Director of Operations

Coborn's Inc. is hiring a new Director of Operations to join our growing team! As the Director of Operations, you will provide strategic and hands-on leadership to Store Directors, Liquor Managers, and Franchise Managers, and cross-functional teams to achieve sales, margin, guest satisfaction, and employee engagement goals. You will also partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, and Supply Chain to deliver results aligned with company goals, standards, community values, and brand standards!

On a day-to-day, you will direct and manage the daily operations of your assigned retail supermarkets, liquor stores, and in-store franchise operations, and ensure consistent execution and excellence across assigned operations by implementing company programs, optimizing operational efficiencies, and driving continuous improvement.

Additional Duties Include:

Operational Leadership & Financial Performance:

• Lead execution of operational and financial strategies that achieve sales, profit, and expense control goals across grocery, liquor, and franchise operations.
• Analyze financial and operational reports to identify performance gaps, profit opportunities, and cost-reduction initiatives; create and execute action plans to address findings.
• Ensure each location achieves budgeted performance goals through effective leadership, accountability and operational follow-through.
• Conduct weekly store visits to assess operational standards, coach leaders, review performance, and ensure consistency with company policies and brand expectations.
• Provide strategic oversight and performance support for assigned franchise or partnership operations, ensuring alignment with company financial goals, brand standards, and operational requirements.

Store Standards & Guest Experience:

• Champion operational standards that promote simplicity, clarity, productivity, and brand consistency.
• Ensure every location maintains the highest standards of cleanliness, merchandising execution, speed of service, and community engagement.
• Partner with Store Directors and Support Center teams to strengthen local promotional activity, guest-experience initiatives, and community involvement.

Program Execution & Collaboration:

• Collaborate with Merchandising and Marketing to ensure programs, promotions, and pricing strategies are executed accurately and consistently across all locations.
• Partner with Category and Space Planning teams to ensure stores are operationally ready for new programs, resets, and seasonal initiatives.
• Work closely with Liquor and in-store franchise operation teams to ensure regulatory compliance, brand alignment, and financial performance within assigned markets.
• Partner with corporate leadership and external franchise partners to develop and implement programs, promotions, and operational strategies that strengthen the franchise business model.
• Lead initiatives to ensure franchise integration supports the broader enterprise strategy and brand consistency across all retail formats.

People Leadership & Culture:

• Build and sustain a culture that emphasizes guest obsession, teamwork, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Partner with location leaders and HR to recruit, develop, and retain top talent, ensuring effective succession planning and leadership readiness.
• Train, coach, and mentor store leaders to achieve performance excellence in operations, merchandising, and team development.
• Model and reinforce company Vision, Mission, and Values in all actions, decisions and communications.

Strategic Projects & Communication:

• Serve as the primary communication bridge between assigned stores and the Support Center.
• Lead and participate in new store openings, remodels, and special events, ensuring operational readiness, staffing, and flawless execution.
• Collaborate with Facilities, Supply Chain, and IT to maintain operational reliability, inventory flow, and store conditions that support the business plan.
• Participate in strategic planning, budgeting, and enterprise initiatives to support multi-banner growth and long-term profitability.
• Provide regular operational summaries and performance updates to the VP of Operations, highlighting key wins, challenges, and opportunities.

What's In It For Me?

Our remarkable employees are at the heart of everything we do. At Coborn's, we're committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace-one that offers a vibrant, team-oriented environment, ongoing career growth, and meaningful benefits. As an employee-owned company, we believe in investing in our people and their futures.

We're proud to offer a variety of benefits to both our full-time and part-time employees, including:

• 10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise-specific discounts available at company owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert's, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.
• Get Paid Daily with DailyPay - for employees who would like access to their pay before payday, we offer this great benefit!
• Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)
• Paid Floating Holidays & time and a half (1 ) paid for hours worked on a company-recognized holiday!
• Sunday Premium Pay - an extra $1 per hour for hours worked on Sundays (some exclusions apply)
• Paid Military Leave
• Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month
• Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources - to assist our team members in living a life of wellbeing!
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - unlimited phone access to legal, financial, and work-life services and up to five free in-person counseling sessions, per situation/issue, per year
• Access to a national discount marketplace for travel, electronics, auto/home insurance , entertainment and more!
• Tools, resources and opportunities for career growth and development
• 401(k) plan options - we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed
• Participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) - yes, we're employee-owned! Our team members benefit from the success of the company through this company-sponsored benefit!
• Education benefits including tuition discount and scholarship programs
• Additional Voluntary Benefits - such as vision, accident and critical illness insurances

If you're hired or promoted into a full-time position with our company, you will also be eligible for: Medical & Dental Insurance, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Tuition Reimbursement, Adoption Reimbursement, Paid Family Caregiver Leave, as well as company-sponsored Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance!

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, or related field preferred. Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 8-10 years of progressive leadership experience in multi-unit retail, supermarket, or grocery operations, including direct P&L responsibility.
• Experience overseeing liquor and/or in-store franchise operations (coffee, foodservice, or specialty concepts) strongly preferred.

Job Skills

• Proven track record of driving sales growth, profitability, and operational excellence in a fast-paced, guest-focused retail environment.
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing high-performing teams, managing complex budgets, and implementing enterprise initiatives.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, safety, labor laws, and industry standards within grocery and liquor retail operations.
• Advanced proficiency in financial analysis, reporting tools, and operational systems (e.g., POS, labor management, merchandising systems).
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and change-management skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners.

We believe that building a team of people with different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and perspectives inspires fresh thinking and opens us up to new possibilities. We are an EEO/AA Employer - All qualified individuals, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Are you friendly, dependable, and passionate about working with people? At Coborn's, Inc., we love serving our guests, supporting our communities, and helping our team members grow their careers. If you're looking for a place where you can build a future while making a positive impact every day, we'd love to talk to you about joining our team!

Coborn's, Inc. is a fast-growing, employee-owned grocery retailer proudly serving communities across the Midwest. Our family of grocery stores includes Coborn's, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher's, Tadych's Marketplace Foods, Sullivan's Foods, and Kessler's. We offer our guests an elevated shopping experience-both in-store and online-focused on freshness, value, and convenience. Guided by our company vision to inspire happiness, healthy living, and simplicity, this principle has fueled our growth for more than 100 years and is at the heart of everything we do.

Coborn's, Inc. also owns and operates liquor stores under the Coborn's Liquor, Cash Wise Liquor, Andy's Liquor, and Captain Jack's brands. In addition, we operate fuel kiosks and convenience store locations under the Little Dukes and Coborn's Express names. Many of our grocery stores also feature full-service pharmacies to support the health and wellness of our guests. We manage a variety of other retail businesses in markets where the fit is right, including Ace Hardware, Country Floral Gifts & Greenhouse, Caribou Coffee, Dunn Brothers Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert's, Godfather's Pizza, and Pet Supplies Plus. To support our diverse retail operations, we operate our own central bakery, fresh foods commissary, and grocery warehouse and distribution center.