Canadian Tire Langford is seeking an experienced, highly organized and people-focused General Manager with a strong background in retail operations to lead our store and Management Team.
Reporting directly to the Associate Dealer (local owner of the franchise), the General Manager is responsible for the overall day-to-day leadership and operation of the store. We are looking for a leader who brings a high level of professionalism, positive energy and sound judgment to the workplace and who has a demonstrated ability to engage, motivate and develop people at all levels of an organization. The General Manager is a key partner to the Associate Dealer and must develop a strong understanding of the Dealer's priorities, expectations and values for the business. The successful candidate will be trusted to assess situations, solve problems and make sound day-to-day decisions that are consistent with those values and the overall direction of the store.
Equally important is a strong understanding of retail operations and execution. This is a large and complex retail operation, and our General Manager must understand how all areas of the business work together—from merchandising, inventory and product flow to warehouse operations, labour planning, customer service and major seasonal transitions.
The successful candidate should be comfortable moving between strategic planning and day-to-day execution. One day may involve planning an upcoming seasonal merchandising transition or reviewing labour requirements, while another may involve implementing a new logistics process, resolving an inventory-flow issue, coordinating a major store project or helping the Management Team respond to an unexpected operational challenge.
We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys working with people and recognizes that one of the General Manager's most important responsibilities is building a strong, capable and motivated team. The successful candidate will be visible and approachable throughout the store and genuinely invested in helping managers, supervisors and employees develop and succeed.
A major measure of success in this position will be the strength and development of the people around you. We are looking for someone who doesn't simply identify problems and fix them personally, but works alongside managers to develop their confidence, judgment and ability to solve problems independently.
Ultimately, we are looking for someone who is equally comfortable leading people and leading operations.
Salary
$90,000 - $150,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- Profit-sharing
- Comprehensive group benefit plan
- Employee discount
- Career advancement and continued development opportunities
- A diverse, inclusive and safety-focused workplace
- The opportunity to work for a locally owned and operated business
- The opportunity to work for an organization actively involved in the local community
- A friendly and collaborative team
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership & Development
- Build strong, professional relationships with managers, supervisors and employees and maintain a visible, approachable presence throughout the store.
- Coach, mentor and develop managers and supervisors, helping them become confident, capable and effective leaders.
- Motivate and engage employees, recognize strong performance and create an environment where people take pride in their work and want to contribute to the success of the business.
- Identify strengths, development opportunities and future leaders, supporting ongoing training, career development and succession planning.
- Foster a positive, professional and collaborative workplace with strong communication and teamwork across departments.
- Address employee and performance concerns constructively, with an emphasis on communication, coaching and improvement.
Retail Operations & Execution
- Provide overall leadership for the day-to-day operation of a large, multi-department retail environment and develop a strong understanding of how each area of the store contributes to the overall operation.
- Plan and coordinate major seasonal merchandising transitions, promotional events, and store-wide projects, ensuring appropriate timelines, staffing, communication and execution.
- Oversee the flow of merchandise from receiving and warehouse operations through replenishment and merchandising to the customer, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and product availability.
- Develop, implement and improve logistics, inventory, replenishment and operational procedures as the needs of the business change.
- Work with department leaders to maintain strong standards of merchandising, signing, pricing, promotional execution, inventory accuracy, store presentation and overall retail readiness.
- Coordinate priorities between Sales, Warehouse, Product Flow, Proactive Fulfillment, Front End, Automotive and other areas of the business to ensure the store operates as one cohesive operation.
- Anticipate upcoming operational requirements, including seasonal volume changes, major promotions, inventory movement, staffing requirements and project deadlines, and ensure appropriate plans are in place.
- Review existing processes and identify opportunities to improve workflow, productivity, communication and use of store resources.
- Lead the implementation of new systems, processes and operational initiatives, ensuring changes are clearly communicated and successfully adopted throughout the store.
- Monitor store conditions and operational performance, identify barriers affecting execution and work with managers to develop practical solutions.
- Balance competing operational priorities and make timely decisions when unexpected staffing, inventory, facility, customer or logistical challenges arise.
Leadership & Decision-Making
- Develop a strong understanding of the Associate Dealer's vision, priorities and values and use them to guide decisions and the overall direction of store operations.
- Exercise sound independent judgment, assess challenges and make timely, practical decisions while recognizing when consultation with the Associate Dealer is appropriate.
