General Manager (9 Month Contract)

Indigo; Nelson; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Indigo in Canada seeks a General Manager to lead Coles, Indigo Spirit or Smithbooks. You will model Indigo Beliefs, drive sales, profitability and an exceptional employee experience on the sales floor and in leadership meetings.

You will develop a strong leadership team, empower staff, manage budgets, and ensure visual excellence and customer-centric service. The role requires flexibility, mobility on the sales floor, and bilingual abilities where applicable in Québec.

Qualifications

• College degree preferred or equivalent job experience.
• 3+ years of management experience in a retail environment; experience leading leaders.
• Ability to be mobile on the sales floor for extended periods of time.
• Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Ability to lift medium to large items, up to 40 pounds, while using appropriate equipment and safety techniques.
• Bilingualism (French/English) is required for all positions in Québec.

Responsibilities

• Supports and empowers team to make decisions, creating a highly engaged and high performing team.
• Develops a high-performing leadership team that is accountable for creating a best-in-class employee experience.
• Owns self-development and provides continuous feedback to Regional Director.
• Inspires a visual experience that aligns with Indigo brand standards.
• Responds to customer feedback in a timely manner, ensuring the customer remains a top priority.

Skills

Leadership

Employee engagement

Budget management

Bilingual English/French

Education

College degree or equivalent

Job description

Indigo is a physical and digital place inspired by and filled with books, ideas, beautifully designed lifestyle products, and the creative people who help make it all happen. We believe in real books, living life fully and generously, being kind to each other and to the environment, and that stories — big and little — connect us. Indigo is our customer's happy place — for joyful moments of discovery and to connect with people who share their passion for reading, their belief in ideas, and their commitment to making the world a better and more beautiful place.

Our Guiding Principles

• We Will Hire, Inspire, Promote and Retain the Best
• We Will Be Customer Centric
• We Will Be Entrepreneurial
• We Will Be Committed to Caring About Each Other, Our Communities, and Our Environment
• We Will Be Committed to True and Shared Value Creation
• We Will Be Systems Thinking, Data Driven and AI enabled

Job Description

You cultivate an environment that promotes authentic best-in‑class employee and customer experiences and are guided by our culture and our mission of adding joy. Your role as a General Manager with Coles, Indigo Spirit or Smithbooks is one of collaboration, innovation, inspiration, support, and coaching and in doing so, you help to create and sustain a high performing culture focused on delivering sales and profit goals. Your store models operational and visual excellence. You consistently role model the Indigo Beliefs and are a leader that sets examples for your team to follow.

Key Performance Measurements

• Employee Engagement
• Net Promoter score
• Sales to Plan
• Store Profit

Key Accountabilities

Talent

• Supports and empowers team to make decisions, creating a highly engaged and high performing team.
• Develops a high-performing leadership team that is accountable for creating a best-in-class employee experience.
• Develops internal talent; building a bench for future store needs.
• Unlocks full potential of employees by providing consistent feedback.
• Owns self‑development and provides continuous feedback to Regional Director.

Cultural Ambassador

• Role models Indigo’s High Performance Characteristics.
• Represents Indigo as a brand ambassador, bringing to life Indigo’s mission of creating joy.
• Promotes a Story Telling culture fulfilling our goal to enrich the lives of our customers.
• Cultivates an environment of trust where the opinions, voices, and well‑being of employees are valued, enabling people to bring their best selves to work.
• Inspires a customer‑centric culture in stores bringing to life Indigo’s mission of creating joy and enriching lives.
• Encourages entrepreneurship that is consistent with brand standards.
• Fosters an environment where everyone knows their health and safety is a top priority and where everyone actively participates in ensuring the health and safety of each other and our customers.
• Is an agent of change within their store.
• Responds to customer feedback in a timely manner ensuring that the customer remains a top priority.

Qualifications

• Gains alignment with Regional Director on store specific goals and objectives for fiscal year.
• Ensures teams drive best-in‑class employee engagement and net promoter scores.
• Consistently meets and exceeds sales plans.
• Effectively manages budgets and cost centres, driving positive Store Profitability.
• Holds team accountable for operational excellence.
• Inspires a visual experience that consistently aligns with the Indigo brand standards.
• Ensures leadership and store staff schedules are fully optimised to drive sales and productivity.
• Actively engages in community‑based marketing and events to grow sales and strengthen community ties.

Experience Required

• College degree preferred or equivalent job experience.
• 3+ years of management experience in a retail environment; experience leading leaders.
• Ability to be mobile on the sales floor for extended periods of time.
• Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Ability to lift medium to large items, up to 40 pounds, while using appropriate equipment and safety techniques.
• Bilingualism (French/English) is required for all positions in Québec.

Additional Information

At Indigo, all applications submitted are reviewed in detail by our HR team. In certain aspects of the hiring process artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used, specifically for screening and assessments. These tools support our team and are used to help bring relevant criteria to the foreground and do not replace human judgment. We are committed to using AI responsibly, fairly, and in compliance with applicable employment and anti‑discrimination laws. We regularly review these tools to help prevent bias or discrimination.

At Indigo, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility are core to our values. We integrate these principles into our training, policies and hiring practices and continuously evolve to reflect the needs of the communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and lived experiences, including but not limited to individuals who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour), members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and persons with disabilities. If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail].

This posting is for a current opportunity within Indigo.

We respect your privacy throughout the recruitment process. Our Candidate Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use and protect your personal information when you apply for a role with Indigo, and the choices available to you.