Manager, Store Technology

AKIRA Manager, Store Technology

In 2002, AKIRA opened the doors to its first women's clothing boutique in Chicago. Since then, the company has extended its reach to 40+ stores across the United States, as well as a thriving eCommerce business (shopAKIRA.com). AKIRA is extremely well-poised for sustained growth as we continue to build a nationally recognized brand.

AKIRA's culture has one very large, distinct difference from other high fashion competitors: Other-Worldly Customer Service and Fanatical, Obsessive Attention to the consumer's needs and desires. The core principle for all employees at AKIRA is to Act and Think Like an Owner, and this belief can be reflected across all areas of the company.

The Position: Manager, Store Technology

Location: Chicago, IL- or Bolingbrook, IL (in-office; not remote)

Position Overview:

The Manager of Store Technology is a hands-on IT Operations Lead responsible for the technology that keeps AKIRA's stores, warehouse, and corporate office running. You will own the network infrastructure, POS systems, store technology deployments, and end-user support across 40+ retail locations. You are the person who stores calls when something is down - and the person who makes sure that call doesn't have to happen often.

This role is equal parts strategist and operator. You will lead end-to-end IT setups for new store openings, manage relationships with carriers, ISPs, dispatch platforms, and contractors, troubleshoot complex multi-site issues, and continuously improve uptime, response times, and the in-store associate experience. You will travel to stores when projects, openings, or escalations require boots on the ground.

Key Responsibilities

Store Technology Operations

• Own day-to-day uptime of POS, networking, Wi-Fi, payment devices, RFID readers, back-office workstations, printers, and peripherals across 35+ retail stores.

• Lead incident response for store-impacting outages - triage, escalate, communicate, and drive resolution with internal teams and third-party vendors.

• Manage the store technology lifecycle - hardware standards, refresh cadence, asset inventory, imaging, and decommissioning.

• Maintain rock-solid documentation - runbooks, network diagrams, vendor contacts, and escalation paths for every site.

New Store Openings & Remodels

• Project-manage end-to-end IT setup for new stores: ISP/circuit ordering, network gear procurement, POS hardware, RFID deployment, security/CCTV coordination, low-voltage cabling oversight, and go-live.

• Build and hold to opening timelines in coordination with Construction, Real Estate, Store Operations, and Visual Merchandising.

• Coordinate on-site contractors and installers - schedule, scope, supervise, and sign off on completed work before turnover.

Network & Infrastructure

• Manage multi-site WAN/LAN/Wi-Fi - SD-WAN, firewalls, switches, access points, VLAN design, guest network segmentation, and PCI scope.

• Own ISP and carrier relationships across the fleet - circuit provisioning, failover/LTE backup, billing reconciliation, and SLA enforcement.

• Drive Wi-Fi performance for associates, customers, and in-store IoT devices (RFID, handhelds, mobile POS) - heatmaps, channel planning, and capacity upgrades.

POS Systems

• Serve as the technical owner of the POS platform - registers, payment terminals, EMV/contactless devices, peripheral integrations, and store-level configuration.

• Partner with the POS software vendor and Finance/Loss Prevention on releases, patches, tax/pricing changes, and PCI-DSS compliance.

• Triage POS issues end-to-end - hardware, network, payment processor, and application layers.

RFID & In-Store Tech

• Support and expand AKIRA's RFID footprint - readers, antennas, handhelds, tag encoding workflows, and integration with inventory systems.

• Stay current on emerging in-store technology (mobile POS, electronic shelf labels, computer vision, RFID-driven loss prevention) and pilot what makes commercial sense.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Manage 3rd-party providers - MSPs, ISPs, hardware vendors, low-voltage installers, security integrators, and POS support partners.

• Dispatch and manage field technicians through platforms like Field Nation, Work Market, ServiceChannel, and similar gig/dispatch IT marketplaces - write clear work orders, set acceptance criteria, review buyer ratings, and approve completed work.

• Negotiate SOWs, MSAs, and pricing with vendors; track spend against budget and challenge invoices when scope or SLAs slip.

End-User Support

• Own the support experience for store associates, warehouse team, and corporate users - help desk standards, ticket SLAs, and escalation.

• Build self-service and tier-1 enablement - knowledge base articles, store manager training, and after-hours runbooks.

• Continuously reduce repeat tickets - root-cause analysis, fleet-wide fixes, and proactive monitoring.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with the COO on roadmap, budget, and capital planning for store technology.

• Work cross-functionally with Store Operations, Finance, Loss Prevention, E-commerce, Construction, and HR to align technology with the business.

• Mentor and develop junior IT staff, contractors, and store-side technology champions.

Required Qualifications

• 5-7 years of IT operations or store technology experience, with at least 3 years supporting a multi-site retail, restaurant, or distributed environment.

• Hands-on expertise with retail POS systems - hardware, payment terminals, EMV/contactless, and end-to-end troubleshooting.

• Strong networking fundamentals - Wi-Fi design and troubleshooting, VLANs, firewalls, SD-WAN, ISP/circuit management, and LTE failover.

• Experience managing third-party providers, contractors, and field technicians - including dispatch platforms such as Field Nation, Work Market, ServiceChannel, or equivalent.

• Working knowledge of RFID in a retail context - readers, tag encoding, and integration with inventory or POS systems.

• Demonstrated experience leading new store openings or multi-site IT rollouts from kickoff through go-live.

• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to translate between technical staff, vendors, and non-technical store and executive partners.

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25-35% to AKIRA stores and the warehouse.

• Must be able to work on-site at AKIRA's Chicago or Bolingbrook office.

• Valid driver's license and ability to lift up to 50 lbs (network gear, POS hardware) during installs and store visits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field - or equivalent professional experience.

• Industry certifications such as CompTIA Network+ / Security+, Cisco CCNA, Meraki CMNA, Aruba ACMA, or similar.

• PCI-DSS familiarity in a retail merchant environment.

• Experience with Meraki, Fortinet, Cisco, Ubiquiti, or comparable network stacks.

• Experience with retail RFID platforms (Nedap, Sensormatic, Impinj, Zebra, SML, etc.).

• Familiarity with NetSuite, Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Aptos, or other modern retail POS platforms.

• Experience with Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace administration and identity management.

• Comfort writing simple scripts (PowerShell, Bash, Python) to automate fleet-wide tasks.

What Success Looks Like in Year One

• Store technology uptime and ticket resolution times measurably improve across the fleet.

• Every new store opens on time with zero IT-driven launch delays.

• Vendor and dispatch spend is right-sized, with clear SLAs, performance scorecards, and accountability.

• Wi-Fi and POS issues that historically required headquarters intervention are resolved through documented runbooks and tier-1 enablement.

• RFID coverage and reliability expand to support inventory accuracy and loss prevention goals.

Work Environment

This role is based on-site at AKIRA's Chicago or Bolingbrook office. Expect a mix of office work, hands-on lab/bench work, and travel to retail stores and the warehouse for installs, openings, and escalations. Occasional after-hours and weekend work is required to support store hours, openings, and incident response.

Benefits and Perks:
AKIRA offers competitive benefits for full-time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet Insurance, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and a generous employee discount. We're committed to internal growth, providing meaningful development and career advancement opportunities.

Compensation:
At AKIRA, we are committed to fair and transparent compensation practices. Compensation for this position will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.

Job Type: Full-Time