VP - Sales & Merchandising

Grocery Outlet Career•Middletown, PA

15h•Remote

About The Position

As the Vice President, Sales & Merchandising, East Coast, you will serve as the senior business leader for Grocery Outlet’s East Coast region, responsible for driving sales, merchandising, operational execution, and overall market performance. You will lead and develop a team of Directors of Sales and Merchandising (DSM) and Sr. Directors of Sales & Merchandising (Sr. DSM) and ensure they are effectively supporting Independent Operators (IOs) in improving store performance, profitability, merchandising standards, and overall execution. You will operate with the scope and influence of a regional General Manager, translating enterprise strategy into a clear East Coast execution plan. You will work cross-functionally with Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Real Estate, Store Operations, and other key partners to identify opportunities, remove barriers, and drive operational excellence across the region. You will need to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution, assessing business performance, developing regional priorities, influencing senior stakeholders, and ensuring strong execution in the field. This role requires a leader who can balance enterprise priorities with regional needs, build alignment across functions, and create a consistent operating rhythm that improves sales, profitability, operator success, and the customer experience.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive grocery, retail, sales, merchandising, or field operations leadership experience.
5+ years of experience leading multi-unit, regional, or enterprise-level teams in a complex retail environment.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced start up like environment
Strong business ownership mindset with the ability to operate like a regional General Manager.
Deep understanding of grocery retail, store operations, merchandising execution and inventory management and planning.
Operator/franchise-style business model experience a plus.
Proven ability to drive sales growth, profitability, operational excellence, and customer experience improvements across a geographically dispersed region.
Strong financial acumen with experience interpreting financial statements, performance scorecards, sales trends, margin performance, and operational metrics.
Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with senior leaders across merchandising, inventory planning, supply chain, finance, marketing, real estate, and operations.
Strong coaching and leadership capability with experience developing senior field leaders and building high-performing teams.
Ability to influence through relationships, credibility, business insight, and clear communication.
Comfortable operating at both the strategic and tactical level, from building regional strategy to getting close to store-level execution.
Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and change leadership skills.
Executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, Operators, cross-functional partners, and field teams.
Collaborative, practical, and hands-on leadership style with the humility and credibility to build trust across the organization.
Bachelor’s degree in business or related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willing and able to travel regularly across the East Coast region and to Grocery Outlet’s Store Support Center in the San Francisco Bay Area as needed.

Nice To Haves

Operator/franchise-style business model experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior business owner for the East Coast region, responsible for driving sales, profitability, merchandising execution, operator performance, and overall regional success.
Translate enterprise sales, merchandising, supply chain, inventory planning, and operational priorities into a clear regional strategy and execution roadmap.
Define regional priorities, performance expectations, and key initiatives to improve store performance, customer experience, and profitable growth.
Assess regional business trends, market dynamics, competitive activity, and store performance to identify opportunities and risks.
Partner with senior leaders to shape and execute strategies that support sustainable growth, new market development, and improved regional performance.
Lead execution of sales and merchandising strategies across the East Coast region, ensuring strong alignment with brand, customer, and financial objectives.
Drive consistent merchandising standards, store presentation, pricing execution, inventory flow, and overall operational discipline across the region.
Partner with Merchandising and Inventory Planning to ensure stores have the right product assortment at the right time, including locally relevant items that reflect market needs and customer preferences, with strong execution to maximize sales and margin.
Work with Supply Chain and field leadership to identify and resolve operational barriers impacting store execution, service levels, inventory availability, and operator experience.
Monitor store performance scorecards and regional business metrics to identify trends, performance gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Ensure regional and local marketing efforts are effectively executed and aligned with store-level needs and market opportunities.
Ensure IOs receive strong business consultation, coaching, and support through the DSM team.
Support the continued development and enhancement of the IO model by identifying opportunities to improve operator performance, engagement, and profitability.
Partner with DSMs to help IOs develop business plans, improve financial health, strengthen merchandising execution, and drive profitable sales growth.
Foster open, collaborative, and respectful relationships between Independent Operators and The Company.
Ensure Operators understand and execute against brand expectations, merchandising standards, operational requirements, and customer experience goals.
Partner with Finance operations and field leaders to monitor Operator financial health and address areas of risk or opportunity.
Act as the key regional connector between the field and corporate teams, ensuring East Coast needs, risks, and opportunities are clearly understood and addressed.
Partner closely with Inventory Planning, Finance, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing, Real Estate, Store Operations, and other departments to drive coordinated execution across the region.
Build strong cross-functional operating rhythms to improve communication, decision-making, prioritization, and execution.
Identify systemic issues impacting regional performance and work across functions to develop practical, scalable solutions.
Provide regional insights and business intelligence to support new store growth, market development, real estate decisions, and broader enterprise planning.
Lead complex, high-impact initiatives that require alignment across field leadership, corporate teams, and Independent Operators.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of DSMs and Sr. DSMs, ensuring they are equipped to support Operators and drive regional performance.
Establish clear expectations, priorities, and accountability for the DSM team.
Build leadership capability across the region through coaching, performance management, development planning, and consistent field engagement.
Create a high-performing team culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, humility, service, and results.
Organize and facilitate regional leadership meetings, business reviews, and operating cadences to ensure alignment and execution.
Model a hands-on, approachable, and people-centered leadership style that builds trust with Operators, field teams, and cross-functional partners.