- Identify the root causes of operational challenges and develop practical, sustainable solutions rather than relying solely on short-term fixes.
- Coordinate store-wide priorities and initiatives while balancing immediate operational needs with longer-term business objectives.
- Maintain strong communication between the Associate Dealer, Management Team and departments throughout the store.
- Support managers in developing their own problem-solving, planning and decision-making capabilities.
Business Performance
- Work with the Associate Dealer and Management Team to achieve sales, profitability, productivity, labour and customer-service objectives.
- Monitor store and departmental performance using sales, labour, inventory and operational reporting to identify trends and opportunities.
- Ensure effective labour planning and scheduling based on sales, workload, seasonal demands and operational requirements.
- Monitor controllable expenses and promote responsible use of labour, equipment, supplies and other store resources.
- Ensure operational decisions consider their impact on sales, profitability, employees and the customer experience.
- Maintain high standards of customer service, store cleanliness, organization and overall presentation.
- Ensure compliance with Canadian Tire requirements, store policies, health and safety standards, employment legislation and other applicable regulations.
- Build positive relationships with customers, Canadian Tire Corporation, vendors, business partners and the local community.
- Participate in Manager-on-Duty, opening and closing responsibilities and provide hands-on operational support when required.
Qualifications & Experience
- Minimum5 years of senior retail management experience, preferably in a large-format, high-volume or multi-department retail environment.
- Strong hands-on knowledge of retail operations, including merchandising, inventory management, product flow, replenishment, warehouse/logistics, labour planning and customer service.
- Demonstrated experience planning and executing major merchandising, seasonal, promotional or operational projects.
- Experience implementing or improving operational processes and procedures.
- Demonstrated experience leading managers, supervisors and large teams.
- Proven ability to coach, develop, engage and motivate people.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a genuine interest in building relationships with employees.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and discretion.
- Strong judgment, problem-solving and independent decision-making skills.
- Ability to understand an owner's vision and priorities and make operational decisions consistent with them.
- Ability to see how individual departments and processes affect the broader operation of the business.
- Ability to manage multiple departments, priorities and projects simultaneously.
- Strong organizational, planning and time-management skills.
- Ability to anticipate operational needs rather than simply react to problems as they occur.
- Strong understanding of retail financial principles, labour management and productivity.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to interpret sales, labour, inventory, productivity and other operational reporting.
- Strong computer skills and ability to learn retail inventory, scheduling and point-of-sale systems.
- Ability to remain calm, professional and solutions-focused in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment.
- Experience with Canadian Tire is considered a strong asset.
- Post-secondary education in Business Management or a related field is considered an asset.
The Person We're Looking For
Experience matters, but leadership style, operational knowledge and judgment matter just as much to us.
We are looking for someone who genuinely likes people and gets satisfaction from watching others develop and succeed. You know how to connect with different personalities, motivate a team, develop future leaders and bring positive energy and professionalism to the workplace.
At the same time, you are a retailer. You understand what it takes behind the scenes to make a large store operate successfully.
You can look at an upcoming seasonal changeover and think through the merchandising plan, product movement, staffing, timelines and communication required to execute it. You understand how receiving, warehousing, replenishment and merchandising affect product availability on the sales floor. You can recognize an inefficient process, determine why it isn't working and help design a better one. You understand that labour planning, inventory accuracy, customer experience, merchandising standards and profitability are all interconnected.
You don't need to personally perform every function, but you need to understand the operation well enough to ask the right questions, recognize when something isn't working and help your managers find the right solution.
You are also a confident problem-solver. When something unexpected happens, you can assess the situation, consider the available options and make a thoughtful decision without needing direction on every detail. At the same time, you understand that you are leading a locally owned business and take the time to understand how the Associate Dealer wants that business operated.
Ultimately, we are looking for a General Manager who combines strong retail instincts with exceptional people leadership—someone who can understand the operation, anticipate what needs to happen next, develop the people responsible for making it happen and turn the Associate Dealer's vision into successful day-to-day execution.
Availability & Physical Requirements
- Must be available to work a flexible schedule based on business needs, including days, evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Regular Manager-on-Duty, opening and closing responsibilities are required.
- Ability to work in a large retail environment requiring regular walking and standing throughout the store.
- Ability to safely perform the reasonable physical requirements associated with a retail environment.
Pay: $90,000.00-$150,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Store discount
Experience:
- Retail Senior Management : 5 years (required)
Work Location: In person
