer and employee experiences and maintaining high standards.
• Availability for 50 hours per week, five days of availability, and two peak days, usually weekend days; weekends are defined as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• Ability to travel regularly between stores within the market.

Responsibilities

• Coach General Managers to establish systems, behaviors, and processes that maintain high hospitality standards.
• Review standards across the area through store visits and data, and hold General Managers accountable for addressing gaps.
• Help turn around struggling stores and launch new stores in the area.
• Translate quarterly sales forecasts into store-level plans and communicate expected growth, slowdowns, seasonality, and nearby openings.
• Set quarterly labor targets, including headcount and transfers, and coach General Managers on building rotas.
• Help General Managers calibrate inventory to forecast demand and establish inventory guardrails.
• Develop General Managers through training pathways, regular one-to-ones, and direct feedback.
• Coordinate hiring and promotion decisions across the area and set quarterly succession targets from barista to General Manager.
• Build a collaborative area-wide culture in which stores share effective practices and support one another.
• Monitor store KPIs and P&L, and set weekly and quarterly area priorities.
• Partner with each General Manager to create a store plan and support its execution and performance goals.
• Roll out new initiatives, including menu launches and technology tools, through communication and hands-on training; track adoption.
• Travel regularly between stores within the market.

Benefits

• 15 days of paid annual leave, in addition to company-observed holidays and sick time.
• Three health plan options, with full coverage available for two employee-only tiers.
• Commuter benefits.
• Parental leave.
• Bereavement leave.
• Access to the Regulars program, including free coffee, matcha, and other offerings.
• Regular team social outings.
• Free company swag.
• Competitive total rewards package, which may include benefits, paid time off, and other perks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed