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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Retail Operations Coordinator

💰 $40,000 - $65,000

RetailOperationsCoordinationStore Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Retail Operations Coordinator is a results-oriented operational professional who ensures smooth, efficient day-to-day retail store operations across one or multiple locations. This role combines inventory control, merchandising execution, vendor coordination, performance reporting, and process improvement to maximize sales, reduce shrink, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. The coordinator partners with store leadership, regional operations, supply chain, loss prevention, merchandising and eCommerce teams to execute store initiatives, monitor KPIs, and support scalable retail programs such as store openings, seasonal resets, promotions, and omnichannel fulfillment (BOPIS/Ship-from-Store).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Retail Sales Associate / Senior Sales Associate
  • Assistant Store Manager / Shift Lead
  • Inventory Specialist / Stockroom Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Store Operations Manager / Multi-Unit Operations Manager
  • Regional Operations Manager / Area Manager
  • Retail Project Manager / Merchandise Planner

Lateral Moves:

  • Inventory Analyst
  • Visual Merchandising Coordinator
  • Omnichannel Fulfillment Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Coordinate daily store operations across assigned locations, ensuring all stores adhere to company standards for opening/closing procedures, cash handling, safety protocols, and store presentation to drive consistent customer experiences.
  • Own inventory management activities including cycle counts, stock replenishment, shrink reduction strategies, and reconciliation of point-of-sale (POS) and warehouse management system (WMS) records to maintain inventory integrity and reduce stockouts.
  • Execute merchandising plans and seasonal resets by partnering with visual merchandising and store teams to ensure on-time fixture updates, planogram compliance, and promotional displays that align with marketing calendars and drive conversion.
  • Monitor, analyze and report weekly and monthly KPIs—sales, conversion, average transaction value (ATV), inventory turn, sell-through, and shrink—providing insights and action plans to store leadership and regional managers.
  • Manage promotional execution and pricing adjustments in-store and in POS systems, coordinating markdowns, promotional signage, and clearance strategies to optimize margin and reduce aging inventory.
  • Coordinate with vendors and suppliers for timely delivery of product, fixtures and promotional materials; verify invoices, resolve discrepancies, and escalate supply chain issues that affect store operations.
  • Lead store-level loss prevention and compliance programs by conducting audits, training associates on theft deterrence, performing incident reviews, and addressing audit findings to reduce shrink and compliance risk.
  • Create and maintain accurate staffing schedules in partnership with store managers to ensure adequate coverage for peak periods, minimize overtime, and control labor costs while maintaining service levels.
  • Manage returns and reverse logistics processes, ensuring accurate returns processing, resale or disposition of damaged goods, and timely reconciliation of returned merchandise in the ERP/POS.
  • Support new store openings, relocations and closures including project coordination, vendor onboarding, fixture installation, inventory staging, and operational readiness checklists to meet launch timelines.
  • Coordinate omnichannel retail operations including buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), ship-from-store, and cross-channel order fulfillment to maximize inventory utilization and meet customer service SLAs.
  • Provide hands-on training, onboarding and continuous coaching for store teams on operational processes, POS functions, inventory procedures and customer service protocols to increase consistency and performance.
  • Serve as a cross-functional liaison with supply chain, merchandising, marketing and eCommerce to ensure alignment of product launches, promotional schedules and inventory allocation per store or region.
  • Develop and document standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists and playbooks for routine operational tasks and seasonal programs to scale best practices across stores.
  • Conduct operational audits and store visits to validate compliance with merchandising standards, safety requirements, cleanliness, and brand presentation; produce corrective action plans and track remediation.
  • Lead ad-hoc operational projects such as technology rollouts (new POS, handheld scanners), process improvement initiatives, or pilot programs; coordinate testing, training, rollout and feedback collection to measure impact.
  • Handle escalated customer issues and complex service recoveries in coordination with store and regional leadership to preserve customer loyalty and uphold brand reputation.
  • Reconcile daily deposits and bank reconciliations, investigate cash variances, and maintain strict adherence to cash control policies and audit requirements.
  • Manage vendor invoice processing and dispute resolution related to freight claims, chargebacks, and allowances, ensuring accurate accounting and timely payments.
  • Forecast store-level inventory needs and collaborate with demand planning and allocation teams to execute buy-ins, transfers and inter-store shipments to maximize sales and minimize markdowns.
  • Drive continuous improvement by analyzing operational workflows, identifying bottlenecks, recommending automation or process changes, and implementing improvements to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
  • Coordinate compliance with health and safety regulations, local ordinances and corporate policies; maintain records, coordinate inspections and ensure timely remediation of any issues found.
  • Support merchandising analytics by pulling sales and inventory reports, preparing executive summaries and presenting actionable recommendations to store leadership and regional teams.
  • Facilitate cross-training across store functions (POS, inventory, receiving, customer service) to increase operational resilience and capacity during peak seasons or team turnover.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests and exploratory analysis to inform seasonal planning and promotional ROI.
  • Assist with the implementation of store technology rollouts, including pilot testing, user acceptance, and store-level training.
  • Contribute to localized visual merchandising and store layout experiments to test conversion and dwell-time improvements.
  • Help coordinate community outreach and local marketing partnerships at the store level to drive foot traffic and brand awareness.
  • Backfill store operational tasks during peak periods, leave, or staffing shortages as needed to maintain continuity of operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Point-of-Sale (POS) systems proficiency (e.g., Lightspeed, Oracle Retail, NCR, Shopify POS)
  • Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUP, PivotTables, INDEX/MATCH, formula auditing) and Google Sheets
  • Experience with inventory/WMS/ERP platforms (e.g., NetSuite, Manhattan, Oracle, SAP)
  • Retail math competency (margin, markup, sell-through, inventory turns, shrink calculation)
  • Reporting and dashboarding with tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Looker or Google Data Studio
  • Basic SQL or ability to work with BI/analytics teams to extract operational data
  • Familiarity with omnichannel fulfillment processes (BOPIS, ship-from-store, ship-to-customer)
  • Vendor management and purchase order reconciliation experience
  • Scheduling and labor management tools (e.g., Kronos, Deputy, When I Work)
  • Knowledge of visual merchandising standards and planogram execution
  • Experience with loss-prevention program implementation and audit protocols
  • Basic project management skills and familiarity with Agile or Kanban workflows for cross-functional projects
  • Familiarity with MS Office suite and Slack/Teams collaboration tools

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication with the ability to present operational insights to store, regional and corporate stakeholders
  • Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail for audit, inventory and compliance activities
  • Analytical and problem-solving mindset with a data-driven approach to recommending improvements
  • Customer-focused attitude and conflict resolution capability when handling escalations
  • Ability to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced retail environment
  • Collaborative team player who can partner across merchandising, supply chain, marketing and store leadership
  • Adaptable and resilient when responding to seasonal peaks, supply disruptions or rapid change
  • Coaching and training aptitude to uplift store teams and standardize operations
  • Time management and deadline orientation with focus on execution excellence
  • Ethical judgment and integrity in handling cash, vendor invoices, and confidential information

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Retail Management, Supply Chain, or related field

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Retail Management
  • Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Marketing
  • Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of progressive retail operations, store management, or inventory coordination experience.

Preferred: 3+ years in a retail operations or store support role with demonstrated experience in inventory control, POS systems, merchandising execution, and cross-functional coordination. Prior experience supporting multi-store or regional operations and proven track record of driving process improvements and KPI outcomes is highly desirable.

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