Job Summary: <p>We are partnering with a well-established specialty outdoor sporting goods company in <strong>Hood River, Oregon</strong>, known for its deep technical expertise, exceptional customer service, and strong presence in the wind and water sports community.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The company is seeking a <strong>hands-on Operations Manager</strong> to take ownership of day-to-day retail operations and serve as a key partner to the business owner.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys being <strong>on the floor, working with customers, developing a team, solving problems, and being directly involved in the business</strong>-not sitting behind a desk and delegating from a distance.</p><h3></h3>

What You'll Do

Lead the Store & Drive Sales

• Lead day-to-day operations of a high-volume specialty retail store.

• Personally engage with customers, understand their needs, and recommend the right equipment and solutions.

• Help drive sales, customer satisfaction, and efficient inventory movement.

• Oversee POS transactions, rentals, repairs, orders, and customer follow-up.

• Take ownership of customer issues and ensure they are resolved from start to finish.

Build & Develop the Team

• Lead, coach, and develop a seasonal team of up to 20 employees during peak season.

• Train employees on product knowledge, sales processes, and customer service.

• Provide real-time coaching and support directly on the sales floor.

• Identify team members with strong technical expertise and encourage peer-to-peer learning.

• Help build a collaborative, accountable, high-performance culture.

Own Store Operations

• Manage inventory accuracy between the physical store and e-commerce systems.

• Receive, organize, and stock incoming product shipments.

• Maintain product displays, merchandising standards, and overall store presentation.

• Build weekly staff schedules and manage coverage.

• Step in when unexpected staffing or operational issues arise.

• Identify problems quickly and take action without waiting for someone else to solve them.

What We're Looking For

• Experience leading retail, specialty retail, outdoor recreation, sporting goods, or similar customer-facing operations.

• Strong personal sales and customer-service skills.

• Experience training, coaching, and developing employees.

• Comfortable managing inventory, scheduling, POS systems, shipments, and daily store operations.

• A proactive, hands-on leadership style-you lead from the floor, not from the sidelines.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to stay composed in a fast-paced environment.

• Comfortable working weekends and extended hours during the peak summer season.

• Physically comfortable receiving shipments, moving equipment, stocking products, and remaining active throughout the workday.

Wind & Water Sports Experience

A genuine connection to the wind and water sports lifestyle is highly valued.

Experience participating in sports such as windsurfing, wing foiling, kiteboarding, parawinging, pump foiling, e-foiling, or wake foiling is strongly preferred.

You don't need to be a professional rider-but you should be genuinely interested in the sport and capable of developing a strong understanding of technical equipment and customer needs.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Annual base salary

• Year-round employment and consistent compensation

• Profit-sharing potential tied to business performance

• Paid time off

• Employee/gear discounts

• Opportunity to work in one of the country's premier wind and water sports destinations

• A highly active, hands-on environment rather than a traditional corporate setting

• Opportunity to become a key operational partner to the business owner

• Off-season flexibility for travel and outdoor pursuits

The Ideal Candidate

You're someone who enjoys selling, leading, coaching, fixing problems, and being in the middle of the action.

You're not looking for a traditional office-based management position. You enjoy working alongside your team, talking with customers, learning technical products, and taking ownership when something needs to get done.

If you're an experienced specialty retail or outdoor-sports leader who wants a year-round opportunity in Hood River, Oregon, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply with your resume and a brief note describing your hands-on leadership/sales experience and your connection to wind or water sports.