Lead, Store Initiatives and Continuous Improvement

Ross Stores; Dublin (CA); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

Ross Stores seeks a Continuous Improvement Analytics Lead to drive store operations analytics and payroll quantification of merchandising initiatives. You will leverage data, reporting, and emerging technologies to improve operational effectiveness and deliver actionable insights.

You will partner with IT, Strategy, Finance, Loss Prevention, and other teams to identify opportunities, develop solutions, and support successful implementation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau).
• Experience in retail, operations, or continuous improvement preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysis, development, implementation, and measurement of operational improvement initiatives.
• Analyze labor, payroll, and business data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and visualizations using BI tools.
• Serve as SME on store labor and payroll models and support improvements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable solutions.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Project management

Data-driven decision making

Retail analytics

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

SQL

Python

Job description

Our values start with our people, join a team that values you!

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience.

As part of our team, you will experience:

• Success. Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
• Career growth. We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow
• Teamwork. We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
• Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The Continuous Improvement Analytics Lead will drive and support key Store Operations initiatives that enhance the customer and associate experience in Stores while driving sales. This role combines strong analytical, technical, and project management skills to support data-driven decision making, operational improvements, and strategic priorities within Store Operations. By leveraging data, reporting, and emerging technologies, the Lead will deliver actionable insights that help improve operational effectiveness in Stores and drive measurable results.

The Continuous Improvement Analytics Lead will partner cross-functionally with teams such as IT, Strategy, Finance, Loss Prevention, and others to identify opportunities, develop solutions, and support successful implementation. They will also develop into a subject matter expert in Ross’ labor model and support payroll quantification of merchandising initiatives, process improvements, and new technologies that will impact Stores.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead the analysis, development, implementation, and measurement of operational improvement initiatives that enhance customer experience, associate experience, and business performance.
• Analyze complex operational, labor, payroll, and business data to identify trends, opportunities, and actionable insights that support decision-making.
• Develop and maintain reporting, dashboards, and visualizations using tools such as Power BI, Excel, Snowflake, and other analytics platforms.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on store labor and payroll models, supporting ongoing maintenance, optimization, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Store Operations, Store Planning, Strategy, Finance, Loss Prevention, and IT, to identify opportunities and deliver scalable solutions.
• Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders to define requirements and support the development of reporting tools, systems, and user-facing solutions.
• Conduct financial and operational impact analyses, including ROI assessments, to evaluate opportunities and prioritize initiatives.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and retail AI capabilities to identify opportunities for innovation and operational efficiencies.
• Develop decks, business cases, and written communications that effectively convey insights, recommendations, and project outcomes to leadership.
• Support change management and adoption efforts by developing training materials, process documentation, and job aids that promote consistent execution and sustainable results.

COMPETENCIES

• Building Effective Teams
• Developing Talent
• Collaboration
• Leading by Example
• Communicates Effectively
• Ensures Accountability & Execution
• Manages Conflict
• Business Acumen
• Plans, Aligns & Prioritizes
• Organizational Agility

QUALIFICATIONS & SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED

• Strong candidates will have 7-10 years post college experience, preferably with a top-tier consulting firm or retailer.
• Experience in retail, operations, business analysis, and continuous improvement strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners.
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Technical proficiency in data analysis, reporting, and business intelligence tools (Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python).
• Ability to drive process improvement, change management, and execution of initiatives.
• Experience with labor planning, labor standards, or payroll analytics preferred; MOST® labor standards experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with MasterCard Test & Learn preferred.

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required (preferably in Finance, Analytics, Engineering, or related field).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Job requires ability to work in an office environment, primarily on a computer
• Requires sitting, standing, walking, hearing, talking on the telephone, attending in-person meetings, typing, and working with paper/files, etc
• Consistent timeliness and regular attendance
• Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically
• This role requires regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration, client support, mentoring, coaching, and/or feedback
• However, this role can perform duties effectively using a combination of in-office and remote work

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

NA

DISCLAIMER

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at management's discretion.

Ross is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. We believe that it is an essential part of the Company's overall commitment to attract, hire and develop a strong, talented and diverse workforce. Ross is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

The base pay range for this role $96,700.00 to $162,500.00. The base pay range is dependent on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards vary by position and location.