Svp, Stores Jobs

Senior Vice President, Stores

Cato is seeking an experienced Senior Vice President, Stores to join its Executive Team. This position reports to the EVP, Real Estate & Store Operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Mentoring and developing top talent, empowering them to take ownership and contribute to the organization;
• Accurately interpreting and communicating corporate marketing, merchandising, human resources, and operational strategies and processes to the field.
• Implementing manpower planning based on regional and company requirements to include anticipated growth, and considering both quantitative and qualitative factors;
• Optimizing store operations in all parts of the country at a market level and working through appropriate channels to ensure the merchandise mix and inventory level at each location is competitively positioned;
• Ensuring a high level of commitment to achieve company and sales goals through Territorial and Regional Vice Presidents, District and Store Managers, and monitoring and guiding their performance utilizing performance metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and reporting mechanisms to evaluate individual performance;
• Cultivating a high-performance culture across all divisions, fostering teamwork, collaboration and innovation with a daily focus on customer service and driving sales;
• Developing and executing comprehensive operational strategies for the Cato, It’s Fashion and Versona concepts that align with the company’s long-term goals, ensuring synergy and effective collaboration across the field organization and with corporate partners;
• Helping senior management to allocate resources across the three divisions, ensuring optimal utilization of assets, CapEx and human capital to maximize overall returns; and
• Establishing and maintaining high professional standards in areas of store operations, store personnel training and development, merchandising, shrink and payroll management and overall expense control;

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be both a strategic and tactical thinker with the ability to quickly assess problems and develop practical solutions while always being mindful of the bottom-line impact of those solutions;
• Strongly prefer someone who has risen through the ranks: Store Manager, then District Manager, then Regional Vice President, etc.
• Strong coaching skills and ability to continually develop direct reports;
• Ability to travel weekly to meet position requirements.
• Ability to work collaboratively with all other areas of the company, especially Merchandising, Visual Merchandising and Planning, Allocation & Control; and
• Strong organizational and people skills and in-depth knowledge of store operations for fashion retailing;
• 15 to 20 years of hands-on, apparel retail store experience with steadily increasing responsibilities, with at least 10 years in a senior store leadership role for a regional or national apparel retailer;
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly and concisely communicate operational initiatives and priorities;
• Strong financial analysis skills and ability to withstand the pressures of bottom line accountability in a volatile business;

A college degree is preferred. Must be willing to relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Cato Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.