01
The Foundation
## Mission
Bring quality everyday essentials within walking distance of every neighborhood we serve.
## Vision
500 stores by 2030, each one indispensable to its community.
## Core Values
- Customer first, every visit
- Operator-led stores
- Lean and disciplined
- Local relevance over national uniformity
- Long-term thinking
02
Alignment brief
COO is sponsor. Board approved Apr 28. Existing regional managers know the search is happening.
03
Traction seat
Own all 38 store operations across 6 states. Hit a 14% same store sales lift in 18 months. Inherit 4 regional managers, an ops analyst, and a backlog of operational debt from a fast 2025 expansion.
04
Twelve-month KPIs
- 01Same store sales: +14% over rolling 18 months
- 02Store manager retention: 85% over 12 months
- 03New store ramp time: under 90 days to break even
- 04Mystery shop score: 4.4/5 average across all stores
- 05Labor cost as % of revenue: under 18% (currently 21%)
05
Non-negotiables
- 01Has run 25+ retail locations across multiple states
- 02Has owned a P&L of $40M+
- 03Has hired and fired regional managers
- 04No corporate retail only. Has been a store manager at some point
06
Failure profile
The candidate who has never been a store manager. They will manage from the spreadsheet and the regional managers will run circles around them.
07
Role competencies
- 01Multi site P&L ownership
- 02Regional manager development
- 03Labor model design
- 04Inventory and shrink control
- 05New store ramp playbook
08
Culture competencies
- 01Has been in a store at 6pm on a Friday in the last 30 days
- 02Knows the names of at least 3 store managers
- 03Sees turnover as a leading indicator, not a stat
09
Job description
Director of Operations, Beacon Retail Group. 38 locations. 6 states. Reports to COO. Base $175k to $200k plus 25% bonus.
10
Candidate Onboarding Plan
30 days. Store visits in every market.
Walk every region. Sit with store managers during peak and close. Ride trucks. Name the one operational issue that shows up in every market.
60 days. Labor model redesign.
Regional manager 1:1s, every one. Rebuild the labor model around peak hours, not corporate-set targets. Get the four RMs to sign off.
90 days. Same store sales plan.
Plan approved by the CEO and CFO. Three regional pilots launched. Tracking weekly on the same dashboard everyone sees.
6 months. First pilot data, first wins.
Pilot stores show at least 4% same-store-sales lift vs control. Operational debt backlog cut in half. Two store-manager-led process improvements rolled out chain-wide.
1 year. The chain runs on one system.
+14% same-store-sales achieved. Store manager retention at 85%+. Labor model is a live document the RMs own. Next-year expansion plan signed by the board.
11
Sourcing strategy
Where: Targets, Marshalls, REI, Lululemon district managers. Avoid: pure HQ ops people.
12
Eleven-touch outreach
Standard 11 touch sequence. Most close on touch 7.
13
Interview guide
Round 1: Mike + COO. Round 2: store visit + working session. Round 3: 2 regional managers + 1 store manager.
14
Reference check guide
Two former direct report regional managers. One former store manager.
15
Offer letter
Standard offer. Negotiation room on equity and bonus structure.
16
Close strategy
For ops leaders the counter is usually scope, not cash. We pre empted by including the new market expansion in the role.
17
Day-one handover
Day 1 store visit in the worst performing market. Day 2 the best.
18
Post-hire review system
30/60/90 review with the COO. Same store sales trend visible by day 60.
19
Hiring timeline
9 to 11 weeks end to end.
Built using the method
Same approach Mike has used across 200 placements.
Build your own kit for your own role. Free. About fifteen minutes. Same shape, same method.