Shop Makers Area Manager

Position: Area Manager - Ontario (Home Store, Vaughan Mills)

Hours: 32-40 / week

Wage: $29-$32/hour based on experience, end of year performance bonus

About Makers

At Shop Makers, we’re redefining retail by offering a curated experience of the finest locally crafted, handmade goods. With 25 locations across Canada and plans to expand to 30+, we are proud to be Canada’s largest retailer of handmade products.

Our mission is simple yet bold: empower local artisans by giving them a platform to grow. We believe in nurturing community, sustainability, and creativity, and that starts with our people.

Position Overview

As the Area Manager, you will oversee your home store at Vaughan Mills as well as provide day-to-day escalation support for 2+ other stores within your district. Your role ensures that each store understands process and procedure, and coach on people leadership and performance management. The Area Manager adheres to company policies, ensuring a consistent and outstanding customer experience through regular store visits and store audits.

The Area Manager acts as a crucial link between the stores and Regional Managers; they will communicate new initiatives, provide feedback on what's working, operational pain points, and customer insights.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Store Performance & Accountability

• Oversee the day-to-day performance of 2-5 retail locations within a defined geographic area.
• Act as the in-between liaison for stores and Regional Managers; first point of escalation.
• Drive key business results, including sales performance, KPIs, labour budgets, and operational efficiency.
• Analyze store-level data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, and translate insights into clear action plans.
• Partner with Store Managers to ensure company goals and initiatives are executed consistently at the store level.
• Maintain accountability for margin performance, inventory accuracy, and loss prevention.

Store Leadership & Talent Development

• Directly lead, coach, and support Store Managers, building strong leadership capability across the area.
• Provide regular performance coaching focused on people leadership, operational excellence, and results delivery.
• Support Regional Manager in Store Manager hiring, onboarding, and development.
• Identify and develop high-potential leaders and build succession plans for key roles.
• Address performance concerns proactively and fairly, partnering with People & Culture as needed.

**note: day-to-day oversight in stores handled by Area Managers, performance and coaching management by Regional Managers

Brand Standards & Customer Experience

• Ensure a consistent, high-quality customer experience across all locations.
• Uphold and reinforce brand standards related to visual merchandising, service, and store presentation.
• Act as the primary brand steward in the field, modelling company values and expectations.
• Conduct regular store visits, audits, and reviews to ensure compliance with company policies and operational standards.
• Support Store Managers in maintaining safe, welcoming, and compliant retail environments.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Communication

• Serve as the key connection between head office and retail teams, ensuring clear, timely, and effective communication.
• Cascade corporate initiatives, programs, and updates to stores in a way that drives understanding and adoption.
• Gather and share feedback from stores related to operations, customer needs, and team experience.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners including People & Culture, Retail Operations, Merchandising, and Marketing to support store success.

Growth, Change & Special Projects

• Support and lead aspects of new store openings, renovations, relocations, and closures within the area.
• Play an active role in rolling out new systems, tools, and operational processes.
• Ensure change initiatives are implemented smoothly and consistently across all stores.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and performance as the business grows.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in retail management (4+ years), preferably in a multi-unit or district management role.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and support a team.
• Excellent organizational and time management abilities.
• Ability to analyze and interpret sales data and other performance metrics.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to manage conflicts effectively.
• Proficient in using retail management software and tools.
• Flexibility to travel within the region as needed.

Working Conditions

• This role requires frequent travel between store locations within the region. Successful candidate must have reliable form of transportation or be able to easily access transit.
• The Area Manager may be required to work outside of regular business hours to address urgent issues or during peak business periods.

SOUND LIKE YOU? APPLY NOW!

When applying, please include a cover letter with your resume (or email it to us at ***email_hidden***). While related experience is important, we have built a strong and supportive culture at Makers, and want to ensure all our team members share the same vision and goals. Tell us a bit about yourself; what you enjoy doing for fun, your passions, and what excites you about joining Shop Makers. We’d love to hear why shopping local and empowering artisans matters to you, and what supporting the handmade community means in your life.

To get inspired, check us out at shopmakers.ca or on Instagram @shopmakers.ca.

We sincerely thank everyone who applies to join Makers. While we may not be able to respond to each applicant due to capacity, please know we truly value the time and interest you put into connecting with us. Our hiring decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, and we are committed to developing, retaining, and celebrating our teammates. At Makers, we foster a culture of inclusion and respect and are dedicated to providing accessible employment practices in compliance with the AODA. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process; applicants are asked to make their needs known.