Description

Retail, Strategic Planning and Operations | Business Director 

Position Summary

The Chief of Staff to the President, Retail serves as a strategic advisor, integrator, and execution partner to ensure alignment, momentum, and impact across the Retail organization. This role drives clarity, prioritization, and cross-functional collaboration, enabling the President, Retail to focus on the most critical decisions and initiatives. Operating with high influence, the Chief of Staff leads through relationships, structured thinking, and disciplined program management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Initiative Leadership

• Act as a strategic partner for the president of retail related to targeted initiatives and help set direction for the retail leadership team.
• Facilitate the development of strategic priorities, long-range planning, and the Retail organization’s agenda for key initiatives.
• Track and report on Retail KPIs, partnering with business owners to ensure execution on special projects that drive performance.
• Review, assess, and evaluate key areas of the retail business by conducting root cause analysis of issues, finding solutions, and implementing efficient changes needed to drive results across teams.
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Execution & Project Facilitation

• Establish governance, common processes, tools, metrics and resources needed to successfully execute against retail KPIs.
• Advise, organize, and facilitate execution of critical projects, ensuring they deliver measurable impact.
• Stay closely connected to Retail initiatives, proactively identifying roadblocks, driving solutions, and flagging risks or slippage to the President, Retail.
• Coordinate with adjacent functional leaders to strengthen cross-functional alignment and drive shared outcomes.

Leadership Support & Organizational Alignment

• Represent the president, retail in key meetings as needed, ensuring continuity of leadership presence and decision-making.
• Support overall administration of the president’s calendar, ensuring prioritization, preparedness, and anticipation of needs.
• Serve as a connector and influencer across the retail organization, convening stakeholders and shaping perspectives to align with retail goals

Qualifications

Key Attributes & Competencies

• Systematic Thinker: Able to break down complexity, build structure, and drive clarity across ambiguous or evolving priorities.
• Data-Driven: Leverages analytics and insights to inform recommendations, measure impact, and guide decision-making.
• Strong Project Management: Highly organized, disciplined, and adept at moving multiple initiatives forward simultaneously.
• Organizational Influence: Leads through credibility, communication, and relationship-building—without authority or direct reports.
• Trust & Confidence Builder: Earns the confidence of senior leaders and partners through integrity, judgment, discretion, and dependable follow-through.

Additional Requirements

• Minimum of five years of business experience
• Experience in both strategic and tactical operational roles 
• Prior leadership experience and a demonstrated ability to lead via influence 
• MBA or equivalent
• Prior experience in the retail industry strongly preferred
• Prior chief of staff experience preferred

Additional Information

This position is based in Knoxville, TN and is an onsite role. Relocation assistance may be provided for the selected candidate.

Company Description

Pilot Company is an industry-leading network of travel centers with more than 30,000 team members and over 750 retail and fueling locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces. Our energy and logistics division serves as a top supplier of fuel, employing one of the largest tanker fleets and providing critical services to oil operations in our nation's busiest basins. Pilot Company supports a growing portfolio of brands with expertise in supply chain and retail operations, logistics and transportation, technology and digital innovation, construction, maintenance, human resources, finance, sales and marketing.

Founded in 1958 by Jim A. Haslam II and currently led by CEO Adam Wright, our founding values, people-first culture and commitment to giving back remains true to us today. Whether we are serving guests, a fellow team member, or a trucking company, we are dedicated to fueling people and keeping North America moving.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Military encouraged to apply.