Manager of Labor- Retail

UNFI; Stillwater (MN); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

UNFI is seeking a Labor Manager to lead enterprise labor outcomes and optimize scheduling and standards. You will partner with District Managers, Finance, IT, and Sr. Leadership to drive labor forecasting, performance visibility, and field execution improvements.

You will own system-driven standards, coordinate with UKG-related owners, and mentor the Sr. Labor Analyst while aligning labor analytics with enterprise priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Analytics, or related field.
• 6+ years in retail operations, labor management, or related roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects from scoping to sustainment.
• Experience partnering with field leaders, Finance, and analytics or systems partners.
• Proficiency with Excel and data analysis; familiarity with BI tools preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own labor outcomes and accountability across stores with visibility and execution.
• Partner with District Managers and Finance to align on labor targets and savings.
• Translate labor data into actionable recommendations for leaders.
• Lead labor optimization projects, including standards and scheduling improvements.
• Own system-driven labor standards and coordinate with IT and business partners.
• Manage, coach, and develop the Sr. Labor Analyst and ensure priorities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align labor initiatives with financial targets.

Skills

Labor planning

Scheduling

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Operations/Analytics

Tools

UKG

Kronos

Opus

Power BI

Tableau

Excel

Job description

The Labor Manager is accountable for enterprise labor outcomes and serves as the primary operational leader for labor optimization. This role partners with District Managers, the Sr. Labor Analyst, Finance partners, and Retail Operations leadership to improve labor planning, scheduling effectiveness, standards adoption, and field execution. The Labor Manager leads cross-functional labor optimization projects, including system-driven labor standards and related business process changes, while partnering with technical owners for UKG configuration, system administration, and platform support. The Labor Manager directly leads and develops the Sr. Labor Analyst, ensuring alignment between labor analytics, labor standards, labor optimization initiatives, and field execution priorities. This position reports to the VP of Operations and maintains a dotted-line working relationship with the Sr. Director, Operations Value Delivery Office (VDO) to ensure alignment with enterprise value delivery priorities.

Job Responsibilities:

Labor Outcomes - Owns

• Own labor outcome accountability across stores, including performance visibility, field adoption, and sustained execution against labor productivity goals.
• Partner with District Managers to identify labor performance gaps, align on field action plans, and support consistent execution of labor expectations.
• Partner with Finance to connect labor planning, productivity targets, forecast assumptions, and measurable savings or investment outcomes.
• Translate labor reporting and operational insights into clear recommendations for field leaders and senior leadership.
• Establish routines, scorecards, and follow-up mechanisms that reinforce accountability for labor outcomes without shifting field ownership away from Operations leadership.
• Directly manage, coach, and develop the Sr. Labor Analyst.
• Establish priorities and objectives for labor analytics, labor standards validation, reporting, and project support activities.
• Ensure analytical insights are translated into actionable recommendations that drive labor outcomes.
• Create strong alignment between labor reporting, labor standards, project work, and field execution needs.
• Support professional development and succession planning within the labor function.

Labor Optimization Projects - Owns

• Serve as the primary business leader for labor optimization initiatives from scoping through implementation and sustainment.
• Lead cross-functional project work related to labor standards, master schedule planning, workload alignment, scheduling effectiveness, and labor process improvement.
• Own business requirements, operational design decisions, change management plans, adoption measures, and leadership communication for labor optimization projects.
• Lead and develop the Sr. Labor Analyst while partnering closely on analysis, standards validation, reporting, and project milestone support.
• Coordinate with Finance, Merchandising, HR, IT, and other partners to align labor initiatives with operational priorities, financial targets, and store impact.

System-Driven Labor Standards - Accountable Business Owner

• Lead the business ownership of system-driven labor standards, ensuring standards reflect current operating models, work content, volume drivers, and store needs.
• Direct standards review and validation routines through the Sr. Labor Analyst and in partnership with Finance, District Managers, and functional business partners.
• Approve or shift business decisions related to standards changes, labor model assumptions, and operational implications.
• Ensure labor standards are understood by field leaders and translated into practical scheduling and execution guidance.
• Partner with technical system owners to ensure approved standards and business requirements are accurately reflected in labor management tools.

Labor Systems - Partners / Influences

• Act as the business owner for labor system outcomes, requirements, prioritization, and adoption, but not the technical owner of UKG configuration or system administration.
• Lead the Sr. Labor Analyst and partner with IT, HR, and system support teams on UKG, Opus, and related labor tools to ensure business needs are clearly defined and validated.
• Participate in user acceptance testing, enhancement prioritization, and system change readiness from a business and field-execution perspective.
• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, labor standards alignment, schedule quality, reporting usability, and user experience.
• Escalate technical system issues to appropriate support owners and remain accountable for business impact, communication, and operational resolution plans.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work closely with the Sr. Director, Operations VDO through a dotted-line relationship to align labor work with enterprise value delivery priorities and operational transformation efforts.
• Maintain strong partnership with the VP of Operations, District Managers, Sr. Labor Analyst, Finance, HR, IT, TAAS, Merchandising, and store leadership.
• Prepare and present labor outcome updates, project status, decision points, risks, and recommendations for working sessions, business reviews, and leadership readouts.
• Build field confidence in labor processes by connecting standards, schedules, reporting, and execution expectations in a clear and practical way.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements: Education/ Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Finance, Analytics, or related field required.

Experience

• 6+ years of experience in retail operations, labor management, workforce planning, operations analytics, productivity improvement, or multi-unit operational leadership; grocery, retail, or perishable operations experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects independently from scoping through implementation and sustainment.
• Experience leading, coaching, or directing analytical resources or cross-functional project contributors preferred.
• Experience partnering with field leaders, Finance, and analytics or systems partners to improve labor outcomes and operational execution.
• Working knowledge of UKG/Kronos, Opus, or comparable labor planning and scheduling tools preferred; hands-on technical configuration ownership is not required.

Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities

• Strong understanding of retail labor planning, scheduling effectiveness, productivity management, and field execution routines.
• Ability to set direction, establish priorities, and lead a small labor function with clear accountability for outcomes and deliverables.
• Ability to connect labor data, operational realities, and financial targets into actionable recommendations and project plans.
• Strong project leadership, communication, change management, and stakeholder alignment skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and data analysis tools; experience with BI/reporting platforms such as Power BI or Tableau preferred.
• Ability to translate labor standards, system outputs, and analytical findings into clear field guidance and leadership messaging.
• Comfortable managing multiple concurrent priorities across field execution, labor standards, system-driven initiatives, and business process change.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to influence and align across Operations, Finance, HR, IT, Merchandising, and store teams.

Hybrid Role:

This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office three (3) days per week. The acceptable split between onsite and remote work is determined by the manager. Hybrid associates may choose to work from an office on a more frequent basis than required.

Travel (minor):

This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons.

Physical Environment/Demands: Office Roles:

• Most work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Incumbent may use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment in the course of a normal workday.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.