Area Leader, Alabama (South Region)

The Children's Place; Secaucus (NJ); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Paid Time Off

Employee Discount

401(k) and company match

Wellness Reimbursement

Adoption Assistance

Backup care (kids, pets & elderly)

Health insurance plans

life/AD&D

short and long term disability

Job summary

The Children's Place is seeking an Area Leader to oversee a portfolio of stores in a defined market. You will drive sales growth, profitability, and exceptional customer experiences across locations, acting as head coach for Store Leaders and partnering with senior leadership to scale best practices.

You will lead a team, develop leadership talent, and ensure operational excellence, with ~75% time in stores and ~25% in office activities.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of retail management experience, leading a store or multiple stores.
• Proven track record of achieving and exceeding sales goals.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing P&L.
• Strong leadership, communication, and motivational skills.
• Ability to analyze business results and make data-driven decisions.
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and talent development skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to travel including overnight stays.
• Driver's license required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach Store Leaders/Managers to achieve goals.
• Own accountability for area sales, profit, and operations targets.
• Analyze store performance and market trends to identify growth opportunities and risks.
• Partner with Store Manager to drive comp sales and protect margins.
• Manage controllable expenses while maintaining strong service levels.
• Ensure world-class customer experiences reflecting brand values.
• Audit service, selling behaviors, and brand presentation across locations.
• Lead operational excellence and compliance with policies and safety standards.
• Develop and promote top talent to strengthen bench for future growth.
• Spend ~75% in stores; ~25% in office/meetings/training.

Skills

Retail management

Leadership

Financial acumen

Data analysis

Communication

Travel readiness

Job description

Location: Secaucus, New Jersey

Job Summary: The Area Leader oversees a number of stores within a specified market. Area Leader is a strategic business leader responsible for driving sales growth, profitability, and customer experience across a portfolio of stores. Acting as the head coach for Store Leaders, this role executes the company vision, holds teams accountable to high performance, and partners with senior leadership to scale best practices. The Area Leader ensures each store operates at the highest level of service and operational excellence, building a winning culture that inspires results and develops future leaders.

Responsibilities:

Key Accountabilities: Sales & Financial Accountability Own accountability for area sales, profit, and operational targets. Analyze store performance and market trends to identify growth opportunities and risks. Partner with Store Manager to create action plans that drive comp sales, maximize conversion, and protect margins. Manage controllable expenses (payroll, supplies, shrink) while maintaining strong service levels. Customer Experience & Service Standards Ensure stores deliver consistent, world-class customer experiences that reflect brand values. Uphold and audit service, selling behaviors, and brand presentation across all locations. Champion customer-focused initiatives that improve loyalty, retention, and overall satisfaction. Team Leadership & Development Recruit, lead, inspire, develop and manage a team of Store Leaders/Managers, creating a culture of accountability and high performance. Act as a coach and mentor, providing ongoing feedback, recognition, and development to elevate leadership capability. Identify, develop, and promote top talent to strengthen bench for future growth. Build alignment and engagement by clearly communicating business priorities and expectations. Operational Excellence Ensure flawless execution of operational, merchandising, and visual standards across the district. Oversee compliance with company policies, safety standards, and loss prevention programs. Lead the area as a benchmark for service, operations, and culture within the region. Performance Metrics Area sales growth by managing Company measured Key Performance Indicators Store performance consistency and improvement. Leadership development, succession planning, and retention. Customer satisfaction scores across the district. It is anticipated that 75% of time is spent in stores leading and supporting store teams to achieve company goals and 25% is spent office, meetings, and training, although these may vary depending on the needs of the business.

Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of retail management experience, leading a store or a number of stores, preferably in a high-volume or specialty retail environment.
• Proven track record of achieving and exceeding sales goals.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing P&L
• Strong leadership, communication, and motivational skills.
• Ability to analyze business results and make data-driven decisions.
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and talent development skills.
• Flexibility to work a schedule based on business needs, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods, bend, reach, climb ladders, and lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to travel which will include overnight stays.
• Drivers License required

Hourly/Salary $75,000.00 - $150,000.00

Benefits:

• Bonus eligible (depending on role)
• Paid Time Off
• Employee Discount
• 401(k) and company match
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Adoption Assistance
• free backup care (for kids, pets & the elderly)
• choice of health insurance plans
• company-paid life/AD&D
• short and long term disability
• a variety of voluntary benefits and an employee assistance program

The Children’s Place is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

If you are eager to learn and work in a diverse, inclusive, fast-paced and engaging work environment,

We are seeking top talent who are eager to contribute to a high-performing team! We are proud to be the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America and continue to celebrate the success of our collection of brands, including The Children’s PLACE, Gymboree, Sugar & Jade and PJ PLACE.

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