120 Veterans Memorial Highway #34, Commack, NY, 11725-3460, United States
A career at Whole Foods Market is more than just the work you do- it's about your personal growth and creating meaningful change. Our purpose is to nourish people and the planet. That means improving how people eat, funding grants for school gardens, providing access to fresh and healthy food to people living within food deserts, alleviating poverty in developing countries, and so much more. Working with us means you are making a difference within your community and beyond. We aren’t just a grocery store: we’re world-changers. And with your help, we will continue to set the standards of excellence and revolutionize the grocery industry.
Job Description
The Executive Leader of Field Operations (ELFO) is a critical role in Whole Foods Market operations, reporting directly to the Vice President of Program & Field Support. This leader will lead all Operations Team Leaders for Center Store Teams across all Operational Areas.
Teams reporting to this leader act as the primary support for Team Leaders in the store, including program communication, program implementation support, in-store walks, KPI monitoring and support, and issue resolution.
The ELFO must be a mission-focused and servant leader while also demonstrating the ability to focus on results and accountability. The ability to inspire and support the team around a shared set of expectations and outcomes, as well as excellent communication and people skills, are important for this role.
Candidates must be willing to travel up to 50% of the time and work out of one of our operational area offices five days per week.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- Analyzes operations KPIs across the company for assigned business area to identify opportunities to improve performance
- Defines field support priorities for assigned business area and flexes resources as needed to provide optimal store support
- Partners with leaders from Operational Areas, Merchandising, Distribution, Operations, and other partner teams to resolve issues
- Ensures alignment between Program/Process Support and the organization’s overall vision, values, mission, and business strategies
Operational Execution
- Fosters the team, store and Operational Area understanding and acceptance of Program/Process Support as a key enabler of store performance and continuous improvement
- Spearheads efforts to determine root cause of business-specific operational performance issues
- Takes lead on resolving operational issues that span all Operational Areas
- Ensures high-impact issues/concerns raised by stores or Operational Areas are resolved in a timely manner
- Ensures all (OTL, SFA, Team Leaders) are aligned to business priorities
- Flexes resources to ensure store teams receive effective program rollout, execution and monitoring support
- Champion data-driven, fact-based decision-making to support growth and operational/retail excellence.
- Championing strong focus and execution of food safety and compliance.
- Drive everything necessary to deliver innovation and processes to the stores.
Qualifications:
- BA/BS degree and 8-10 years’ experience in retail store operations OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- 3 + years of Grocery retail physical store experience.
- 4-6 years’ leadership experience
- Graduate degree preferred.
- A background combining operational leadership and program management, focusing on making sure everything follows compliance, and it is done with excellence.
- Experience monitoring and driving KPI accountability.
- Proven experience leading merchandising program execution.
- Proven track record of developing high-performing large, remote teams with robust succession plans.
- Experience leading projects for cross-functional teams and creating cohesion to ensure stated objectives are met.
- Strategic- Experience looking through data to find insights.
- Action oriented- This person will own the road map of planning, prioritization, and coordinating with other support partners such as TMS, Legal, VPs, Program/Process Support, and logistical operational constraints.
- Proven experience using project/program management methodologies to drive execution
- Strong retail physical store business acumen.
- High judgement decisions to resolve risks, roadblocks, and constraints.
- Team player with a positive attitude and ability to lead through ambiguity.
- A proven record of an extremely high level of retail standards and execution.
- Highly articulate, with strong, active listening, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to present and discuss complex information with Senior Leadership and Regional Vice Presidents.
- Strong organizational skills to facilitate and complete multiple cross-functional projects quickly.
- Key success skills: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Shared Fate with Self-Responsibility, Driving Execution, Inspiring Excellence, be a Servant Leader, and Establishing Strategic Direction.
- Proven record of accomplishment and experience to influence without authority.
- A passion for Whole Foods Market’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
- Ability to travel up to 50%.
- Must have the support of your SVP or direct Team Leader