Retail Labor Manager- Hybrid, Stillwater, MN

Job Overview:

The Labor Manager is accountable for enterprise labor outcomes and serves as the primary operational leader for labor optimization. This role partners with District Managers, the Sr. Labor Analyst, Finance partners, and Retail Operations leadership to improve labor planning, scheduling effectiveness, standards adoption, and field execution. The Labor Manager leads cross-functional labor optimization projects, including system-driven labor standards and related business process changes, while partnering with technical owners for UKG configuration, system administration, and platform support.

The Labor Manager directly leads and develops the Sr. Labor Analyst, ensuring alignment between labor analytics, labor standards, labor optimization initiatives, and field execution priorities. This position reports to the VP of Operations and maintains a dotted-line working relationship with the Sr. Director, Operations Value Delivery Office (VDO) to ensure alignment with enterprise value delivery priorities.

• Own labor outcome accountability across stores, including performance visibility, field adoption, and sustained execution against labor productivity goals.

• Partner with District Managers to identify labor performance gaps, align on field action plans, and support consistent execution of labor expectations.

• Partner with Finance to connect labor planning, productivity targets, forecast assumptions, and measurable savings or investment outcomes.

• Translate labor reporting and operational insights into clear recommendations for field leaders and senior leadership.

• Establish routines, scorecards, and follow-up mechanisms that reinforce accountability for labor outcomes without shifting field ownership away from Operations leadership.

• Directly manage, coach, and develop the Sr. Labor Analyst.

• Establish priorities and objectives for labor analytics, labor standards validation, reporting, and project support activities.

• Ensure analytical insights are translated into actionable recommendations that drive labor outcomes.

• Create strong alignment between labor reporting, labor standards, project work, and field execution needs.

• Support professional development and succession planning within the labor function.

• Serve as the primary business leader for labor optimization initiatives from scoping through implementation and sustainment.

• Lead cross-functional project work related to labor standards, master schedule planning, workload alignment, scheduling effectiveness, and labor process improvement.

• Own business requirements, operational design decisions, change management plans, adoption measures, and leadership communication for labor optimization projects.

• Lead and develop the Sr. Labor Analyst while partnering closely on analysis, standards validation, reporting, and project milestone support.

• Coordinate with Finance, Merchandising, HR, IT, and other partners to align labor initiatives with operational priorities, financial targets, and store impact.

• Lead the business ownership of system-driven labor standards, ensuring standards reflect current operating models, work content, volume drivers, and store needs.

• Direct standards review and validation routines through the Sr. Labor Analyst and in partnership with Finance, District Managers, and functional business partners.

• Approve or elevate business decisions related to standards changes, labor model assumptions, and operational implications.

• Ensure labor standards are understood by field leaders and translated into practical scheduling and execution guidance.

• Partner with technical system owners to ensure approved standards and business requirements are accurately reflected in labor management tools.

• Act as the business owner for labor system outcomes, requirements, prioritization, and adoption, but not the technical owner of UKG configuration or system administration.

• Lead the Sr. Labor Analyst and partner with IT, HR, and system support teams on UKG, Opus, and related labor tools to ensure business needs are clearly defined and validated.

• Participate in user acceptance testing, enhancement prioritization, and system change readiness from a business and field‑execution perspective.

• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, labor standards alignment, schedule quality, reporting usability, and user experience.

• Escalate technical system issues to appropriate support owners and remain accountable for business impact, communication, and operational resolution plans.

• Work closely with the Sr. Director, Operations VDO through a dotted‑line relationship to align labor work with enterprise value delivery priorities and operational transformation efforts.

• Maintain strong partnership with the VP of Operations, District Managers, Sr. Labor Analyst, Finance, HR, IT, TAAS,…