Store Manager, Irvine

Your Job:

As a Retail Store Manager at Brooks, you lead one of Brooks’ brand stores, owning all aspects of daily operations, team leadership, and customer experience. You hire, train, and inspire a high performing team of sales professionals who serve as frontline brand ambassadors, delivering high touch service and representing the Brooks mission to “awaken the runner in everyone.” You will drive store performance through operational excellence, community engagement, merchandising execution, inventory health, and strong business acumen. You ensure the store is a best-in-class retail environment that fosters connection, builds brand loyalty, and supports runners of all backgrounds and abilities.

Your Responsibilities:

Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach, and inspire a diverse retail team to deliver best-in-class customer experience and exceed business goals.
• Recruit, interview, and hire store employees to ensure efficient operations and a high-performing team.
• Foster a trust-based, inclusive, team-oriented culture grounded in Brooks values; maintain high morale and address concerns proactively.
• Build future talent pipeline through ongoing coaching, developmental opportunities, and consistent performance feedback.
• Oversee scheduling, succession planning, and staffing to support peak periods, events, and long-term talent sustainability.

Store Operations & Business Strategy

• Oversee all daily store operations, ensuring high standards in service, cleanliness, safety, compliance, and overall brand-right execution.
• Manage store financials including revenue, margin, staffing, COGS, and operating expenses to achieve profitability and strong business performance.
• Drive daily execution through effective leadership of front-of-house sales and back-of-house logistics functions.
• Use retail systems and analytics to monitor KPIs, optimize inventory, and ensure accurate operational processes.
• Maintain healthy inventory levels and product mix through replenishment, strategic pricing, markdowns, SKU monitoring, and proactive sell-through solutions.
• Oversee inventory integrity through cycle counts, physical inventories, and loss-prevention practices.
• Manage store assets, equipment, and, when applicable, the store vehicle.
• Partner with Retail Operations on long-term planning, seasonal buying, strategic initiatives, and operational readiness for new stores.
• Provide actionable field insights on customer behavior, product performance, inventory needs, and operational opportunities.
• Participate in companywide retail initiatives, system improvements, and ongoing operational enhancements.
• Collaborate with Retail Operations, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Product, and other teams to meet shared business goals.

Customer Experience Excellence

• Set and model the bar for service: inclusive, authentic, premium, and personalized.
• Ensure every customer receives a premium, inclusive experience backed by strong product and fit process knowledge.
• Lead by example on the sales floor, modeling elevated customer service and storytelling.
• Train and empower the team to deliver biomechanical fit service, high-impact storytelling, and enthusiastic support for all runners - regardless of experience level.
• Use data and feedback to continually improve the in-store journey and customer satisfaction metrics.

Retail Marketing & Visual Merchandising

• Uphold premium merchandising and visual storytelling standards, executing floor sets, product launches, and brand campaigns with Retail Marketing and Visual Merchandising.
• Support and execute community events and educational activations in partnership with store leadership and local partners.
• Build relationships with local running groups, gyms, organizations, and community partners to strengthen store presence and engagement.
• Manage store-level marketing channels (social, email, and event promotion) when applicable.
• Support or lead event-related retail operations, including expos, pop-ups, and truckload sales, with occasional travel.
• Support cross-departmental Brooks initiatives, in-store activations, and broader company events.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, or related field; equivalent years of experience can be considered in lieu of degree(s)
• 3+ years of experience in retail, including full store operations oversight preferred
• 1+ year of leadership experience within the retail industry, preferred
• Proven skill in leading teams, driving store operations, and managing a business independently
• Strong knowledge of retail analytics (inventory management, turn, gross-margin, open to buy, product merchandising, and retail selling skills) preferred
• Knowledge of performance athletic footwear/apparel/accessories and their related technologies
• Ability to lift packages up to 50 lbs. and stand for extended periods
• Ability to successfully lead independently or alongside the Retail Operations Manager
• Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots”
• Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust, resulting in effective working relationships across the store and company
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication
• Keen attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks, while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all of the pieces fit together and affect one another
• Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner in order to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!