Job Summary:
The Senior Director, Operations and Guest Experience provide enterprise leadership for operational standards, continuous improvement, learning, and guest experience across Donated Goods Retail. This role establishes scalable operating practices, builds the capabilities required for consistent execution, and uses performance insights to improve quality, efficiency, and service. The Senior Director partners with DGR leaders and cross-functional teams to translate strategy into practical standards, effective training, sustained adoption, and measurable results.
Essential Functions:
Operational Excellence and Standardization
- Lead the design, implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of best practices and standard operating procedures across all assigned DGR business units.
- Establish a disciplined process for identifying operational opportunities, prioritizing improvements, testing solutions, documenting standards, and supporting sustained adoption.
- Partner with operational leaders to ensure standards are practical, scalable, clearly communicated, and consistently executed.
- Lead change management for major operating initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, readiness, communication, implementation support, and reinforcement.
- Monitor execution and identify barriers, risks, and corrective actions required to achieve intended outcomes.
Guest Experience
- Define and maintain the DGR guest experience framework, including service expectations, operating behaviors, and measures of quality.
- Build a culture that consistently values guests across every DGR touchpoint.
- Use guest feedback, operational observations, and performance data to identify experience gaps and lead targeted improvements.
- Partner with field and support leaders to strengthen service recovery, consistency, and accountability.
Learning and Capability Development
- Own the DGR learning strategy, including needs assessment, instructional design, management onboarding, job training, e-learning, and development resources.
- Plan, manage, and monitor initial training for new management team and training support for new stores or operating locations.
- Solicit input from Senior Directors, District Directors, and other key stakeholders to address performance gaps and development priorities.
- Ensure training programs are current, accessible, role-specific, and aligned with operating standards.
- Measure training completion, knowledge transfer, adoption, and business impact, and provide clear reporting to leadership.
Performance Insights and Continuous Improvement
- Analyze operational, financial, learning, and guest experience data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
- Establish meaningful scorecards and reporting that show progress, adoption, risk, and results.
- Convert insights into clear recommendations, action plans, assigned ownership, and follow-up routines.
- Promote innovation and disciplined problem solving while maintaining alignment with organizational priorities and policies.
People, Budget, and Partnership Leadership
- Hire, lead, develop, coach, and evaluate assigned leaders and team members to achieve departmental and organizational goals.
- Create clear priorities, performance expectations, operating rhythms, and accountability within the department.
- Provide informed input to the annual budgeting process and manage assigned resources within approved financial expectations.
- Build productive relationships across DGR and partner departments to align priorities, remove barriers, and deliver integrated solutions.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of DGR and organizational objectives.
Job Requirements and Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent managerial experience
- Four plus (4) years of experience in a multi-unit role and/or demonstrated success in a Donated Goods Retail leadership position with completion of Goodwill assigned training
- A proven leadership ability to balance both team and business priorities
- Ability to perform as a corporate leader and/or department leader
- Proficiency with software, including MS Office Suite, and AI
- Excellent written and oral communication skills as well as interpersonal skills
- Experience in adult learning principles and instructional design
- Presentation and classroom instruction experience
Working Environment Conditions/Requirements:
- Most duties are performed in the field with travel to all Goodwill of North Georgia, Inc. locations required
- Ability to travel outside the state as needed for training, learning, and development
- The ability to push, pull and lift 30 lbs., bend, reach and grasp with or without accommodations
- Must be able to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time, bend, reach and grasp, tolerate environmental issues such as dust, heat and cold, as well as meet all physical requirements to perform the duties
- Work flexible hours, including weekends
We offer a competitive salary beginning at $118,500, with flexibility for the right candidate based on experience and expertise.