Central Strategy and Ops Lead

This is the role that keeps our pan-India store fleet running consistently, efficiently and to a high standard, every day, in every store. As the owner of the backend operating system behind our retail network, you will define how stores operate, how compliance is verified, how technology is used to measure and improve performance, and how change is rolled out across thousands of stores without disruption. Working closely with Audit, Loss Prevention, Business Development, Training & Academy, Visual Merchandising, Tech and Field leadership, you will turn policy and standards into reliable execution on the shop floor.

Responsibilities

Own the Annual Operating Plan end-to-end, from ground-up input to final sign-off, and drive delivery against it; Own the combined view of revenue performance and customer experience health across the store network; Own the narrative and data for CXO/leadership business reviews; Lead and mentor Program Managers; Own the strategic agenda for revenue growth in partnership with ZM/AOM leadership; Own go-to-market planning for new categories, store formats, and market expansion; Own the portfolio of central programs and track ROI; Partner with tech and product leadership on AI-driven tools; Own the long-range growth agenda; Own the enterprise view of SOP adherence, audit consolidation, and hygiene mechanisms; Define and own the SOPs governing backend store operations across COCO, FOFO and HOB formats; Design and own the audit framework and scoring mechanisms; Own change management across the store network, including Visual Merchandising resets and new-launch readiness; Own the refit charter and new-store operations handover; Manage day-to-day operations for the 300+ FOFO store network; Own an accurate and policy-compliant incentive-release process for FOFO stores

Requirements

6–12 years in business/program management, retail strategy, or operations leadership; at least 2–3 years managing teams; Proven track record owning AOP or equivalent large-scale planning cycles end-to-end; Strong command of Excel/Sheets; Experience presenting to and influencing senior/CXO-level stakeholders; Strong people leadership, including managing or mentoring program managers or cross-functional teams; Exposure to or strong interest in AI/tech-enabled tools and building products with technology teams; Comfortable driving alignment across regional and central teams without formal authority over the field organization

Nice to have

Background in consulting, e-commerce, or large retail; Power BI or SQL