Divisional Sales & Operations Manager – DC Metro

Position Summary

The Director, Trade Planning & Deployment partners cross-functionally to lead the planning and execution of trade strategies that optimize sales, enhance operational consistency, and strengthen alignment between Commercial and Operations. This role ensures all promotional programs, brand activations, and marketing campaigns are executed seamlessly across stores — driving clarity, speed, and accountability. Acting as the strategic connector between Commercial, Operations, and Field teams, the Director ensures flawless delivery from concept to execution.

Pay Range: 120,000-165,000 annually

Location: This role requires being based within 30 miles of your assigned home region airport or ability to self-relocate by January 31, 2026. (DCA, BWI, IAD)

Travel: This role requires you to travel up to 75%

Key Responsibilities

Trade Planning & Strategy

• Oversee the annual trade calendar, ensuring alignment between commercial priorities and operational capacity.
• Lead cross-functional planning to synchronize timelines, promotions, and marketing activations.
• Ensure trade planning processes deliver clarity, accountability, and efficiency across all business units.
• Partner with Commercial, Marketing, and Field Operations to streamline execution of trade plans and retail initiatives.
• Track and report performance metrics to evaluate campaign success and ROI.

Operational Execution

• Drive execution readiness across all store formats, ensuring all trade activities meet defined quality, compliance, and timing standards.
• Collaborate with Operations and Field teams to ensure promotional materials and product launches are implemented consistently.
• Partner with Analytics and Finance teams to evaluate promotional effectiveness and identify improvement opportunities.
• Facilitate post-campaign reviews to gather insights and optimize future planning cycles.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Build and develop a high-performing team responsible for coordination, analytics, and field enablement.
• Serve as a liaison between Commercial, Operations, and Marketing to resolve conflicts, manage expectations, and drive alignment.
• Communicate with clarity to senior leadership and field teams on promotional objectives, results, and priorities.

Key Metrics

• Trade Calendar Adherence (%) – On-time delivery and execution of trade programs.
• Execution Compliance Rate (%) – Accuracy and quality of trade initiatives in stores.
• Promotion Effectiveness (%) – ROI and impact of campaigns on sales performance.
• Cross-Functional Efficiency – Improved collaboration and reduction in rework cycles.
• Planning Cycle Accuracy (%) – Forecasting precision and readiness performance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or Operations; MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in retail operations, trade planning, or marketing execution.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional planning and deployment processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data-driven decision-making.
• Experience managing complex promotional calendars and multiple stakeholder groups.
• Proficiency in data visualization, project management, and reporting tools.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic planning and trade deployment expertise.
• Cross-functional leadership and collaboration.
• Operational execution and communication excellence.
• Strong project management and organizational discipline.
• Analytical thinking and business insight.
• Continuous improvement and performance mindset.

Leadership Attributes

• Influential, collaborative, and execution-oriented.
• Able to translate strategy into actionable plans.
• Builds alignment and trust across teams and levels.
• Drives results with clarity, accountability, and focus.

About Us

WHSmith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide. WHSmith North America, incorporating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion, represents over half of the Company’s international store estate, with a collection of attractive, successful specialty retail stores located in airports and resorts across North America.

Legal & Compliance Disclaimer

WHSmith North America is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. All questions above are job-related and designed to assess qualifications and experience relevant to the position. Responses will not be used to discriminate or determine eligibility on any basis unrelated to bona fide job requirements.