Director of Retail

The mission of Ben’s Bells is to inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships, and our communities. 

Recent research demonstrates that kindness benefits our physical and mental health, and that recognizing kindness in others increases a person’s happiness and satisfaction. But just as solving a calculus problem requires advanced math skills, the challenges of daily life require advanced kindness skills. By focusing on kindness and being intentional in our personal interactions, we can improve our ability to connect. The mission of Ben’s Bells is to inspire individuals and communities to engage in kindness education and practice.  For more information on the organization, visit www.bensbells.org. 

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Retail is responsible for leading the successful and profitable retail operations at Ben’s Bells while deepening relationships and increasing our impact through the sales of mission driven merchandise.

The ideal candidate will have experience in  retail or sales with demonstrated success,  a passion for relationship management, the ability and desire to form meaningful connections with customers,  and experience with product development and inventory management. The Director of Retail must understand retail trends, have a strong technology competency, and a good eye for merchandising in concert with the organization’s overall aesthetic. 

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain annual retail budget, proactively grow net profit for program  support, analyze cost efficiencies and margins, and provide monthly reports for accounting purposes
• Oversee operations of four Shop KIND locations to include merchandising (in-store and off site), inventory, customer service, staff training, event support, and assurance that financial internal control standards are being followed
• Supervise a team of one Shop Coordinator and two Retail Assistants in Tucson
• Coach and support all retail staff on sales floor performance, reporting, eCommerce fulfillment, events and general customer service
• Manage ecommerce operations including the infrastructure and technology systems for the front-facing website and backend  fulfillment of orders
• Manage  inventory across four physical locations to ensure auditing requirements are met, maintain and monitor inventory levels, and analyze product performance
• Secure participation of pop-up shops in local community events and oversee all related operations to include staffing, logistics, inventory, merchandising, and POS accessibility  
• Serve as a key person on the senior management team 
• Provide superior customer service to Retail Partners while identifying and cultivating relationships with new potential partners
• Analyze data to identify top customers and deepen their relationships with the organization
• Serve as  POS system (Lightspeed) administrator to manage inventory, sales, customers, reporting and overall POS functionality to ensure available tools are being leveraged to their fullest capacity  
• Work closely with Studio Manager to effectively communicate ongoing handmade merchandise needs and collaborate to create new handmade products
• Stay abreast of retail trends, research and develop new logo merchandise and kindness-themed products relevant to program goals and organizational mission
• Work with  the Marketing & Events Manager to promote in person and online shopping through marketing campaigns, new product launches, pop up shops at community  events, and all other retail channels

Qualifications

• Five years of experience in retail management  with a successful sales track record
• Passion for customer service and experience in a relationship-based sales role 
• Experience with inventory management and product acquisition
• Financial management experience with the ability to manage sales goals  inclusive of net profit management, product costing and discount impact
• High competency for technology, proficiency with POS systems (preferably Lightspeed), and experience managing an e-commerce platform  
• Background in creative merchandising and marketing
• Experience managing employees and volunteers
  

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Personal qualities of kindness, integrity, credibility, growth-mindset, and commitment to the mission of Ben’s Bells
• Able to work proactively and independently to forward the growth of retail program
• Excellent attention to detail with an ability to create effective systems and processes
• Flexible and able to multitask; ability to work within an ambiguous, fast-moving environment, while also driving toward clarity and solutions.

Benefits 

• Flexible work schedule

• 15 days of paid vacation annually, 6 paid holidays, and a paid week of closure over winter break

• Paid time off for birthday, self-care, and volunteering at another 501(c)3 organization
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and IRA plan options available
• Employer-paid Life Insurance Policy

Timeline Position will remain open until filled.