What Does This Crested Butte Grocery Store Director Role Offer?
Published on: Nov 12, 2026
A specialty grocery retailer in Crested Butte, Colorado is hiring a direct hire Store Director to run the store: people, inventory, vendors, budgets, and merchandising. The role calls for 3 to 5 years of retail management, ideally in grocery, and Frontline Source Group backs the placement with its 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times the 90-day industry standard.
The search is led by Mike Cook, known across the industry as Grocery Store Mike, who spent 35 plus years in the grocery business before he started recruiting for it. Frontline Source Group has completed 5,619 placements through 32 plus offices nationwide since 2004, holds a 98.94% executive placement retention rate, and has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews, along with a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers.
Forbes has named Frontline one of its Best Professional Recruiting Firms for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026) and ranked it #148 on the 2026 Best Executive Recruiting Firms list. The firm is a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA). The full list is on the awards page.
What are the details of this Store Director opening in Crested Butte, CO?
The client is a specialty grocery retailer in Crested Butte known for quality products and a real focus on its community, with a collaborative team and a strong commitment to customer service. It is hiring a Store Director, full time and permanent, to lead every part of the store, from staffing and scheduling through inventory, vendor relationships, budgets, merchandising, and safety. The role is direct hire.
What will the Store Director be responsible for?
The Store Director oversees all store operations to keep the store efficient and profitable and the customer experience strong:
- Supervise daily store operations to maintain smooth workflows and operational excellence
- Implement and enforce store policies and health and safety regulations
- Oversee store opening and closing procedures
- Recruit, train, and mentor team members and department managers
- Conduct performance reviews and support employee development
- Create and manage staff schedules to ensure proper coverage
- Promote a positive, team-oriented work environment
- Deliver superior customer service and resolve issues promptly
- Develop and execute strategies that build customer loyalty and retention
- Monitor inventory levels, conduct regular stock checks, and manage vendor relationships
- Track product quality, availability, and freshness
- Prepare and manage budgets, track financial performance, and hit profit goals
- Review sales reports to identify emerging trends and opportunities
- Implement cost-control and merchandising strategies to maximize profitability
- Plan and execute promotions and special events to drive store traffic
- Maintain a clean, appealing store layout aligned with merchandising objectives
- Track competitor activity and adjust business strategies accordingly
- Uphold compliance with all applicable laws and company standards
- Conduct safety inspections and keep the store secure for employees and customers
What background does the retailer want?
- 3 to 5 years of retail management experience, ideally in grocery operations
- Proven leadership and team-building abilities
- Strong communication and customer relations skills
- Experience with inventory management and POS systems
- Solid understanding of budgeting, financial analysis, and reporting
- Organized, detail-oriented, and able to multitask in a fast-paced environment
- Flexible schedule availability, including weekends and holidays
Preferred qualification:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field
What benefits come with the role, and what do they mean for you?
Beyond salary, the package covers your health, your time off, your retirement, and life in a mountain town:
- Competitive salary: base pay set for a role that runs the entire store, discussed directly with your recruiter.
- Health, dental, and vision insurance: coverage for doctor visits, dental care, and eye care, so healthcare costs do not fall entirely on you.
- Generous paid time off: real time away from the store to rest, which matters in a job that covers weekends and holidays.
- 401(k) with company match: the retailer adds to your retirement savings when you contribute, which is extra pay you keep for later.
- Company-paid life insurance and supplemental coverage options: protection for the people who depend on you, with room to add more coverage.
- Employee assistance program and store discounts: confidential support resources plus savings on the groceries you buy every week.
- Ski and bus pass discount program: a discount on mountain access and local transit, a meaningful perk in a ski town where getting around and getting outside are part of daily life.
Salary is discussed directly with a Frontline Source Group recruiter, and candidates never pay a fee to Frontline Source Group.
How much do grocery store directors earn in 2026?
Federal pay data does not track grocery store directors as a separate job, so the closest benchmarks are retail sales supervisors, with a May 2025 national median of 48,520 dollars, and general and operations managers, with a median of 105,770 dollars. A Store Director who runs an entire store generally sits between those figures, and pay for this role is discussed with a recruiter based on store leadership experience.
What does BLS report nationally for store leaders?
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for May 2025 puts first-line supervisors of retail sales workers at a median of 48,520 dollars a year, with the 10th percentile at 33,120 dollars and the 90th at 77,080 dollars. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a May 2025 median of 105,770 dollars for general and operations managers and notes that retail trade employs about 12 percent of them.
How does the Gunnison County job market compare?
In the BLS County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter of 2026 (preliminary data, released September 4, 2026), Gunnison County had 9,276 covered jobs across 1,367 establishments and an average weekly wage of 1,077 dollars, compared with 1,774 dollars statewide and 1,654 dollars nationally. A resort economy built on hourly and seasonal work is one reason the county average trails, and it is why a year-round, salaried leadership role with a full benefits package and a retirement match stands out locally. Census estimates put the Town of Crested Butte at 1,643 residents and Gunnison County at 17,310 as of July 1, 2024.
Who should apply for this Crested Butte Store Director job?
This opening fits store directors, store managers, and assistant store managers ready for the top job who have run a full grocery operation: staffing, scheduling, P and L, inventory, vendors, and merchandising. Leaders from independent, specialty, or natural foods grocers, and from resort or tourism markets where business swings with the season, will recognize the scope right away.
Do I need a degree for this Store Director role?
No. The retailer prefers a Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field, but the stated requirements are 3 to 5 years of retail management, ideally in grocery, proven leadership, inventory management and POS experience, budgeting and financial reporting skills, and flexible availability including weekends and holidays.
