Can you lead a $3M+ business, grow great people, AND still get excited when the first truck of spring annuals rolls in?
Are you the kind of leader who can read a P&L, coach a manager, solve a customer problem, and notice a sad-looking display on the way by?
Ready to run the show - people, plants, performance, and all - without taking yourself too seriously?
Well, you're in luck! O'Toole's Garden Centers is bringing back the Store Manager role, and we're looking for a seasoned operator who knows how to lead a big team, own the numbers, build strong leaders, and create a store customers genuinely love visiting. This is not a clipboard-from-the-office kind of job. You'll be visible, hands-on, accountable, and right in the middle of the action - especially when spring decides to arrive all at once.
Where? O'Toole's Garden Centers
When? Full-time, year-round leadership role
Pay? Starting between $80,000 - $90,000 annually, plus bonus opportunity. Yes, we're serious about finding a great leader.
What You'll Be Doing (Besides Running a Pretty Awesome Garden Center)
Your mission is simple to say and big to deliver: own the store. You'll lead the people, the operation, and the business results - turning company strategy into clear priorities, strong routines, and a team that knows what great looks like.
Lead the Business:
- Own day-to-day store operations and ensure consistent execution of company policies, procedures, standards, and priorities.
- Understand store processes at all levels and problem solve issues when necessary
- Lead the store team of 20+ employees, including managers, leads, and/or seasonal staff, with clear expectations, accountability, and follow-through.
- Translate company goals into practical store-level plans, routines, processes, and performance standards.
- Manage staffing, scheduling, labor deployment, and daily work allocation to meet business needs and customer service expectations.
- Coach, counsel, and develop employees and Assistant Manager; address performance concerns promptly and appropriately.
- Resolve escalated employee and customer issues while protecting the customer experience and company standards.
- Maintain a safe, organized, compliant work environment and ensure health and safety practices are followed.
- Lead implementation of new processes, initiatives, and operational changes, ensuring strong communication and adoption by the team.
Lead the People:
- Lead a team of 20+ employees, including managers, leads, and seasonal team members.
- Coach, develop, and hold Assistant Managers and employees accountable with clear expectations, candid feedback, and consistent follow-through.
- Build leadership depth by helping managers and supervisors grow - because a great Store Manager creates more great leaders.
- Manage staffing, scheduling, and daily work allocation so the right people are in the right places at the right times.
- Create a positive, collaborative, ego-free environment where people work hard, help each other, and know what winning looks like.
Lead the Customer Experience:
- Make sure customers receive friendly, knowledgeable, genuinely helpful service - even on the busiest Saturday in May.
- Resolve escalated customer issues with sound judgment, empathy, and a focus on doing the right thing for the customer and the business.
- Keep the store clean, safe, organized, well-merchandised, and full of compelling displays that make people want to take another lap.
- Execute promotions and seasonal priorities flawlessly, and keep the whole team aligned on what matters most right now.
Lead the Operation:
- Implement new processes, standards, and company initiatives with clear communication and strong adoption from the team.
- Hold regular leadership and store meetings to communicate priorities, results, changes, and expectations.
- Maintain a safe, compliant work environment and ensure company policies, procedures, and health and safety practices are followed.
- Communicate major projects and changes positively, then do the magical leadership thing called follow-up and follow-through.
What We're Looking For
Must-Haves:
- 5 -10+ years of progressive leadership experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree is highly valued.
- 5+ years in store management and/or as a similar senior operational leader in a retail or other complex, high-volume, customer-facing business.
- Demonstrated experience leading a substantial business; experience with approximately $3M+ in annual revenue strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams of 20+ employees; experience leading other managers and/or supervisors strongly preferred.
- Proven ownership of business results across areas such as sales, labor, inventory, customer experience, expenses, and operational execution.
- Strong track record of developing people and successfully implementing processes, routines, and operating standards.
- Strong leadership, communication, planning, organization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
- Business-minded and comfortable using performance data to make decisions, prioritize resources, and drive measurable results.
- Strong personnel management skills and the ability to lead through change.
- Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office, and the ability to learn new systems quicky.
- Able to take direction and follow through on commitments.
- Exhibit superior customer service and sound judgement in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to lift and move product weighing up to 50 pounds.
- Must be able to speak, read, and write fluent English.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus.
- Garden center experience is not required.
Nice-to-Haves:
- Bachelor's degree preferred.
- Experience leading a large-format retail, specialty retail, hospitality, service, or other high-volume customer-facing operation.
- Experience developing managers/supervisors and building scalable operating routines and standards.
Why You'll Love Working at O'Toole's
- Lead a real business with real ownership - not just a shift, a department, or a checklist.
- Work in an environment full of sunshine, fresh air, seasonal energy, and people who genuinely care about what they do.
- Join a supportive, fun, ego-free company that expects a lot and still remembers it's only flowers.
- Build a team, develop leaders, improve the operation, and see the impact of your work every single day.
- Help shape the next chapter of a Store Manager role we're intentionally reestablishing for the future.
Our Garden of Benefits
- Health Insurance - because keeping the leader healthy is pretty important too.
- Dental Insurance - keep that Store Manager smile ready for customers and team meetings.
- Supplemental Insurance - extra coverage for life's unexpected weeds.
- 35% Employee Discount - dangerous information for anyone who has ever said, \"I'm just getting one plant.\"
- Vacation Time - yes, even Store Managers need to stop managing things occasionally.
- Flexible Scheduling - retail has seasons, and life does too.
- Work-Life Balance - we work hard, but we also believe you should have a life outside the garden center.
- Growth Potential - grow the business, grow your people, and grow right along with them.