Retail Operations and Training Manager-Contract

Who We Are:

At Arterra Wines Canada, we aim to inspire the simple joys of life, and we come to work every day with a shared passion to build wine brands people love. As a pioneer in the Canadian wine industry with 150 years of experience, our success is driven by our people. We work together with integrity and pride, striving to reach our fullest potential every day, and we’re looking for people who do the same.

We are undergoing a pivotal transformation, actively in search of dynamic individuals poised to make a substantial impact within our ever-evolving organization. Are you someone who embraces change and excels in diverse roles that span across various functions? If so, we look forward to hearing from you!

Job Description:

The Retail Operations & Training Manager-Contract (1 year) is responsible for ensuring operational excellence across the Wine Rack network while building frontline capability through training and coaching. This role leads store transitions, overseas operational programs and compliance, drives continuous improvement, and implements training programs that ensure consistent execution of strategic initiatives. The position acts as a connective layer across departments and the field, translating operational priorities into measurable results and fostering a culture of learning and high performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Program & Compliance Management (25%)

• Manage Wine Rack operational programs, tools, and processes to ensure compliance and consistency across all locations.
• Oversee procurement, deployment, and re-order schedules for supplies, signage, and equipment.
• Maintain oversight of store-level security, vendor coordination, and incident tracking.
• Coordinate with IT and fulfillment teams to ensure POS, inventory, and reporting systems are reliable and adaptable to future needs.
• Partner with compliance teams to ensure certifications, regulatory requirements, and internal policies are maintained.
• Build and maintain operational guides, knowledge libraries, and compliance calendars
• Provide support to the Retail Strategy team to operationalize promotions, pricing, and placement strategies across banners.

Store Transition Project Management (20%)

• Lead end-to-end project management for store openings, relocations, co-locations, and closures.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans covering timelines, tasks, owners, and dependencies across cross-functional teams.
• Ensure store requirements for licensing, staffing, IT, merchandising, and compliance are met.
• Conduct operational audits during transitions to validate execution.
• Manage post-opening/closing action items to ensure completion and continuous improvement.

Training & Capability Development (25%)

• Develop, deliver, and maintain training programs for all levels: District Manager, Area Manager of Retail, Multi-store Managers, Team Leads & Wine Merchants.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and materials; recommend and implement improvements.
• Coach and support leaders and store teams on operational best practices.
• Partner with field leadership to embed training into daily operations and ensure consistency.

Continuous Improvement & Strategic Support (20%)

• Lead initiatives to streamline processes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency
• Analyze operational and training performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Provide insights to Senior Manager and leadership to inform strategy, retail innovation, and customer experience design.
• Support strategic pilots, partnerships, and corporate initiatives
• Coordinate with Real Estate, Marketing, IT, and other departments to ensure timely rollouts with actionable project plans.
• Partner with Finance, Retail Strategy and Senior Manager to link new operational capabilities and performance to P&L, OPEX, and CAPEX outcomes.
• Provide field-based insights that inform future strategy, retail innovation, and customer experience design.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by embedding feedback loops and driving refinements to programs, systems, and standards

Internal Stakeholder Collaboration 10%

• Act as a trusted partner to cross-functional teams (Marketing, Finance, Real Estate, IT, Procurement, HR, Training), strengthening alignment between strategy and execution.
• Provide operational reporting and insights to support business decisions.
• Conduct post-mortem evaluations of projects, initiatives, and training programs for enterprise-wide learning.

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in business, retail management, or training & development.

• 5+ years retail operations experience with multi-site management and training/coaching exposure

• Strong financial and analytical skills (P&L, OPEX, CAPEX).

• Excellent project management, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

• Smart Serve certification.

Preferred:

• BA in Business Administration or Certificate in Training & Development.

• Experience in beverage alcohol, grocery, or other regulated retail environments.
• Experience in beverage alcohol, grocery, or other regulated retail environments; prior multi-store training experience
• Prior responsibility large-scale retail project execution.

• Advanced MS Office and project management tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheet, MS Project, etc.)
• Facilitation or group training certification

Working Conditions:

• Office environment (80%). Travel to customer sites and/or Wine Rack locations (20%).
• Field visits require flexibility, including evenings, weekends, and occasional overnight stays.
• Car required for travel to store locations

What We Offer:

• Hybrid work model, allowing employees to balance remote and in-office work.

• Competitive Salary and Bonus.

• Product Allowances.

• Training & Development Programs.

• Tuition Reimbursement.

• Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. 

• A chance to explore and learn more about the Wine industry.

Compensation: Budgeted Range – $89,028.00 - $115,213.00 The budgeted range takes into account several factors and qualifications that are considered in making compensation decisions including experience, education, training, licenses, certifications, and other business and organizational requirements. Base pay is only one component of the total rewards offering at Arterra.

The budgeted range will align with qualifications, including experience, education, training, licenses, certifications, and other business and organizational requirements.

We are committed to establishing a qualified workforce that reflects the diverse population it serves and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We are also committed to preventing and removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities, and we invite you to inform us should you have any accessibility or accommodation needs.