Analyst, Retail Labour & Expenses

WHO WE ARE

Indigo is a physical and digital place inspired by and filled with books, ideas, beautifully designed lifestyle products, and the creative people who help make it all happen. We believe in real books, living life fully and generously, being kind to each other and to the environment, and that stories – big and little – connect us. Indigo is our customer’s happy place – for joyful moments of discovery and to connect with people who share their passion for reading, their belief in ideas, and their commitment to making the world a better and more beautiful place.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Our Mission is to inspire reading and enrich the lives of booklovers. As such, we believe in the power of people and their stories. We aim to attract top talent, nurture the potential of our employees, and create space for everyone to thrive. Our Guiding Principles are the few key ideas that are meant to influence everything we do, every day.

• We Will Hire, Inspire, Promote and Retain the Best – A’s Hire A’s.
• We Will be Customer Centric.
• We Will Be Data Driven – System Thinking – Entrepreneurial.
• We are Committed to True and Shared Value Creation.
• We Will be Human-Centered and AI Enabled.
• We are Committed to Caring About Each Other, Our Communities, Our Environment.

Job Description

MISSION

The Labour Analyst, Retail Labour and Expenses is accountable for supporting Indigo’s strategic objectives through labour planning, expense forecasting, financial analysis, and operational reporting that optimize store profitability while balancing the operational and customer experience requirements across the store network.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

• Monthly Forecast Accuracy for Wage Ratio, Average Wage and Labour Spend
• Annual Labour and Expense Plan Accuracy
• EBITDA
• Indigo Help SLAs

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES – what the work is

• Budgeting:
  • Create accurate pre-season store labour and expense budgets and in-season forecasts using historical analysis, store performance trends, operational drivers, and industry research, with focus on productivity, customer experience, and EBITDA
  • Support other SMEs in the creation of Retail OPEX budgets and facilities budgets
  • Collaborate with the Workforce Management lead to ensure labour planning models and system drivers remain aligned with business needs, leveraging analysis of store performance and forecast variances to improve planning accuracy
• Modelling:
  • Create and continuously evolve labour models for Small Format and Large Format stores to ensure efficient use of labour while maintaining operational and customer experience standards
  • Create and continuously evolve store development financial models to determine the most profitable product mix and resulting budgets for new, renovation and relocation stores, with significant impact to budget and limited time to payback
  • Utilize customer data to assess over and under performance across the store base
  • Provide analytical support and backup coverage for sales forecasting models and reporting processes as required
• Analytics:
  • Design and maintain labour, productivity, and expense reporting which supports the Field Leadership and stores in driving KPI performance and managing expenses in line with balanced scorecard expectations
  • Monitor and analyze reporting to identify business opportunities and present these findings weekly
  • Deliver timely and accurate reporting to end users
  • Provide analysis on customer data to support initiatives which drive traffic, retain or grow customer base
  • Ensure continuity of data projections across organization by partnering cross-functionally to facilitate the compilation of knowledge from department SMEs to arrive at accurate data projections
• Training:
  • Develop training resources to ensure store teams are fluent at using the reports available to them to drive KPI performance and manage expenses
  • Shares technical knowledge with others and actively seeks to learn from those more knowledgeable than self.
• Act as the designated backup for the Workforce Management lead, maintaining knowledge of workforce management systems, forecasting methodologies, and operational processes to ensure effective support and business continuity
• Support the drive for a customer centric culture within stores and Home Office by consistently modelling customer-focused behavior, integrating customer needs into decision-making, and proactively anticipating and addressing customer expectations
• Identify and communicate continuous improvement opportunities, challenging the status quo and proactively resolving issues across all systems and functions within the area of responsibility
• Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback 

SCOPE

Reports to: Director, Retail Operations & Profitability

Manager once Removed (MOR): VP, Retail Experience & Operations

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• Chief Customer Officer and SVP Retail,
• Upper Field Leaders and Store Leadership teams
• Human Resources and Total Rewards team
• Employee Communications team
• Finance and Accounting team
• Business Intelligence and Customer Insights teams
• Merchandise and Planning teams

External:

• Vendors

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in the field of Business or Finance is required
• 3-5 years of experience directly executing a Retail or Labour Analytics role is required 
• Proficient in data management required: demonstrated ability to create effective financial and operational solutions from large data sets using Excel and various databases
• Strong financial modelling and analysis skills
• Strong critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills with a strong understanding of statistics and math
• Communicates financial results/opportunities effectively to both financial savvy and non-financial users, leveraging storytelling to bring impact to data driven insights
• Strong background in operational processes, with the ability to align financial and operational strategies for improved performance
• Excellent verbal and written skills to be able to communicate effectively to both a technical and business audience
• Manage competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and adapting to dynamic work environments
• Strong team player, able to collaborate effectively and proactively with cross-functional teams to drive flexible and iterative solutions, and achieve organizational goals
• A passion for Indigo’s mission and full alignment with Indigo’s values as reflected in the Guiding Principles 

Additional Information

At Indigo, we are committed to our communities, our customers, and each other; together we can make a positive impact. We know that fostering diversity and inclusion brings out your full potential and creates a joyful and welcoming environment for everyone. We are driven to be an equitable employer, which highly values your diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that you, in all your uniqueness, belong at Indigo. We welcome all applicants and encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, LGBTQ2+ and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request to individuals who self-identify as having a disability or special need. Please contact Human Resources at View email address on jobs.smartrecruiters.com if you require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment process. 

WELCOME HOME

Indigo uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with certain aspects of the hiring process, such as screening and assessments. These tools support our team but do not replace human judgment. We are committed to using AI responsibly, fairly, and in compliance with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws. We regularly review these tools to help prevent bias or discrimination.

At Indigo, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility are core to our values. We integrate these principles into our training, policies, and hiring practices and continuously evolve to reflect the needs of the communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and lived experiences, including but not limited to individuals who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and persons with disabilities. If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at  View email address on jobs.smartrecruiters.com.

We respect your privacy throughout the recruitment process. Our Candidate Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you apply for a role with Indigo, and the choices available to you.

This posting is for a current opportunity within Indigo.