What does running a grocery store in a mountain resort town involve?
The Store Director serves year-round residents and the visitors who arrive for ski and summer seasons, so scheduling, ordering, and staffing have to flex with traffic. The job description puts weight on freshness, vendor relationships, promotions and special events, and tracking competitor activity, along with building a team that stays. Store discounts and the ski and bus pass discount program are part of how the retailer supports its people in the community.
Who is recruiting for this Store Director search at Frontline Source Group?
Mike Cook leads grocery and retail searches at Frontline Source Group. Before recruiting, he spent 35 plus years working in grocery, so he knows what it takes to run a store, manage department heads, and keep shrink, labor, and freshness in line. He works with the grocery store and retail executive search team on store director, store manager, buyer, district, and grocery pharmacy searches. For background on the career path, see the guide to grocery store manager careers.
How do you apply for this Store Director role through Frontline Source Group?
Submit your resume on the Frontline Source Group How to Apply page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. Mention the Store Director, Crested Butte, CO direct hire so your profile reaches the grocery and retail desk.
What happens after you submit your application?
Once you apply, you may get a call from Lexi Reed, Frontline's AI recruiter, for a first-level interview. A member of the recruiting team then reviews every candidate and calls those who meet the client requirements to talk through the store, compensation, and schedule. If the client asks for an interview, you get preparation guidance at frontlinesourcegroup.com/interview-instructions.html. Frontline never charges candidates a fee; to spot scams that impersonate recruiters, see frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html. Answers to common questions are on the job seeker FAQs page.
How can grocery retailers hire store directors through Frontline Source Group?
Independent, regional, and specialty grocers that need store directors, store managers, department managers, or buyers can submit a request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html and review direct hire pricing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Frontline is one of the few staffing firms that publishes its pricing, and its guide to hiring a grocery executive search firm covers what to ask before you sign with any recruiter. Colorado employers can also work with the Frontline Denver office, and broader search work is described at frontlinesourcegroup.com/executive-search.html.
Why work with Frontline Source Group for grocery leadership jobs in Colorado?
Frontline Source Group was founded in Dallas in 2004 and runs a dedicated grocery and retail practice serving grocers nationwide, including Colorado mountain communities. The firm has completed 5,619 placements through 32 plus offices and holds a 98.94% executive placement retention rate. Every direct hire placement carries the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times the 90-day industry standard guarantee, explained at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html. People. Process. Service. is how the firm describes its approach, and the grocery desk applies it to every search. Recently filled roles are listed at frontlinesourcegroup.com/recent-placements.html.
What do candidates ask about the Crested Butte Store Director job?
What does the Store Director do in this Crested Butte, CO role?
The Store Director runs every part of a specialty grocery store in Crested Butte: daily operations, opening and closing, hiring and training team members and department managers, scheduling, customer service, inventory and vendor relationships, budgets and profit goals, sales reporting, merchandising, promotions and events, legal compliance, and safety inspections.
Is the Crested Butte Store Director job direct hire?
Yes. This is a full-time, direct hire position on the retailer's payroll with health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, a 401(k) with company match, and life insurance. The placement is backed by the Frontline Source Group 5-Year Placement Warranty.
How much retail management experience does the retailer require?
The retailer is looking for 3 to 5 years of retail management experience, ideally in grocery operations, along with proven leadership, inventory management and POS system experience, and a solid grasp of budgeting, financial analysis, and reporting.
Is a college degree required for this Store Director job?
No. A Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field is preferred but not required. Grocery or retail store leadership experience carries the most weight.
What benefits come with the Store Director position?
The package includes a competitive salary, health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, a 401(k) with company match, company-paid life insurance with supplemental options, an employee assistance program, store discounts, and a ski and bus pass discount program.
What schedule does the Store Director work?
This is a full-time, on-site leadership role. The retailer asks for flexible availability, including weekends and holidays, which fits a grocery store serving a year-round mountain community and its visitors. Specific schedule details are discussed with a Frontline Source Group recruiter.
How much do grocery store directors earn?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports May 2025 national medians of 48,520 dollars for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, with the top 10 percent above 77,080 dollars, and 105,770 dollars for general and operations managers. A Store Director who runs an entire grocery store generally sits between those benchmarks. Salary for this role is discussed directly with a Frontline Source Group recruiter.
What type of retailer is hiring the Store Director in Crested Butte?
The client is a specialty grocery retailer known for quality products, a community focus, and a collaborative team with a strong commitment to customer service. Frontline Source Group does not publish client names on placement pages; the recruiter shares the client identity with candidates who advance.
Who is recruiting for this Store Director search?
The search is run by the grocery and retail desk at Frontline Source Group, led by Mike Cook, known in the industry as Grocery Store Mike, who spent 35 plus years in the grocery business before moving into executive search. His bio is at frontlinesourcegroup.com/mike-cook-staffing-services.html.
How do I apply for the Store Director job in Crested Butte, CO?
Apply through the Frontline Source Group How to Apply page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. Every submission is reviewed against the client requirements, and qualified candidates are contacted about next steps.
Does Frontline Source Group charge candidates a fee?
No. Candidates never pay a fee to Frontline Source Group. The hiring retailer pays the placement fee, which is explained on the pricing page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Anyone asking a job seeker for money is not Frontline; see frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html to spot recruiting scams.
How can grocery retailers hire store directors through Frontline Source Group?
Grocery and retail employers can submit a hiring request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html and review direct hire pricing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Frontline Source Group recruits store directors, store managers, department managers, buyers, and district leaders nationwide, backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty described at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html.
