Retail Operations Efficiency Manager

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited in Midrand seeks a Retail Operations Efficiency Manager to design, implement, and continuously improve store-level operations across the retail network.

You will translate strategy into actionable processes, SOPs, and labour frameworks, lead productivity initiatives, and collaborate with IT and regional teams to reduce friction and drive consistent performance.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in business, operations, industrial engineering, supply chain or related field, or 5-7 years in retail operations.
• Experience leading operational and store transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Translate retail operations efficiency strategy into actionable processes, tools, initiatives and routines for stores.
• Design and implement operational processes, SOPs, and frameworks that drive consistency, simplicity, and efficiency across the store network.
• Own national labour productivity frameworks, including workforce modelling, scheduling optimisation, and time and motion analysis.
• Drive ROI on operational staffing investments through evidence-based productivity management.
• Analyse labour data to identify productivity gaps and implement targeted improvement interventions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, identifying and eliminating operational friction and inefficiency at store and regional level.
• Deliver centralised operational support that resolves store issues efficiently and consistently within defined SLA’s, whilst proactively tracking trends, surfacing risks early, and driving preventative action to reduce recurring issues across the network.
• Standardise operational tools and routines to reduce execution complexity and improve store performance metrics.
• Monitor execution and drive corrective actions where required.

Skills

Retail operations

Labour modelling

Workforce planning

Scheduling optimisation

Data-driven decisions

Lean methodologies

Continuous improvement

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Process design

Education

Degree/diploma

Job description

Retail Operations Efficiency Manager is accountable for designing, implementing, and continuously improving the operational systems, processes, and frameworks that enable consistent, high-quality store execution across the Dis-Chem retail network.

Minimum Requirements…
Essential:

• Degree or diploma in business, operations, industrial engineering, supply chain or related field or 5-7 years of experience in retail operations, admin, process optimisation, continuous improvement or store efficiency roles.
• Experience leading operational and store transformation/improvement initiatives

Responsibilities

Operational efficiency and value delivery

• Translate retail operations efficiency strategy into actionable processes, tools, initiatives and routines for stores. Operational Efficiency and Process Design
• Design and implement operational processes, SOPs, and frameworks that drive consistency, simplicity, and efficiency across the store network.
• Own national labour productivity frameworks, including workforce modelling, scheduling optimisation, and time and motion analysis.
• Drive ROI on operational staffing investments through evidence-based productivity management.
• Analyse labour data to identify productivity gaps and implement targeted improvement interventions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, identifying and eliminating operational friction and inefficiency at store and regional level.
• Deliver centralised operational support that resolves store issues efficiently and consistently within defined SLA’s, whilst proactively tracking trends, surfacing risks early, and driving preventative action to reduce recurring issues across the network.
• Standardise operational tools and routines to reduce execution complexity and improve store performance metrics.
• Monitor execution and drive corrective actions where required.

Leadership and collaboration

• Leading specialist functions including - Retail Systems and Process Excellence, Retail Productivity, and Retail Operations Support ensuring that operational efficiency, labour productivity, and issue resolution are delivered at scale.
• Co-ordinate and execute new processes, systems and operational routines, partnering with store and regional retail management in line with strategy, target benchmarks and best practice.
• Build strong relationships with operations and admin, store, regional and divisional managers and cross-functional partners to drive aligned, cohesive operational execution.
• Work closely with IT and technology partners to identify system inefficiencies and drive simplification and improvement

Governance and risk

• Maintain accurate and current operational performance reporting, escalating material issues to the Head of Retail Operations Efficiency.
• Ensure completion of store operational audits and implementing corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with operational policies, SOPs, and regulatory requirements across the retail

Competencies

Essential:

• Strong retail operations understanding and knowledge of retail store environments, SOPs and execution frameworks.
• Labour modelling, workforce planning, and scheduling optimisation capability.
• Detail oriented with ability to think big-picture
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Strong problem-solving and implementation skills, with execution and delivery focus.
• Demonstrated expertise in continuous improvement, process optimisation, and lean methodologies.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical, scalable store solutions.

Key Performance Indicators

• Operational efficiency Operational friction (issue volume+ resolution) and efficiency. Store operational compliance rate.
• Productivity performance –Labor productivity and scheduling accuracy. Time and motion efficiency metrics.
• System performance - System performance, reliability (error rates), simplification
• Process efficiency – Process execution, adoption rates, simplicity, compliance
• Execution quality – Implementation success rate of improvement initiatives