Product Operations Manager

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Indigo is hiring a Product Operations Manager for a full-time onsite role in Ottawa to oversee the profitable movement of goods from door to floor. You will lead a team to optimize product flow, drive visual merchandising, analyze sales data to close gaps, and partner with store leadership on promotions while championing customer needs and safety. The role emphasizes building engaged teams, coaching for performance, and fostering a culture of continual learning. Requirements include 2 to 3 years of retail management, a flexible schedule, ability to lift up to 40 pounds, and bilingual French and English for Quebec. AI screening may be used; tailor your resume with measurable outcomes and highlight collaboration with merchandising and leadership, plus DEI alignment.

Company Description

WHO WE ARE 

Indigo is a physical and digital place inspired by and filled with books, ideas, beautifully designed lifestyle products, and the creative people who help make it all happen. We believe in real books, living life fully and generously, being kind to each other and to the environment, and that stories — big and little — connect us. Indigo is our customer's happy place — for joyful moments of discovery and to connect with people who share their passion for reading, their belief in ideas, and their commitment to making the world a better and more beautiful place. 

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES 

Our Mission is to inspire reading and enrich the lives of booklovers. As such, we believe in the power of people and their stories. We aim to attract top talent, nurture the potential of our employees, and create space for everyone to thrive. Our Guiding Principles are the few key ideas that are meant to influence everything we do, every day. 

• We Will Hire, Inspire, Promote and Retain the Best
• We Will Be Customer Centric
• We Will Be Entrepreneurial
• We Will Be Committed to Caring About Each Other, Our Communities, and Our Environment
• We Will Be Committed to True and Shared Value Creation
• We Will Be Systems Thinking, Data Driven and AI enabled

Job Description

The Product Operations Manager is responsible for the profitable movement of goods throughout the course of the product life cycle. They lead a team to bring products from door to floor efficiently and effectively. They are responsible for the store’s visual merchandising, ensuring our customers can shop easily with or without assistance, and partner with store leadership to react to sales trends and customer demands so that products are sold at the highest margin rate possible. They help create an environment and store culture that promotes employee engagement, growth, and development. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Functional

• Manage and motivate a team to ensure operational excellence and the profitable movement of goods throughout the product life cycle  
• Ensure efficiency and effectiveness of product flow processes by assessing and analyzing sales performance and key process scorecard data and creating action plans to address gaps 
• Partner on regular visual merchandising assessments; provide product flow insight and create and own the resulting action plan 
• Lead changeover process, and partner with General Manager, Regional Visual Manager, on home-office merchandising initiatives and facilities work 
• Lead all visual and door to floor operations, manage all Back of House (BOH) areas, sales floor promotional set-ups, and the markdown process 
• Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of all decision-making processes 
• Embrace and champion technology that creates high tech and high touch solutions for Indigo’s customers 
• Proactively identify and anticipate customer expectations and needs 
• Open and close store and manages sales floor 
• Lead the store’s joint health and safety committee, ensure the health and safety of employees and customers is top priority, and ensure the store complies with all provincial health and safety policies and procedures 

People

• Build strong teams by attracting and developing the best talent 
• Bring out the best in others; empower and constructively stretch talent 
• Give authentic feedback on performance and potential 
• Ensure all team members understand where they stand and have clear performance objectives aligned with Indigo and team goals 
• Share technical knowledge with others and actively seek to learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself 
• Help others see the impacts of their efforts and proactively engage others to receive input 
• Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback 
• Accountable for the overall engagement, productivity, turnover, and bench strength of the team 

Cultural

• Model Indigo’s beliefs and convey a positive image in everything you do  
• Celebrate diversity of thought and have an open mindset 
• Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes 
• Embrace, champion, and influence change through your team and/or the organization 

Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE: 

• College degree preferred or equivalent job experience 
• 2-3 years of management experience in specialty retail and/or multi-unit retail business environment 
• Ability to be mobile on the sales floor for extended periods of time 
• Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and holidays 
• Ability to lift medium to large items, up to 40 pounds, while using appropriate equipment and safety techniques 
• Bilingualism (French/English) is required for all positions in Quebec 

Additional Information

At Indigo, all applications submitted are reviewed in detail by our HR team. In certain aspects of the hiring process artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used, specifically for screening and assessments. These tools support our team and are used to help bring relevant criteria to the foreground and do not replace human judgment. We are committed to using AI responsibly, fairly, and in compliance with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws. We regularly review these tools to help prevent bias or discrimination.

At Indigo, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility are core to our values. We integrate these principles into our training, policies, and hiring practices and continuously evolve to reflect the needs of the communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and lived experiences, including but not limited to individuals who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and persons with disabilities. If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at [email protected]

This posting is for a current opportunity within Indigo