Senior Manager, Store Operations - Harry Potter Chicago

_Welcome to Warner Bros. Discoveryu2026 the stuff dreams are made of._ Who We Areu2026 When we say, u201cthe stuff dreams are made of,u201d weu2019re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBDu2019s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the _storytellers_ bringing our characters to life, the _creators_ bringing them to your living rooms and the _dreamers_ creating whatu2019s nextu2026 From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive. Your New Roleu2026The Senior Manager, Store Operations for the Harry Potter Shop Chicago serves as the senior retail leader for the state. The role is responsible for guiding the store through continued growth, team development, operational excellence and future strategic planning. This position requires a detail-focused and experienced senior leader who can effectively steer daily operations while managing a large team of Associates and leaders. Working in close partnership with the Director, Retail Operations, the Senior Manager maintains strategic oversight that drives commercial success, financial P&L responsibility, and brand performance. The role also acts as the primary liaison for all support functions including Marketing, People & Culture, Buying & Merchandising, Facilities and key commercial vendors, ensuring alignment and strong execution across the business.Your Key Responsibilitiesu2026Businessu2022 Lead the overall commercial, operational and service performance of the Chicago location, ensuring alignment with the broader US East Coast retail strategy set by the Director.u2022 Develop store goals, operating procedures, and KPIs that support the store growth, aim to maximize profitability and brand success.u2022 Analyze financial performance, sales metrics, product performance and communicate market insights to identify opportunities and build corrective action plans for implementation.u2022 Act on commercial improvement opportunities for food & beverage vendor by developing new ideas, maintain quality standards and achieve maximum product margin.u2022 Serve as the primary escalation point for operational challenges, guest and people issues, always ensuring a solution-focused attitude, partnering with the Director for support.u2022 Create new revenue stream ideas to propose to Director, including execution plans, preparation for full delivery and ownership of end-to-end process.u2022 Take full responsibility for store P&L, including revenue, payroll, controllable expenses and contribution margin, presenting executive level decks regarding business performance, risks and opportunities to Director and SVP.u2022 Lead large-scale change programs including technology change and new operating models, taking full responsibility for communication, implementation and review.Operationsu2022 Oversee all daily store operations, in conjunction with management team to ensure processes, policies and standards meet brand guidelines and consistently strive for efficiency.u2022 Partner with Visual Merchandising leadership to guide product placement, seasonal transitions and lead the commercial viewpoint, using the in-store inventory teams to execute.u2022 Drive productivity planning including labor modelling, scheduling efficiency and propose headcount needs to Director to optimize productivity and scheduling while supporting business demands, events, marketing activations and seasonal trade patterns.u2022 Partnering with the Inventory Operations Manager to achieve consistency in inventory management, guiding processes, intake procedures, discrepancy actions and structured replenishment daily.u2022 Assume the first escalation point in emergency situations to ensure in-store responses are delivered in line with senior leadership guidance, and communicate to Director for stakeholder management.u2022 Take responsibility for safety of the working environment, structuring appropriate training, safety checks, and protocols for reporting issues.u2022 Liaise with building management and Facilities team to ensure any maintenance issues are actioned quickly, and costs approved in line with budget.u2022 Maintain ownership for business continuity plans, and emergency response planning.Peopleu2022 Provide senior leadership and direct line management to all store leaders and Associates, enabling and maintaining a strong team culture focused on exceeding expectations of service, employee morale and high performance.u2022 Oversee recruitment, training, onboarding and ongoing development for all store roles, engaging with People & Culture and Talent Acquisition for back filling roles swiftly.u2022 Conduct performance reviews for all store leadership, collaborate with managers to oversee performance of all team members, setting the expectations and standards clearly.u2022 Partner with People & Culture to conduct any required disciplinary or respond to any escalated people situations, ensuring compliance with all WBD policies.u2022 Maintain clear communication with all team members within Harry Potter Shop Chicago, creating a safe and thriving environment for all employees to grow and develop.Cross-Functionalu2022 Act as the central liaison between Harry Potter Shop Chicago and key business partners including Marketing, PR, People & Culture, Merchandising, Buying, Security, Facilities, Finance and all external vendors, owning responsibility for full communication and actions.u2022 Collaborate with Marketing and PR teams on market insights, in-store and out of store activations focused on brand awareness and commercial growth, as well as communicating to media as required, including acting as emergency communications lead.u2022 Utilize key data, consolidate and present weekly performance to Merchandising and Buying teams to help influence key decisions.u2022 Maintain strong relationship with Security leadership to report any issues immediately, act on any team training needs and ensure in-store guards maintain brand standards.u2022 Partner with Food & Beverage vendor to achieve service, cleanliness and efficiency standards with all team members.Guest Experienceu2022 Set the strategy for a guest experience that exceeds expectations and reflects the Harry Potter brand to drive loyalty, repeat visitation and positive reviews.u2022 Ensure store leadership teams and associates deliver consistent service standards, coaching leaders in real time to elevate performance.u2022 Utilize customer insights from Customer Services team, CSAT research and Mystery Shopper reports to create action plans for driving experience growth and refine operational practices.Qualifications and Competenciesu2022 Over 6 years of progressive retail leadership experience, with 4 at a senior level, overseeing high-volume stores and flagship locations.u2022 Proven track record of delivering commercial results through strategic planning, people development and operational excellence.u2022 Experience leading large teams, including multiple layers of leadership, in a fast-paced or experiential retail environment.u2022 Strong understanding of retail financials, forecasting, labor planning and KPI analysis.u2022 Demonstrated ability to partner cross-functionally with central teams in merchandising, marketing, HR, finance and facilities. How We Get Things Doneu2026 This last bit is probably the most important Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview. Championing Inclusion at WBD Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law. If youu2019re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page ( for instructions to submit your request. In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discoveryu2019s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $97,370.00 - $180,830.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.

Created: 2026-02-04