Area Manager (Kota Kinabalu & Johor Bahru)

Guardian Malaysia; Sarawak; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian Malaysia is seeking an Area Manager to lead retail operations across multiple stores in Sarawak, driving merchandising, inventory control and customer service standards.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years in retail with multi-store experience, strong leadership, and willingness to travel across locations. Proficiency in MS Office and retail systems is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–8 years of retail experience, with at least 2–3 years in a multi-store/area management role, preferably in pharmacy, health & beauty, or FMCG retail.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven ability to drive sales, profitability, and operational excellence across multiple stores.
• Solid understanding of retail operations, including merchandising, inventory management, shrinkage control, and store compliance.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate, and build high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales reports, KPIs, and market trends to drive business decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and retail systems.

Responsibilities

• Generates sales by creating and ensuring the stores are presented in easy to shop, logical, clean, attractive shopping, and providing customers with the highest retails standards.
• Closely monitor competitor activities, weekly store visits to ensure competitive advantage is maintained.
• Provides information on issues that is affecting the store’s team to drive operational efficiencies.
• Analyze sales data to increase sales and profit, and provide feedback to Operations Managers and the Buying Team.
• Delivers customer service of the highest standards, ensuring store team understands and carry out such standards at all times.
• Train and develop such consumer-centric culture within our store operations.
• To deal with customer queries / complaints promptly and professionally.
• Ensure health & safety regulations are being observed by the SMs and maintain a safe working environment.
• Ensure a safe working environment is maintained across the stores.
• Minimize store theft and loss, create controls, security measures and train/develop staff on general awareness.
• Plan, organize and utilize manpower resources effectively to maximize staff productivity.
• Provide effective leadership, motivation and training at store level, as well as setting and maintaining high standards.
• Cultivate disciplined environment in the stores and apply HR guidelines to manage disciplinary procedures.
• The duties may vary; comply with health and safety policy and risk assessments.

Job description

Is this your next challenge in Area Manager?

Key Responsibilities

Sales

• Generates sales by creating and ensuring the stores are presented in easy to shop, logical, clean, attractive shopping, and providing customers with the highest retails standards.
• Closely monitor competitor activities, weekly store visits to ensure competitive advantage is maintained.
• Provides information on issues that is affecting the store’s team to drive operational efficiencies (i.e. over booking of supplier standees or insufficient inventory on the weekly DOTW.
• Analyze sales data to increase sales and profit, and provide feedback to Operations Managers and the Buying Team

Cost

• Is accountable to sign off all the expenses of the stores except R&M expenses, to sign-off the damaged/expired/RL forms/stock take results.
• Ensure proper controls are implemented in stores to meet business targets and budgets in the following areas: -
• Theft and loss
• Store expenses
• Stock level
• Staff cost
• Stock turn days

Service

• Delivers customer service of the highest standards, ensuring store team understands and carry out such standards at all times.
• Train and develop such consumer-centric culture within our store operations.
• To deal with customer queries / complaints promptly and professionally (escalate to the next level, if necessary).

Hygiene and Safety

• Ensure health & safety regulations are being observed by the SMs
• Ensure a safe working environment is maintained across the stores

Theft and Loss/Security

• Ensures all company procedures in relations to cash, stock control and any other procedures are fully understood and implemented.
• Minimize store theft and loss, create controls, security measures and train/develop staff on general awareness.

Management, Development and Training of Employees

• Plan, organize and utilize manpower resources effectively in order to maximize staff productivity.
• Provide effective leadership, motivation and training (as necessary) at store level, as well as setting and maintaining high standards.
• Cultivate disciplined environment in the stores and apply HR guidelines to manage disciplinary procedures.

Others

• The particular duties and responsibilities attached to posts may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. All company employees are required to undertake the following general duties:
• Carrying out such other duties as may be reasonably requested by the direct superior, or any senior manager
• Compliance with health and safety policy and procedures and risk assessments
• Awareness of the Company’s Equality and Diversity Policy and targets, and actively promoting equality of opportunity

Do you have experience in Area Manager?

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–8 years of retail experience, with at least 2–3 years in a multi-store/area management role, preferably in pharmacy, health & beauty, or FMCG retail.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven ability to drive sales, profitability, and operational excellence across multiple stores.
• Solid understanding of retail operations, including merchandising, inventory management, shrinkage control, and store compliance.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate, and build high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales reports, KPIs, and market trends to drive business decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Customer-focused mindset with a passion for delivering exceptional in-store experience.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and problem-solving skills.
• Willing to travel frequently and support multiple store locations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and retail systems.