Store Manager – Vancouver Launch Assignment
Company: Colour Sense
Employment Type: Full-time
Initial Location: Greater Toronto Area for approximately 5–6 months
Vancouver Assignment: Approximately 12–18 months following the store launch
Reports To: Ownership and Head Office in Toronto
Compensation: $67,000 annual base salary plus a performance bonus
About Colour Sense
Colour Sense is an independently owned and growing Benjamin Moore retailer serving homeowners, contractors, designers, property managers, and commercial customers. With four locations across the Greater Toronto Area, we specialize in premium paint, expert product advice, colour and stain matching, wallpaper, blinds, and dependable service for both retail and professional customers.
The Opportunity
Colour Sense is looking for a hands-on retail leader to complete approximately five to six months of paid training within our Greater Toronto Area locations before managing our New Vancouver store.
We welcome applications from experienced assistant store managers, department managers, supervisors, and first-time store managers who are ready to take the next step in their leadership careers.
The Vancouver store will be fully constructed and set up before the candidate assumes responsibility for the location. The manager will also receive ongoing support from our centralized Toronto head office. Scheduling, company pricing and promotions, centralized systems, purchasing coordination, and administrative oversight will be handled or supported by head office.
The Vancouver assignment is expected to continue for approximately 12–18 months following the launch. At that point, the employee and Colour Sense will review whether the employee will remain in Vancouver or transition back to a suitable role in the Greater Toronto Area.
Phase One: Toronto Training and Business Integration
During the first five to six months, the successful candidate will:
- Work across Colour Sense’s Toronto-area locations to understand how the business operates.
- Develop strong knowledge of Benjamin Moore paints, primers, coatings, stains, sundries, wallpaper, blinds, and related products.
- Learn Colour Sense’s customer-service, sales, tinting, colour matching, stain matching, order preparation, and problem-resolution processes.
- Become proficient with the company’s point-of-sale, inventory, customer-account, ordering, and reporting systems.
- Understand Colour Sense’s centralized operating model and how the Vancouver location will work with head office in Toronto.
- Learn how Colour Sense serves homeowners, painters, contractors, designers, property managers, and commercial customers.
- Work alongside store managers and ownership to understand daily store leadership, employee development, inventory control, merchandising, cash handling, and customer-account management.
- Assist with customer service, sales, receiving, merchandising, tinting, and other daily store responsibilities.
- Learn the company’s expectations regarding sales performance, gross margin, customer service, inventory accuracy, safety, and employee accountability.
- Develop the operational and product knowledge required to independently lead the Vancouver location.
Phase Two: Vancouver Store Leadership
After relocating to Vancouver, the candidate will be responsible for the daily operation, staffing, sales performance, and customer development of the location.
Store Operations
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the Vancouver store.
- Ensure the store consistently meets Colour Sense’s customer-service and operating standards.
- Remain actively involved in customer service, product recommendations, tinting, colour matching, order preparation, merchandising, and problem resolution.
- Ensure opening, closing, cash handling, point-of-sale, account pricing, return, and credit procedures are followed accurately.
- Maintain a clean, safe, organized, and professionally merchandised store.
- Monitor store sales, gross margin, inventory accuracy, customer activity, and other key performance measures.
- Provide regular operational and performance updates to ownership and head office in Toronto.
- Follow and implement company pricing, promotional, merchandising, customer-account, and operating direction provided by head office.
- Work within Colour Sense’s centralized systems and procedures.
- Communicate staffing requirements and operational concerns to head office.
- Work with the Toronto head office schedule provided for the Vancouver team rather than independently preparing employee schedules.
- Identify operational problems and resolve them promptly or escalate them to head office when appropriate.
Hiring and Staff Development
- Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and selecting employees for the Vancouver location.
- Work with ownership and head office to identify staffing requirements.
- Onboard and train new employees in product knowledge, customer service, sales, tinting, colour matching, safety, and store procedures.
- Provide regular coaching, feedback, and performance support to store employees.
- Develop employees so they can confidently assist both retail and professional customers.
- Set clear expectations and hold employees accountable for customer service, attendance, productivity, accuracy, and teamwork.
- Identify high-potential employees and support their professional development.
- Build a positive, respectful, dependable, and sales-focused store culture.
- Address employee performance or conduct concerns in consultation with head office.
- Maintain strong communication between the Vancouver team and the Toronto head office.
Sales and Customer Development
- Lead the store team in achieving sales and customer service objectives established by ownership and head office.
