Area Manager

Protectol Health; Ernakulam; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Aarogya Pharmacy – Protectol Health Care Pvt. Ltd. is seeking an experienced Area Manager to oversee a cluster of stores and drive performance. You will manage operations, sales, GP, inventory, and customer experience while ensuring regulatory compliance.

The role requires hands-on leadership, partnership with Store Managers and pharmacists, and a strong focus on operational excellence, team development and store profitability across the area in Kerala.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in any discipline.
• Retail management, Business Administration or Healthcare Management is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of multiple Aarogya Pharmacy stores.
• Drive sales, gross profit, margins, and inventory efficiency.
• Coach Store Managers and pharmacists for productivity.
• Ensure SOP adherence and regulatory compliance.
• Analyze store KPIs and implement improvement plans.
• Support new store launches and expansion activities.

Skills

Retail ops mgmt

People leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Multi-store management

GP & margins

Education

Graduate degree in any discipline

Retail/Healthcare management qualification

Job description

Company: Aarogya Pharmacy – Protectol Health Care Pvt. Ltd.

Position: Area Manager – Pharmacy Operations

Department: Operations

Reporting To: Head – Operations

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and result-oriented Area Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations and performance of a cluster of Aarogya Pharmacy stores.

The Area Manager will be responsible for driving sales, gross profit, margins, inventory efficiency, customer experience, team productivity and overall store profitability, while ensuring that all stores operate in line with company standards and applicable pharmacy regulations.

The role requires a hands-on retail leader who can work closely with Store Managers and pharmacists, identify performance gaps, implement corrective actions and build a strong culture of ownership and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Store Operations & Performance

• Manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of multiple Aarogya Pharmacy stores within the assigned area.


• Ensure stores consistently meet operational, sales and profitability targets.


• Monitor store-wise performance and identify gaps against budgets and KPIs.


• Conduct regular store visits and ensure action plans are implemented and followed through.


• Ensure adherence to company SOPs, operating standards and processes.


• Work closely with Store Managers to improve overall store productivity and operational efficiency.


• Drive achievement of sales, GP and gross margin targets across the assigned stores.


• Analyse store-wise sales trends, category performance and customer buying patterns.


• Identify opportunities to improve prescription, OTC, wellness and other relevant category sales.


• Drive effective execution of promotions, campaigns and business initiatives.


• Coach Store Managers and teams on conversion, basket size, upselling and customer engagement.

3. Inventory Management

• Ensure optimum inventory levels across stores while maintaining product availability.


• Monitor stock cover, fast/slow-moving products, ageing inventory, expiries and stock-outs.


• Improve inventory productivity and minimise working capital locked in excess or non-moving stock.


• Ensure effective replenishment and inter-store stock movement wherever required.


• Monitor and control inventory losses, damages, expiries and shrinkage.


• Ensure availability of key fast-moving and essential products.

4. People Management

• Lead, coach and develop Store Managers, pharmacists and store teams.


• Ensure adequate manpower deployment based on store requirements and business volumes.


• Monitor staff productivity, attendance and performance.


• Identify training and development requirements and coordinate with HR/L&D.


• Build a performance-driven and customer-focused culture within the area.


• Support recruitment and onboarding of key store-level positions when required.

5. Customer Experience

• Ensure consistently high customer service standards across all stores.


• Monitor customer feedback and complaints and ensure timely resolution.


• Identify opportunities to improve customer retention and repeat business.


• Ensure stores maintain a professional, clean and customer-friendly environment.

6. Compliance & Quality

• Ensure all stores comply with applicable pharmacy, drug-control, statutory and company requirements.


• Ensure proper prescription handling, dispensing practices, documentation and storage standards.


• Conduct regular compliance checks and close identified gaps within agreed timelines.


• Ensure adherence to company policies relating to cash handling, inventory, security and operational controls.

7. Business Reporting & Analysis

• Review daily, weekly and monthly store performance reports.


• Analyse key KPIs and provide actionable insights to the Head – Operations.


• Prepare and track store-level action plans for underperforming locations.


• Monitor key operational metrics including:


• Gross Profit & Gross Margin


• ATV / Basket Size


• Customer/Transaction count


• Inventory & Stock Cover


• Expiry & ageing


• Manpower productivity


• Store operating expenses

8. New Store & Business Expansion Support

• Support the Operations Head in new store launches and expansion activities.


• Assist with manpower planning, stock planning, operational readiness and pre-opening activities.


• Ensure new stores achieve operational stability and performance targets within the planned timeline.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Area Manager will be evaluated primarily on:

• Achievement of area sales targets


• Gross Profit and gross margin improvement


• Store-level profitability / EBITDA


• Inventory productivity and stock availability


• Reduction in expiries, damages and shrinkage


• Store compliance and audit performance


• Customer satisfaction and retention


• Staff productivity and retention


• Execution of company initiatives and SOP adherence


• Improvement of underperforming stores

Candidate Profile

Education:

• Graduate degree in any discipline.


• Additional qualification in Retail Management, Business Administration or Healthcare Management will be an advantage.

Experience:

• Ideally 5–8 years of experience in retail operations, with at least 2–3 years managing multiple stores/locations.


• Experience in pharmacy, healthcare retail, FMCG, supermarket, fashion, sports or other organised retail may be considered.


• Candidates with strong multi-store retail operations experience and a proven track record of delivering business results are preferred.


• Multi-store retail operations management


• Strong understanding of GP and gross margin


• Inventory and working-capital management


• People leadership and team development


• Analytical and problem-solving ability


• Customer-centric approach


• Strong execution and follow-through


• Communication and interpersonal skills


• Ability to work independently and take ownership


• Strong understanding of retail KPIs and business performance

Preferred Candidate

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on retail leader who is comfortable spending significant time in stores, working directly with Store Managers and frontline teams.

We are looking for someone who does not limit the role to monitoring operations but actively drives business performance, identifies opportunities, solves problems and takes ownership of the profitability and growth of the assigned stores.