District Operator

Embark on a rewarding career with Sobeys Inc., celebrated among Canada’s Top 100 employers where your unique contributions drive success.

Overview

As a District Operator, you’ll play a critical role in driving operational excellence, business performance, and an industry-leading customer and employee experience across your district. You’ll lead and develop Store Leadership teams, build strong partnerships across the organization, and translate business strategies into meaningful results at the store level.

You’ll be accountable for the overall performance of your district, including sales, profitability, people development, customer experience, compliance, and community engagement. Through strong leadership, collaboration, and a customer-first mindset, you’ll empower teams to deliver on our brand promise and achieve our business goals.

Here’s where you’ll have an impact:

Drive employee engagement and industry-leading customer experience within the district
• Execute safety practices in collaboration with Integrated Health Management and Food Safety teams
• Collaborate regularly with Manager Operations team, Merchandising, Customer Engagement/Experience to establish merchandising and customer experience strategies
• Collaborate regularly with Operations Standards and Planning (Business Development) on Franchisee relations
• Partner with Human Resources, Learning & Development, Change and other lines of business to support effectively lead people and their development
• Collaborate and liaise with all lines of business that effect retail to drive effective programs and processes
• Coach, develop and empower their teams
• Review employee and customer engagement results and develop overall action plans, and coach according to market insights
• Inspire a positive, customer-oriented culture and develop customer service KPIs

Lead Store Leadership teams and oversee store management development
• Oversee stores life cycle including selection, training, performance management, and compensation
• Own succession planning performance

Own district team strategy
• Build strategy that aligns with functional strategy
• Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure success
• Communicate with leader/team to provide KPI and strategy updates

Lead district external compliance and implementation of industry-leading store standards
• Own implementation of external compliance including Integrated Health Management and Food Safety regulations
• Own the execution of internal programs to drive store, product, labour and customer service standards

Oversee community involvement and brand advocacy within the district
• Drive implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and district involvement in the community

Own district Income/Profit & Loss and drive performance to meet targets
• Own development of district business plans to drive sales/business growth
• Lead capital projects
• Oversee plan vs. actual performance

What you bring to the table:

• An undergraduate degree and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
• Minimum of three years’ experience as a Store Manager or equivalent leadership experience
• Strong, well-rounded knowledge of store operations and the ability to translate operational priorities into business results
• Strong understanding of business processes, tools, and performance management practices
• Knowledge of union contracts and experience working within unionized environments
• Understanding of franchise business models and the ability to build effective relationships with Franchisees
• Thorough knowledge of company policies, procedures, and operational standards
• Proven ability to lead, coach, develop, and empower high-performing teams
• Strong business acumen, with experience using KPIs, financial results, and market insights to identify opportunities and drive performance
• Demonstrated ability to build and execute strategic business plans in a multi-store or district environment
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence across multiple lines of business
• Ability to navigate change, prioritize competing demands, and effectively translate organizational strategy into action
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and business reporting tools
• Must have a valid driver’s license

#LI-Hybrid #LI-LM1

Who we are
Sobeys is one of Canada’s leading grocery retailers, with more than 1,600 stores across all 10 provinces and banners including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and Lawtons Drug Stores. Our 128,000 teammates and franchise affiliates are passionate about delivering great food and exceptional experiences to our customers and communities.
Learn more about our story and culture:
Who We Are | Why Work With Us
Total Rewards
We offer a Total Rewards package designed to support teammates at work and in life. Depending on role and eligibility, teammates may receive health and dental benefits, retirement and savings programs including an Employee Share Ownership Plan, a 10% in-store discount at participating banners, virtual healthcare and an Employee and Family Assistance Program, learning and development opportunities, parental leave top-up, and paid vacation.
Sobeys is committed to providing a compensation structure that is flexible, equitable and competitive in the market to enable performance and growth. To learn more about this opportunity including the expected range of compensation in accordance with Pay Transparency Legislation where required please click the “I’m interested” or "Apply" button above. Individual compensation is determined based on qualifications, experience, and internal equity within the range provided.
Additional Information
External websites may share our organization's job postings which includes compensation information based on similar roles and market benchmarks. These figures are provided for general comparison purposes only and are not issued or verified by our organization.
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support efficiencies in the candidate screening, assessment, and recruitment processes. These AI tools do not make hiring decisions on behalf of the Company. Hiring decisions are made by our Hiring Teams.
Sobeys is committed to creating accessible and inclusive hiring processes. We will work with applicants requesting accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process.
Please note: Successful candidates will be required to provide documentation to prove their legal ability to work in the position during the onboarding process. Documentation will be assessed by the employer prior to commencement of work.