Vacancy: Operations Manager – Durban, KZN

Indgro • Other • Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa • $200 - $300 / year • 1w ago

Vacancy: Operations Manager – Durban, KZN

Our Client, a leader in the Retail industry with branches in Durban and Cape Town, providing a wide range of products to their various stores, is seeking to appoint a committed, suitably qualified and experienced individual to fill the position of Operations Manager for their Durban Region. The successful candidate will be based in their Mobeni Offices in Durban.

The Operations Manager will report to and operate under the direction of the Sales Manager, General Manager, and CEO. Applicants must reside in the Durban area.

Duties & Responsibilities

Competitive shopping and analysis.
Understanding of retail pricing ladders and cost implications.
Monitoring the stock quality and escalating discrepancies to buyers and management.
Running and analysing reports on a regular basis.
Communicating and coordinating with the Operations team and Buyers.
Visiting stores regularly and building a trust relationship with the Operators and Ops Team.
Controlling and giving direction to the Operations department.
Ensuring all processes and operational aspects are implemented and followed in order to achieve sales and operational targets performance by store, department, category, and item; and take steps to achieve budgeted sales.
Monitoring and attending to effective and efficient space utilisation for effective sales, including, but not limited to, space being allocated and planned in accordance to turnover contribution.
To be aware of competitors’ marketing and or merchandising processes and practices. Checking daily with the store responsible on the reports that they need to pull and follow up on any issues.
Analysing weekly foot count reports per store. Analysing and reporting on the same, with reasons and recommendations.
Analysing against previous year and month.
Verifying if there were or are promotions during these periods.
Recommending ways to increase foot count and determining factors that affected the foot count.
Analysing and reporting on the monthly ranking report by department and by store, including:
Reasons and recommendations, department increase and decrease of sales (value and percentage), and change in position ranking compared to previous month.
Suggesting reasons why there is a change in ranking.
Recommendations on how to increase sales on top ranking departments as well as recommendations and suggestions on how to improve the bottom ranking departments.
Seasonal sales affecting ranking of departments.
Promotional sales affecting ranking of departments.
Weekly and monthly analysis and reporting on why the KVI is dropping in sales, and recommend solutions.
Viewing the KVI listing to check stock availability and levels.
Running a comparison between different periods to monitor sales levels.
Running a comparison between competitor store (eg. 002 vs 005) to monitor the sales levels and differences.
Discussing and actioning changes to maximise sales.
Managing Tester and counter supply stock levels at stores to ensure that there are no out of stocks or abuse of these items.
Storing Operational (controllable) costs such as:
Planning and recommending staffing rosters and or plans and limiting staff expenses.
Liaising with the Sales Manager to recommend changes, layout, products and pricing, and improvements in merchandise mix.
Recommending to Sales Manager markdowns, discounts, and promotions to clear stock with Buyers and the Sales Manager.
Controlling and or replenishing and returning of model stocks.
Controlling promotional model stock and targets. Ensuring correct model stocks are in place for each PLU based on sales.
Ensuring availability of stock in all stores.
Reporting and or recommending and advising on trends and new market opportunities, competitor information, new products, promotional trends, and advertising.
To have a good Product knowledge.
Optimising the presentation of line selections per promotion and monitor and report on its effectiveness.
Merchandising and or displaying of promotional lines.
Reviewing sales of promotional lines.
Sharing promotion display information between stores to increase sales at poorly performing stores.
Monitoring sales after actioning display changes.
Recommending any layout changes and or improvements to the Sales Manager to improve sales.
Ensuring store display structures are installed and placed strategically to optimise sales in a safe manner and look presentable.
Controlling of shelving and display material and quantities.
Overseeing merchandising and maintaining standardisation across all stores.
Visiting potential sites with the basis of providing input on possibility of success.
Proposing and recommending store designs and layouts.
Analysing, recommending, and planning staffing requirements.
Analysing of the product range to meet the demographics of the area.
Installing shelving as per agreed layout and design. Reporting weekly and or monthly on the effective merchandising of the new store to achieve optimal sales, including any recommendations.
Inducting and training new store staff on operations.
Instilling, monitoring, motivating, and reporting monthly on all staff at all times to ensure that stores always give best possible service to all its customers.
