About the job

COMPANY OVERVIEW

KITS.ca is a leading provider of high-quality eyewear and vision care products. Based in Vancouver, KITS is a vertically integrated optical retailer — we design, manufacture, and ship eyewear and contact lenses directly to customers across North America. We are a growth-stage business with approximately $250M in annual revenue, with strong growth. We are building a retail footprint that brings the KITS experience into our community.

KITS Coffee and Eyewear is our flagship location, right across from Kitsilano Beach. We're building it to be more than a store — a place where people gather, connect, and discover their next favourite frames over a coffee. Help us inspire a new generation to see and be seen.

SUMMARY

The Store Manager plays a vital role in fostering community engagement through our flagship store. We are looking for an inspiring leader who is passionate about creating an exceptional customer experience and driving a positive, energetic, and motivated team across our optical, retail and café operations.

As the leader of the store, you will oversee all aspects of operations, ensuring smooth day-to-day management while cultivating a vibrant community hub. Key responsibilities include driving sales, hiring, training, and developing a high-performing team, building strong relationships within the community, and positioning Kits as a welcoming space where people can gather, connect, and collaborate.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach and inspire a high-energy, customer-focused team
• Create a culture of collaboration, empowerment and excellence
• Recruit, hire and onboard all store employees, including Style Advisors and Baristas
• Provide ongoing training and coaching to ensure team success
• Work closely with the leadership team to develop and support their growth

Operations & Sales Management

• Oversee store operations, ensuring efficiency across all departments
• Manage inventory, including inventory replenishment, accuracy and representation
• Maintain visual merchandising standards across optical, retail and café
• Ensure seamless integration between optical, retail and cafe
• Stay aligned with KITS’ marketing initiatives and implement in-store activations

Financial & Administrative Oversight

• Oversee scheduling, payroll and store labour
• Develop sales strategies to meet revenue targets and KPIs
• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate the best pricing for inventory and supplies
• Adapt café beverage and bakery offerings based on industry trends and seasonality

Community & Customer Engagement

• Foster a collaborative, engaged community and create a world-class gathering space
• Develop and execute community events to drive engagement
• Build relationships with local businesses and community leaders for outreach initiatives
• Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring a welcoming, inclusive environment

Compliance & Standards

• Ensure adherence to health and safety regulations, making improvements as needed
• Maintain food preparation and equipment standards, implementing training where required
• Optimize scheduling and staffing to meet business and customer needs
• Oversee and execute store maintenance calendar

WHAT YOU BRING

Must-Haves

• 7+ years in a retail management role, with at least 1–2 years as a Store Manager, General Manager, or similar role responsible for executing against a store's P&L and operating budget
• Direct experience managing a team of 10+ across multiple functions or departments — hiring, coaching, scheduling, and performance management
• Proven experience managing a full store's day-to-day operations — scheduling, inventory, and labour budget — not just one lane of it
• Experience negotiating with suppliers or vendors, or managing a budget beyond your own department
• Composure under pressure at the store level — you've managed real escalations across multiple teams and come out ahead
• Systems fluency — POS, scheduling, and inventory tools — plus comfort adopting new systems as the business evolves
• Available to work retail hours, including evenings, weekends, and peak periods
• Food Safe Level 1 certified
• Eligible to work in Canada

Nice-to-Haves

• Optical or eyewear category experience (LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Clearly, Hakim, or similar)
• Experience at a DTC or growth-stage retailer (Warby Parker, Aritzia, Lululemon, Arc'teryx, Indochino, MEC, Mejuri, Frank & Oak, Allbirds)
• Experience with multi-site or flagship stores
• Experience building community or local partnerships as part of a store's growth strategy

How You Operate

• You act fast — when something's falling apart across any part of the store, you're the one solving it, not escalating and waiting
• You own outcomes, not just shifts — when something went wrong on your watch, you tell us what you did about it and what changed after
• You build the team, not just run it — your team's growth is a measure of your success, and they'd say the same about you
• You're comfortable building in ambiguity — this is a flagship, and parts of the playbook don't exist yet
• You think like an operator across the whole business — optical, retail, and café aren't separate problems to you, they're one store
• You measure yourself by results — revenue, retention, community presence — not hours logged

COMPENSATION

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $75,000-105,000. The final aligned upon salary will be dependent on the successful candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and job-related knowledge.

BENEFITS & PERKS

• Competitive compensation with bonus potential
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
• Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Complimentary KITS frames and generous contact lens discount for you and your immediate family
• Direct access to senior leaders across Retail, People, and Operations
• A friendly, supportive work environment where the team takes the work seriously and does not take itself too seriously