Multi Unit Manager Designate

WHSmith North America; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

WHSmith North America is seeking a National Deployment Multi-Unit Manager Designate to provide temporary field leadership across properties in the United States. You will lead operational stability, commercial performance, and customer experience during vacancies, openings, acquisitions, and transformations.

The role requires 5–8 years of senior leadership in high-volume environments, multi-unit accountability, strong analytical skills, and the ability to travel nationwide up to 75%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5–8 years of progressive leadership experience in high-volume environments.
• Proven multi-unit leadership with accountability for sales, profitability, compliance, and people.
• Experience traveling up to 75% across North America.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational leadership of assigned properties during vacancies, transitions, openings, acquisitions, or strategic deployments.
• Drive sales, profitability, payroll, labor productivity, shrink, and operating expense targets with actionable plans.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and inspire leadership teams to foster accountability and engagement.
• Ensure consistent execution of operational standards, inventory management, safety, and compliance across stores.
• Lead stabilization and transformation efforts for underperforming properties and new openings.
• Collaborate with Field Ops, Central Ops, Finance, People, and other functions to resolve challenges and implement initiatives.
• Deploy across markets and formats, with travel to support priorities.

Skills

Multi-unit leadership

Data analysis

Labor management

Inventory control

Operational compliance

People development

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Management/Retail

Tools

Microsoft Office

LMS

Analytics tools

Job description

The Multi-Unit Manager Designate (National Deployment) serves as a highly capable field leader providing temporary operational leadership, stabilization support, leadership coverage, and deployment across multiple properties throughout the United States. This role fills critical leadership vacancies, supports new store openings, acquisitions, operational transformations, and business-critical initiatives while ensuring uninterrupted execution of operational standards, commercial performance, and customer experience.

Job Responsibilities

• Enterprise Operational Leadership: Assume full operational leadership of assigned properties during leadership vacancies, business transitions, new store openings, acquisitions, organizational changes, or other strategic deployments. Establish stability quickly while maintaining accountability for commercial performance, operational excellence, compliance, customer experience, and financial results.
• Commercial & Financial Performance: Lead delivery of sales, profit, payroll, labor productivity, shrink, and operating expense targets by translating business objectives into clear execution plans. Analyze performance trends, identify opportunities, and implement timely actions that improve conversion, average transaction value, inventory productivity, and overall profitability.
• People Leadership & Talent Development: Recruit, develop, coach, and inspire high-performing leadership teams that foster accountability, engagement, and operational excellence. Conduct performance management, succession planning, talent assessments, and leadership development while creating an inclusive, customer-focused culture aligned with company values.
• Operational Excellence & Execution: Champion consistent execution of all operational standards, including inventory management, receiving, replenishment, merchandising, labor planning, cash controls, food safety, health & safety, regulatory compliance, and asset protection. Ensure stores consistently execute company programs, initiatives, and standard operating procedures.
• Business Stabilization & Transformation: Lead operational recovery and stabilization efforts within underperforming or newly assigned properties by assessing business conditions, identifying root causes, developing corrective action plans, and driving measurable improvements in operational performance, compliance, customer experience, and financial results.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with Field Operations, Central Operations, Finance, People, Commercial, Asset Protection, Facilities, and landlord partners to resolve operational challenges, support strategic initiatives, coordinate major projects, and ensure seamless execution across multiple business functions.
• Deployment Leadership: Deploy across multiple markets, retail formats, and geographic regions based on business priorities. Provide immediate leadership support for vacancies, peak trading periods, acquisitions, remodels, regulatory events, and enterprise initiatives while maintaining operational continuity and minimizing business disruption.

Salary: $85,000 - $95,000 annually

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Hospitality, Retail Operations, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5–8 years of progressive leadership experience in retail, hospitality, travel retail, airport operations, or other high-volume customer-facing environments.
• Proven multi-unit leadership experience with accountability for sales, profitability, operational performance, compliance, and people leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading training, coaching, operational improvement, change management, and large-scale initiative deployment.
• Strong expertise in labor management, inventory control, shrink reduction, operational controls, compliance, health and safety, and employee relations.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyze performance data, identify root causes, and develop actionable business solutions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, LMS, and operational reporting and analytics tools.
• Experience supporting new store openings, operational transformations, and multiple retail formats preferred.
• Ability to travel extensively throughout North America (up to 75%) to support operational initiatives, training, and field priorities.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended field assignments as business needs require.

About Us

WHSmith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide. WHSmith North America, incorporating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion, represents over half of the Company’s international store estate, with a collection of attractive, successful specialty retail stores located in airports and resorts across North America.

EEO/ADA/DFWP

WHSmith North America is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin/ancestry, age, gender identity, gender expression, military/veteran status, marital status, disability status or any other basis prohibited by law.