Retail Store General Manager

About the role

By exhibiting exceptional teamwork, boundless curiosity, and the utmost care, the General Manager will lead their team to fulfil Blick’s commitment to our customers, the Arts, and our local communities.

Founded in 1911, Blick Art Materials is in its third generation of family ownership, and is the largest and oldest provider of art supplies in the United States. At Blick Art Materials, our family owners and dedicated staff support the Visual Art Community by providing the widest selection of art supplies at the lowest prices. With extraordinary service and integrity, we strive to provide artists, educators, students, and our employees with the tools, assistance, and training they need to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the Assistant Manager(s), Key Holder(s), Receiver, Framer (if on staff), and Sales Associates
• Train and develop store management in all aspects of the business
• Direct and monitor training and development for all associates
• Continually evaluate and react to performance issues
• Actively recruit, interview, and hire management and associate candidates
• Contact and meet with current and potential House Account customers on a regular basis, process House Account orders, maintain and develop customer relationships as outlined by the National Sales Manager
• Drive revenue by ensuring associates provide outstanding customer service, helpful product knowledge, building individual customer relationships, and handling all customer contacts in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner
• Supervise the training of all store associates on Blick Onboarding Training, Sales Training Program, promotional events, Featured Products, and Custom Services Training from NDS
• Provide customer service at the Custom Services desk including making appointments, consulting on Custom Services projects, taking Custom Services orders, and delivering completed Custom Services orders in store
• Assist the local or remote Custom Services production team (Framers) by analyzing/maintaining the Work in Progress report, ordering framing supplies, communicating with the production facility in Galesburg, and performing light production responsibilities as needed
• Regularly review and monitor all aspects of inventory management including Vendor Direct Orders, Special Orders, Min/Max changes, PDA Adjustments, Weekly Cycle Counts, Store to Store transfers, returns to D.C., RTVs, shipment processing, and shipping discrepancies
• Maintain a regular routine of maintenance and housekeeping to ensure safety of associates, customers, and protection of company assets
• Plan and coordinate merchandise set ups, visual compliance, promotional signage compliance, layout changes, and implement and maintain the store as set forth by Blick Management
• Shift supervision, including opening and closing the store, managing payroll, creating weekly schedule, and assigning staff tasks and duties on a daily basis
• Provide input to the District Manager concerning customer needs, new products, competition, and pricing
• Implement local marketing initiatives at store level while ensuring compliance with National Marketing programs
• Understand and manage the store’s financial performance, including controlling shrink, expenses, and payroll, utilizing the annual budget and monthly Profit & Loss statements
• Timely processing of inter-company communications and forms, payment of bills, and payroll reporting
• Ensure compliance to all Dick Blick Company Policies and Procedures, loss prevention initiatives, and operational controls

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the associate for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Requirements

• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment
• Excellent communication skills
• Willing and able to relocate for future opportunities if required
• Must be able to lift and carry 50 pounds while using appropriate lifting techniques and following all safety rules
• Prolonged walking, standing, and climbing ladders
• Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel is expected
• Directly supervises a minimum of two full-time associates and indirectly supervises all personnel within the store location; responsible for leadership of the associates in the store

Qualifications

• High School Graduate; College preferred but not required
• Three years of previous retail management experience or one year of employment with Blick
• Demonstrated superior sales performance throughout career
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and supervise personnel
• Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel

Skills

• Elevates Service Standards
• Leadership
• Champions Core Values
• People
• Operations

Schedule