Store Manager - The Shops at Willowbend

J.Jill is a national lifestyle brand that provides apparel, footwear and accessories designed to help its customers move through a full life with ease. The brand represents an easy, thoughtful, and inspired style that celebrates the totality of all women and designs its products with its core brand ethos in mind: keep it simple and make it matter. J. Jill offers a high touch customer experience through over 200 stores nationwide and a robust ecommerce platform. J.Jill is headquartered outside Boston.

The Store Manager is responsible for leading their store team to maximize store potential, achieving sales productivity goals and profitability as well as hiring, coaching and developing associates as selling and style advisors. Works closely with the District Manager to ensure corporate policies are adhered to and ensures excellent J. Jill visual merchandising and operational standards in the store.

Sales Generation and Performance

Accountable for leading the store team to achieve individual and store sales and productivity goals through inspiring and motivating coaching:

• Lead the achievement of store sales plan and all store goals and develop actionable plans to improve store performance if necessary
• Ability to forecast and analyze business and communicate appropriate goals to associates to drive results and hold teams accountable, while managing expenses
• Communicate store and individual goals to all associates in the store and coach and motivate associates to contribute their best efforts. Ensure the management team is using current reports and tools consistently and effectively to communicate the right goals and priorities to all associates
• Identify and celebrate individual and team successes
• Drive, in partnership with District Manager, local outreach and events to acquire new customers and increase customer visit frequency, in alignment with brand right, company sponsored programs
• Build customer loyalty by leading associates to create genuine connections with customers, drive J. Jill credit card business, and loyalty programs as applicable
• Work with customers and lead the team to resolve merchandise and customer service issues timely and effectively, ensuring a positive customer experience and continued customer loyalty

Talent Management

• Identify and continually recruit talent to support J. Jill culture, goals and objectives, maintaining bench strength to ensure all positions are filled in a timely manner
• Responsible for creating a top producing, talented team that is focused on achieving individual and store goals. Coach and develop associates to achieve goals through positive, specific and inspiring feedback and challenging assignments
• Conduct ongoing training and development of all associate on selling culture and techniques, policies and procedures, and operational and visual merchandising standards
• Resolve HR related issues timely and professionally according to company policy in partnership with District Manager

Coach and Develops Store Team

• Create a positive, energetic and inspiring store atmosphere of both teamwork and individual associate contribution:
• Act as a sales leader by delighting customers with service that is unique to her needs, helping customers build an entire wardrobe through genuine, guiding and helpful advice
• Ensure an effective leader is scheduled and functioning in the role of sales leader on the sales floor at all times, creating a positive and energetic environment
• Challenge individuals to learn and grow and try new skills and selling approaches, and share their successes and knowledge with one another
• Encourage store associates to try on new styles to further their product knowledge and share product knowledge with their team
• Encourage store associates to project J. Jill brand and style advisor image
• Direct and coach all associates to ensure a consistent environment of greeting every customer promptly and genuinely, re-engaging on the selling floor, and wardrobing customers

Visual Merchandising

• Strong visual merchandising skills with ability to make appropriate product and fixture placement decisions
• Plan, direct and execute floor sets and ongoing re-merchandising of store to delight and inspire the customer
• Ensure excellent visual standards are consistently maintained
• Ensure the sales floor is continually replenished according to minimum product level standards

Operational Excellence

• Create optimal weekly store schedules to maximize sales floor coverage during peak selling times. Adjust schedules as needed to meet customer needs.  Leverage payroll to drive sales and meet company productivity goals
• Continually assess store team structure to meet the current store needs and address availability and roster issues in a timely manner
• Ensure daily use of the current reports and tools to plan strategy of floor coverage and management of tasks
• Achieve excellence in all operational areas and functions including: knowledge and implementation of all company policies and procedures, marketing, product replenishment, markdowns and promotions, store cleanliness and backroom organization
• Protect company assets and reduce merchandise shrink by managing internal, external and administrative inventory processes according to company procedures
• Ensure compliance to company policies and procedures, and federal, state, and local employment laws to ensure a safe environment and protect company assets
• Work with the District Manager as needed on loss prevention investigations

• Ability to forecast and analyze business trends and make effective action plans
• Proven ability to network; acquiring and maintaining talent
• Passionate about fashion and the J. Jill brand; continually engaged
• Treats everyone on the team with dignity and respect, and motivates through inspiring and encouraging leadership
• 4-6 years Women’s Specialty Retail Management experience required, 1+ years in a Store Manager position preferred
• Excellent leadership qualities, training and team building skills
• Proven excellent customer service skills with statistical track record in all areas of sales
• Established history in recruiting and retaining a talented sales and support team
• Excellent communication and analytical skills
• Strong style, merchandising and wardrobing skills
• College degree preferred, or previous work experience in a management position
• Point of Sale and general office software technical experience
• Experience in relevant Human Resource processes

At J.Jill, we believe our associates should be seen, valued, and celebrated. We support the advancement of our associates by harnessing their unique contributions to grow and improve, and our success is guided by a culture that values keeping it simple and making it matter. J.Jill is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing an inclusive and professional workplace free from discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at J.Jill are based solely upon business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status or any other legally protected status.  J.Jill provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals, in accordance with applicable laws.  If you need to inquire about an accommodation to assist with completing the application process, please email Talent.Acquisition@jjill.com