- Actively serve customers and help employees convert customer inquiries into sales.
- Grow the store’s base of homeowners, contractors, painters, designers, property managers, and commercial customers.
- Build strong, long term relationships with local contractors and professional customers.
- Conduct customer and contractor outreach, follow up on leads, and introduce Colour Sense to potential professional accounts.
- Open and develop new customer accounts in accordance with company policies.
- Learn the needs of local customers and recommend appropriate products and solutions.
- Follow up with existing customers to encourage repeat business and strengthen account relationships.
- Ensure quotes, special orders, contractor orders, and customer requests are handled accurately and promptly.
- Develop the store team’s ability to identify customer needs, recommend complete solutions, and provide dependable technical support.
- Represent Colour Sense professionally within the local painting, decorating, construction, design, and property management communities.
- Share customer feedback and local market information with ownership and head office.
The candidate will be responsible for executing the company’s sales direction and growing the local customer base. Developing company wide sales plans, pricing strategies, or promotional programs will remain the responsibility of ownership and head office.
Inventory and Store Standards
- Maintain accurate inventory records and ensure products are properly received, stored, displayed, and handled.
- Monitor inventory levels and communicate replenishment requirements to head office.
- Work within the company’s centralized inventory and ordering processes.
- Help reduce shrinkage, damaged products, tinting errors, incorrect orders, and unnecessary product waste.
- Ensure deliveries, transfers, special orders, and customer pickups are prepared accurately.
- Maintain proper merchandising, pricing, signage, and product presentation based on company direction.
- Ensure employees follow safety procedures when handling paint, equipment, ladders, and merchandise.
Centralized Head Office Support
The Vancouver store will operate as part of Colour Sense’s centralized business system. Ownership and head office in Toronto will provide direction and support in areas including:
- Employee scheduling
- Company wide pricing and promotions
- Centralized systems and operating procedures
- Financial reporting and administration
- Marketing direction
- Purchasing and inventory coordination
- Human resources guidance
- Performance reporting and business oversight
The Vancouver Store Manager will be expected to execute these systems effectively at the store level, communicate local needs, and ensure the Vancouver team follows company standards.
Post-Launch Location Flexibility
The candidate is not required to make a permanent commitment to Vancouver at the beginning of employment.
After approximately 12–18 months of operating and developing the Vancouver location, the employee and Colour Sense will review the assignment. Depending on the employee’s preference and the needs of the business, the employee may:
- Continue leading or working within the Vancouver operation; or
- Transition back to a suitable position within Colour Sense’s Greater Toronto Area operations.
This structure provides the candidate with the opportunity to help establish the Vancouver business without requiring an immediate permanent relocation commitment.
Qualifications
- Three or more years of experience in retail operations, store management, branch management, paint, building materials, home improvement, contractor supply, or a related industry.
- Previous experience supervising, coaching, or developing employees.
- Demonstrated ability to lead daily store operations and maintain high operating standards.
- Strong sales ability and experience building long term customer relationships.
- Experience serving contractors, tradespeople, professional accounts, or business customers is an asset.
- Strong customer service, communication, leadership, and problem solving skills.
- Comfortable working in a hands on retail environment and performing the same operational duties as the employees being supervised.
- Ability to learn technical product information and make confident product recommendations.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage several priorities at the same time.
- Experience using point-of-sale, inventory, customer account, and reporting systems.
- Ability to follow centralized processes while communicating local store needs to head office.
- Ability to lead a remote location while maintaining regular communication with ownership in Toronto.
- Willingness to work in the Greater Toronto Area for approximately five to six months before relocating to Vancouver.
- Willingness and ability to independently arrange and fund the move to Vancouver.
- Availability to work a retail schedule, including weekends and occasional evenings.
- Valid driver’s licence and access to reliable transportation.
- Ability to perform the physical duties of a paint store environment, including standing for extended periods and safely handling paint and merchandise.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in the paint, coatings, decorating, building supply, construction, or home improvement industry.
- Knowledge of Benjamin Moore products.
- Experience working with painting contractors, designers, builders, property managers, or commercial customers.
- Experience hiring, onboarding, and developing a new retail team.
- Experience managing a newly opened store or developing a new customer territory.
- Familiarity with the Metro Vancouver construction, painting, design, or property management market.
- Experience working in an owner operated or growing multi-location business.
- Speak Mandarin or Cantonese is an asset.
Pay: $67,000.00-$90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Store discount
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
