The Safeway Store Director is a dynamic and purpose-driven leader, accountable for the store’s overall performance, culture, and operations. This role is ideal for individuals who excel at driving sales through people, fostering a growth mindset, and building high-performing, inclusive teams. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and resilient leader who thrives in dynamic environments. They champion innovation, embrace calculated risks, and approach challenges with creativity. With a relentless focus on the customer and Associate experience, they leverage insights to build lasting relationships and deliver! 

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Communication

Lead, motivate, and develop associates through consistent coaching and recognition. Facilitate weekly planning sessions with Assistant Store Director(s) and Department Managers to align the team with goals and priorities.  Cascade information effectively to ensure everyone is equipped to succeed, through daily morning and evening team huddles.  Delegate tasks to team members empowering them to take ownership, engagement and fostering a sense of accountability.  Communicate transparently and regularly with all levels of the team to foster clarity and trust. 

 

Team Building & Talent Development

Develop Store Management team by identifying skill gaps and create tailored development plans to enhance leadership capabilities career growth. Coach and mentor leaders regularly, providing actionable feedback, stretch assignments, and growth opportunities that foster confidence, accountability, and continuous improvement. Partner with Assistant Store Director(s) to make strategic hiring decisions that align with current and future talent needs, ensuring balanced coverage and team strength.  Build diverse, high-performing teams by recruiting individuals with varied backgrounds, skillsets, and perspectives. Actively engage in community outreach to attract local talent and create meaningful opportunities for associates to give back, reinforcing a sense of purpose and connection.  Foster a culture of belonging and shared success by setting clear expectations, celebrating team wins, and aligning everyone around common goals and values.  Drive associate retention and engagement through intentional relationship-building, career pathing, and the removal of barriers to advancement—ensuring every associate feels seen, supported, and set up for success.

 

Sales Culture & Customer Connection

Inspire a customer-first mindset by setting a clear vision that aligns every associate’s actions with the goal of delivering exceptional service and driving sales through meaningful customer interactions. Lead the execution of a localized merchandising strategy that reflects community preferences, enhances product discoverability, and influences purchasing decisions to elevate the overall store experience.  Leverage customer insights and feedback from both physical and digital channels to identify emerging trends, improve service delivery, and tailor the shopping experience to individual preferences.  Foster a culture of recognition and accountability, where exceptional selling behaviors and customer-centric actions are celebrated and directly tied to performance outcomes. Equip associates with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to anticipate customer needs, personalize service, and consistently exceed sales and service expectations.  Champion a frictionless customer journey by integrating in-store and online operations—ensuring product availability, service consistency, and a cohesive brand experience across all touchpoints. 

Operational Excellence

Partner with Human Resources, Operations Specialists, Sales Teams and other key supporting backstage functions within the organization to deploy the appropriate resources in support of achieving shared goals.  Readily understands and utilizes P&L, sales, purchases, labor and cost reporting to impact results. Own workforce management by scheduling to meet customer demand to optimize coverage while controlling labor.  Ensure store readiness for an exceptional customer experience by conducting daily walkthroughs to uphold visual merchandising standards, cleanliness, and overall presentation. Obtains necessary licenses needed for store operations such as Food Safety and Sanitation License. Ensure compliance with legal requirements and company policies and procedures, including but not limited to cash handling, security, safety, consumer protection, sanitation, wage and hour, etc. Maintain appropriate professional relationships with union officials, and ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreement provisions, if applicable. Take responsibility for outcomes and empower teams to act with pride and accountability. 

 

Qualifications:

3 to 5 years of progressive retail leadership experience, preferably in grocery, retail, or service industries. High school diploma or equivalent required; college bachelor’s degree preferred. Proven success in team development, sales growth, and operational strategy. Strong analytical, communication, and coaching skills. Experience with workforce management tools and financial analysis platforms. Passion for inclusive leadership, coaching, and community engagement.

 

Physical Environment:

Ability to sit, stand or walk for extended periods of time. Ability to reach, lift, stack, and maneuver objects of varying dimensions and weights up to approximately 55 pounds. May spend long periods of time at desk or computer terminal. May use calculators, keyboards, telephone, computers and other office equipment during normal workday.  Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in completion of some job duties. Workdays are fast paced; holiday, evening and weekend work may be required.  This is not an all-inclusive list of duties, functions, or physical requirements of the job.

Pay Transparency: The pay range is $88,400 to $148,000 per year, but no less than the local minimum wage. Starting rates will vary based on things like location, experience, qualifications and the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this job classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified