Manager, Retail OperationsQ for Quinn |Toronto, ON| Full-time, in person, 5 days a week | Start: Immediately
About Q for QuinnQ for Quinn makes thoughtfully designed everyday essentials for women and families, including socks, underwear, bras, maternity, nursing, and kids' basics. We've built our community online, and in 2027 we're opening our first retail store. This store will be where we prove what a Q for Quinn in-person experience can be, and it will shape how we grow from here.
The RoleWe're looking for a builder and an operator in one person. You'll join us before the store exists and help bring it to life, from the build-out through opening day. Then you'll stay on to run it. You'll be responsible for the store end to end: the space, the team, the customer experience, and the results.
This role is for someone who likes wearing many hats. You'll coordinate contractors one week and plan a community event with a local yoga studio the next. You'll work closely with our Founder and CEO, who is leading the vision for the store concept. Your job is to bring that vision to life on the ground and make it work day to day. If this first store succeeds, you'll help us roll the concept out to future locations.
What You'll DoPhase 1: Launch the Store- Project management. You'll manage the store opening project from planning through to opening day, including timelines, budgets, vendors, and contractors, and you'll keep leadership updated on progress and risks.
- Build-out. You'll oversee renovation and construction, working with contractors, designers, and trades to make sure the space is delivered on time, on budget, and to our standards.
- Store setup. You'll coordinate fixtures, signage, point-of-sale systems, and everything else a store needs to be ready to open its doors.
- Store design. You'll partner with our Founder and CEO and the design team to carry out the store concept, so the physical space feels like a natural extension of the Q for Quinn brand.
- Launch planning. You'll plan and execute the grand opening, working with our marketing team to build awareness and draw people in from day one.
Phase 2: Run the Store- Team building. You'll recruit, hire, onboard, and train our sales associates, and you'll build a team that is warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful to our customers.
- Operations. You'll manage day-to-day store operations, including scheduling, inventory, receiving, cash handling, opening and closing, and store upkeep.
- Visual merchandising. You'll create displays and product presentations that tell our story, refresh them regularly, and use what you see on the floor to find what works.
- Customer experience. You'll create a welcoming, comfortable space where customers get real fitting help and product guidance, including for life stages like pregnancy and nursing.
- Performance. You'll own the store's sales targets, labour budget, and key metrics, and you'll report regularly on what's working and what we should change.
- Online and offline together. You'll work closely with our e-commerce and marketing teams on promotions, inventory, and customer insights.
Always: Grow the Community- Local partnerships. You'll build relationships with local health and wellness businesses, such as fitness studios, prenatal and postnatal practitioners, midwives, physiotherapists, and parenting groups, and turn them into partnerships that bring new people through our doors.
- Events and activations. You'll plan and run in-store events, workshops, and pop-ups that make the store a destination, not just a place to shop.
- Traffic-driving ideas. You'll bring ideas for getting people into the store and keeping them coming back, and you'll carry out the ones we decide to pursue.
What You Bring- Retail leadership. You have at least 5 years of retail experience, including at least 2 years managing a store and a team.
- Opening experience. You have been involved in opening a new store, or you have managed renovation, construction, or a similarly complex project with many moving parts.
- Merchandising eye. You have a strong visual sense and experience creating displays that draw people in and drive sales.
- Hiring and coaching. You have a track record of hiring well, training thoroughly, and building a team people want to stay on.
- Entrepreneurial mindset. You are comfortable with ambiguity and shifting timelines, and you can figure things out without a playbook.
- Community builder. You enjoy networking, and you have ideas for local partnerships and events. Existing connections in the local health and wellness community are a big plus.
- Business sense. You're comfortable with budgets, sales reporting, and inventory management, and you make decisions with the numbers in mind.
- Brand fit. You connect with our mission of making comfortable, well-designed essentials for women and families through every stage of life.
Nice to have: experience in apparel, intimates, maternity, or wellness retail; experience at a digitally native brand opening its first physical location; and familiarity with retail POS and inventory systems.
Work ArrangementThis is a full-time, in-person role, five days a week. During the build-out phase, you'll be on-site and working closely with our team and contractors. Once the store opens, your schedule will include weekends and some evenings, based on store needs.
Why Join Us- Build something from the ground up. You'll help open our very first store and be part of shaping what Q for Quinn retail becomes.
- Work alongside the founder. You'll work directly with our Founder and CEO, and your input from the floor will help refine the concept as we grow.
- Room to grow. We're opening this store to prove the concept before we expand, so there's a clear path to a bigger role, Director of Retail Operations as we add locations.
- Compensation. Competitive Salary, Bonus and Benefits.
How to ApplyPlease apply by submitting your answers in this form: https://vcvmf9sejdk.typeform.com/to/jxCXFXbG
Q for Quinn is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and we'll provide accommodations throughout the hiring process on request.