Understanding and communicating the company’s operational strategy and tactics to align with the above.
Ensuring and maintaining a high level of staff motivation.
Labour scheduling by day, week, and by month.
Promoting staff development (including appraisals) and training, by store.
Reporting and referring to HR, where necessary, and resolving staff or employee issues and incidents, including:
Nature of issue.
Who was the issue discussed with (HR).
Decision taken regarding the issue.
Has the issue been resolved, and what was the outcome.
Recommendations on how to avoid these issues in the future.
Staff Time management.
Checking the security report and assisting with staff issues and disciplinary actions, and provide monthly reports to HR and the General Manager, including:
All disciplinary action to be sent to HR as each issue is addressed.
Summary of all issues to be sent to HR and the General Manager on a weekly basis.
Following up and action daily security reports with regards to disciplinary action and training identified.
Discuss with staff issues picked up on security reports.
Identify training required for staff from issues reported.
Plan and action training with the assistance of the HR department.
Assist store managers on a need basis.
Do frequent daily and or weekly store visits and report on same.
Store image.
Use of display material.
Stock levels.
Product queries, complaints, and suggestions.
Marketing.
Competitor information.
Staff training.
Receiving.
Reports usage and actioning.
Staffing.
Establishment of a staff compliment that are multi-functional and that can multitask.
Ensures all company procedures and subsequent management amendments are adhered to and that staff are fully conversant with them.
Monitoring and reporting of store daily summary report.
Ensures that all company policies and processes concerning cash, stock and premises are followed.
Ensures personnel are fully aware, trained and understand all policies and procedures.
See to it that all stores and staff adhere to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Policies by immediately reporting any non-compliance to the Health and Safety Manager, and monthly report on store Health and Safety in general. Ensure that a trained Health and Safety Rep and First Aider are placed at each store.
Action a Health and Safety checklist in stores once a month when visiting.
All issues picked up to be reported to the Health and Safety Manager and management.
Daily, weekly, and monthly Health and Safety reports and tasks are carried out and report on same.
To interact with the Operations team and provide frequent recommendations and plans on operational strategy to achieve the company operational and sales objective in conjunction with the sales manager.
To ensure that all operational decisions are effectively implemented at store level.
Daily sales promotions report and propose and action recommendations to address any shortfalls.
Monitoring and reporting of supplier activities at store level in conjunction with the Buyers and Marketing.
Which supplier activities took place at the store.
What items were being promoted.
Ensure that stores have enough stock of items being promoted.
Feedback from the store on the promotion.
Sales of items that were promoted to analyse the added value of the promotion.
Ensure all store operations are carried on in an appropriate, cost-effective way.
Draft, improve, and adapt operational management systems, processes, policies, and best practices.
Recommend the purchase of materials where necessary, plan inventory, and oversee stores efficiency.
Assist with, report on, and see to it that the company’s operational processes remain legally compliant.
Formulate and or recommend strategic and operational plans, objectives, and targets.
Examine financial and operational data and use them to plan and recommend ways to improve profitability and operational success.
Manage operational budgets and forecasts.
Perform quality controls and monitor and report on operational KPIs.
Recruit, train and supervise staff.
Find ways to increase quality of customer service.
Implement and monitor customer service standards and promote in-store services to customers.
Ensuring a high standard and shopper experience for customers.
Resolving and or referring any customer complaints and queries that escalate from the store.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Grade 12 (Twelve).
Relevant Diploma or Degree would be an added advantage.
At least 3 (Three) years of experience in an Operations Manager role in a Retail or FMCG environment.
Proficiency in using MS Excel, MS Word, and MS Outlook.
Valid drivers licence and own reliable vehicle.
Creative mindset.
Good understanding of the target market and products.
Ability to make decisions.
Analytical skills.
Manage the Operations Department staff.
Interpersonal skills.
Ability to multi-task to work well in a team.
Good organisational skills.
Drive and determination.
Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
Ablity to cope under pressure and adapt to changing situations.
Capabilty to work in a fast-paced environment.
Self-starter and ability to work with minimum supervision.
Hands-on, team player, who is passionate, confident, and disciplined.