General Manager

• Location 1400 Massachusetts Ave,Cambridge, MA, 02138,United States
• Base Pay $80,000.00 - $95,000.00 / Year
• Job Category Retail
• Employee Type Full Time Exempt

Lids Sports Group brings sports, fashion, culture, and collegiate pride together through licensed products and memorable retail experiences. LidsU extends that expertise into campus and university retail, pairing enterprise retail capabilities with locally relevant assortments, service, and community engagement.

This position supports The COOP retail experience serving the Harvard and MIT communities, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, members, visitors, and fans. Team members are expected to respect The COOP’s heritage and brand while helping create a consistent, modern, and locally relevant experience across its Harvard and MIT stores.

Lead the overall performance, continuity, and long-term growth of The COOP retail portfolio. This role is accountable for financial results, store operations, talent, customer experience, merchandising execution, institutional relationships, and coordination across all store locations and support partners.

• Serve as the senior day-to-day operating leader and establish clear priorities across stores and functional teams.
• Build productive relationships while maintaining clear accountability for LidsU retail execution.
• Translate partnership commitments, institutional expectations, and LidsU strategies into actionable operating plans.
• Protect the heritage, reputation, and member-centered identity while advancing a modern retail experience.
• Own sales, profitability, labor, inventory productivity, controllable expenses, and operating standards across the portfolio.
• Use store, category, and customer insights to identify opportunities, resolve performance gaps, and prioritize investment.
• Coordinate consistent execution while protecting the distinct needs of each store, and customer base.
• Ensure leadership readiness and operational continuity during academic peaks, major events, and high-volume periods.

• Lead, coach, and develop store and functional leaders; establish clear expectations, ownership, and succession plans.
• Create an inclusive, accountable, and customer-focused culture that supports employee continuity through the operator transition.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and workforce planning.

• Ensure portfolio compliance with Lids policies, safety, asset protection, cash controls, inventory standards, and applicable university requirements.
• Coordinate cross-functional support across technology, finance, merchandising, supply chain, marketing, facilities, and category partners.
• Ensure risks, dependencies, and executive decisions are documented and escalated appropriately.

• 7+ years of progressive multi-unit, high-volume, or complex retail leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ownership of financial performance, talent, operations, merchandising, and customer experience.
• Experience managing institutional, landlord, campus, or strategic partner relationships preferred.
• Strong judgment, communication, analytical, and change-leadership skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule and travel among The COOP locations as business needs require.

• Ability to remain standing and move throughout the store for extended periods.
• Ability to frequently communicate with customers, team members, and business partners.
• Ability to operate point-of-sale, inventory, and other retail technology systems.
• Ability to occasionally lift…