Director, Retail at Sodexo

Title: Director, Retail

• Location: GAITHERSBURG MD or Remote, United States
• Employment Status: Full Time

Leads and participates in retail development activities that impact the attainment of Business Segment sales & profitability goals and enterprise wide retail initiatives. Responsible and accountable for managing performance of given category(ies) within Sodexo’s retail offering. Responsible for managing direct relationships with key vendor partners, marketing and desing agencies and Sodexo stakeholders and subject specialists across multi-disciplines. Output will be used to drive comparable unit sales growth within segments, as well as new sales and retention, and also demonstrating competitive differentiation in the market.

• Basic Education Requirement – Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Basic Management Experience – 5 years
• Basic Functional Experience – 5 years
• Sodexo is an EEO/AA/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran employer.

Sodexo is seeking a Director of Retail to support our Culinary Solutions team. This is a virtual position, and successful candidate may office anywhere in the United States.

This position is targeting a starting salary between the range of $80,100 to $187,100. This position is also bonus eligible. 15% of base salary is the target bonus and 22.5% of base salary is the maximum bonus.

The Director, Retail:

• Leads and participates in retail development activities that impact the attainment of Business Segment sales & profitability goals and enterprise wide retail initiatives.
• Is responsible and accountable for managing performance of given category(ies) within Sodexo’s retail offering.
• Is responsible for managing direct relationships with key vendor partners, marketing and design agencies and Sodexo stakeholders and subject specialists across multiple disciplines. Output will be used to drive comparable unit sales growth within segments, as well as new sales and retention, and also demonstrating competitive differentiation in the market.

In this position, you will lead the development and management of retail programs that impact the attainment of Segment sales & profitability goals and enterprise wide marketing initiatives. The retail programs are supported with tools and resources that contribute towards NorAm regional results. The scope includes the NORAM Retail Commerce Strategy. This retail commerce program is being built now and the successful candidate will be an integral part of the team. We need an innovative person who can help us take Sodexo retail to the next level .

Most importantly, you will direct and lead the management and optimization of this innovative project identified by Culinary Solutions priorities and Segment Marketing needs. This includes, but is not limited to, sales item master plans for Cold Beverages, Snacking, our culinary stations and Take Away.

Also included is the supervision and planning of:

• The Retail Ranger tool development in collaboration with the Digital Development Team,
• Pricing of packaged goods optimization in collaboration with the Pricing Team and
• The development and update of planograms in collaboration with the Category Development team.

Additionally, you will direct and lead the management of Mindful i.e. develop strategic plans to drive continuous improvement of brand positioning, sales and profitability, and B2C, B2B and B2O engagement. This includes leading Mindful’s culinary development, content marketing strategy (incl. social media platforms)and celebrity endorsements.

We are looking for candidates who will:

• Develop and implement a Retail Assortment Strategy to optimize revenue growth and profitability through menu optimization mechanics, menu cadence, day part targeting, on selling and upselling, effective merchandising, and consumer communication.
• Support the development of Retail Excellence programming and activities, including the integration of In The Zone and Mindful, but also ancillary programs such as small wares, packaging, uniforms etc.
• Work closely with divisional marketing teams, Supply management and other stakeholders to ensure retail programs aligned to business & marketing strategy and engagement to attain objectives.
• Ensure communication of strategy, positioning and progress to stakeholder groups across Region.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Understanding of retail business dynamics and consumer and industry trends
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects with different stakeholders, leading cross functional teams, and delivering on time, on budget, and to specification.
• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills
• Strong presentation skills; able to present at Senior Leadership levels within the organization
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong listening and influencing skills gaining engagement of Senior Leadership

Minimum Qualifications Preferred:

• 6 to 8 years minimum management experience,
• 3 to 4 years experience in Retail, Marketing or related field preferred but not necessary Experience in Fast Casual / Casual Dining, operations and/or marketing strongly preferred.

At Sodexo, we believe every employee should have the resources to be their best. As part of our overall rewards, we offer benefits programs designed to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle including health, dental and vision insurance. We also offer other benefits like paid time off, financial and savings programs, 401k, and access to our employee assistance program and other discounts. Click here for more information about Sodexo’s Benefits.