General Manager

Indigobooksmusic; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Indigo Books & Music in Ottawa is seeking a results-driven Store Leader to translate Indigo's strategic priorities into focused, store-level execution. You will drive the My Performance Scorecard process, coach teams in real-time, and optimize customer experience while maintaining retail standards.

You will recruit and develop a high-performing CER team, manage scheduling and labor costs, protect sales and shrink, and build strong connections with the local community through events,

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive leadership experience in a specialty retail and/or multi-unit environment.
• College degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a customer-first culture, delivering exceptional employee and customer experiences that drive engagement, loyalty, and business performance.
• Adaptable and resilient leader who can lead calmly through change, model a growth mindset, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable team culture.
• Strong business acumen translating enterprise priorities and sales results into focused store-level action.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic priorities into focused store-level execution using the My Performance Scorecard process.
• Anticipate and mitigate risks to execution by identifying barriers and influencing cross-functional partners.
• Ensure Indigo Experience and READ customer service models are brought to life through coaching and SGL practices.
• Champion connection to the local community through book localization, events, and authentic social media presence.
• Ensure brand standards through disciplined visual merchandising using the VMA process.
• Drive store operations through regular review of Key Process Scorecard performance and coaching.
• Own scheduling to optimize labour and customer experience while maintaining productivity.
• Deliver profitability through disciplined resource management and shrinking actions to protect sales and operations.
• Apply strong business acumen to identify opportunities, assess performance, and take action to improve store results.
• Ensure clarity of roles and accountability across the store team per the RASI model.
• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing store leadership and CER team through onboarding and coaching.
• Lead talent reviews, calibration, and succession planning; address performance and engagement risks.
• Drive employee engagement and strong employee relations; foster a collaborative, inclusive high-performance culture.
• Ensure health and safety for employees and customers, complying with provincial policies and standards.
• Model Indigo values and principles to maintain a positive, accountable work environment.

Skills

Store leadership

Customer-first culture

Change management

Collaboration

Business acumen

Education

College degree preferred

Job description

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Net sales and profitability
• Loyalty (plum and email acquisition)
• Key Process Scorecard results
• Store engagement score

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - what the work is

• Leads the translation of Indigo's strategic priorities into focused, store-level execution, leveraging the My Performance Scorecard process to align objectives, drive disciplined action, and deliver measurable results.
• Anticipates and mitigates risks to execution, identifying systemic barriers and influencing cross-functional partners to enable consistent delivery of the intended customer and operational experience.
• Ensures the Indigo Experience and R.E.A.D. customer service model are consistently brought to life through strong Sales Generation Leadership (SGL) practices, including active, in-the-moment coaching to reinforce behaviours, elevate execution, and drive customer engagement and results.
• Champions meaningful connection to the local community through book localization, curated events and experiences, and an authentic social media presence that builds engagement, relevance, and brand affinity.
• Ensures consistent delivery of Indigo's brand standards through disciplined visual merchandising execution, leveraging the VMA process to reinforce presentation, drive consistency, and enhance the customer experience.
• Drives effective and efficient store operations through regular review of Key Process Scorecard performance, using insights to coach the team, reinforce accountability, and continuously improve execution and results.
• Owns the scheduling process, ensuring effective deployment of labour to deliver a consistent customer experience while optimizing productivity and operational efficiency.
• Delivers profitability through disciplined resource management and leadership of targeted shortage and shrink action plans, mitigating inventory risk while protecting sales and operational performance.
• Applies strong business acumen to identify opportunities, assess performance, and take action to improve store results.
• Ensures clarity of roles, responsibilities, and accountability across the store team, reinforcing expectations aligned to the store structure and RASI model.
• Recruits, develops, and retains a high-performing store leadership and CER team through structured onboarding, coaching, and ongoing development.
• Leads talent review, calibration, and succession planning within the store, identifying high-potential employees and creating targeted development opportunities.
• Identifies and addresses performance, conduct, and engagement risks, taking appropriate action to maintain a strong, values-aligned team.
• Drives employee engagement through strong employee relations, meaningful action planning, and the creation of a collaborative, inclusive team environment.
• Ensures the health and safety of employees and customers, maintaining full compliance with all provincial policies, procedures, and standards.
• Models and embeds Indigo's guiding principles and values, fostering a positive, accountable, and high-performance team culture.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• Store employees
• Store leadership team
• Regional Human Resources Manager
• Regional Loss Prevention Manager
• Regional Visual Merchandising Manager
• Retail Operations team
• Facilities/IT support

External:

• Customers
• Consignment authors/agents and event vendors
• Landlord/facilities contacts and service providers, as required

Reports to: Regional Director/District Manager

Manager once Removed (MOR): Senior Vice President, Retail

WHO YOU ARE:

• 6+ years of progressive leadership experience in a specialty retail and/or multi-unit environment, including experience leading leaders and managing high-performing teams
• College degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Demonstrated ability to lead a customer-first culture, delivering exceptional employee and customer experiences that drive engagement, loyalty, and business performance
• Adaptable and resilient leader who can lead calmly through change, model a growth mindset, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable team culture
• Strong business acumen with ability to translate enterprise priorities and sales results into focused store-leve