Now Hiring - A to Z Supply and Service - Retail Sales Team Lead in Kansas City, MO

Full description of the position

A to Z Theatrical Supply and Service, Inc. has been in continuous operation for over 60 years. As a service and supply company for the theatrical and events world, we handle a diverse client base and provide assistance with retail purchases, lighting audio and video system rentals or upgrades, custom costume construction and rentals, theatrical drapery construction and installation, theatrical rigging system inspections, repairs, and replacements, and are involved in the renovation and construction of theatrical spaces, primarily in schools, regional theaters, and religious institutions. From A to Z, we do it all. We seek an experienced Retail Sales Team Lead (what we call Front of House or FOH Team Lead) to join our growing company. Under the supervision of the Sales Manager, the FOH Team Lead (aka Retail Sales Team Lead) oversees our organization's retail and rental activities, assists in developing and implementing effective business strategies, and supervises the day to day activities of the FOH team. Duties for the FOH Team Lead include allocating resources (including staff), consulting on policies, coordinating business operations, supervising and motivating staff, managing operational costs, ensuring good customer service, improving efficiencies, engaging with vendors, participating in hiring and training employees, and monitoring financial activities. The FOH team lead also pulls and preps rentals of costumes, props, and technical theatre equipment, including for show packages. The FOH team lead routinely serves as a retail associate, assisting customers with inquiries (in person, and via phone, email, and social media), ringing out rentals and sales, checking public email accounts, and transferring calls and forwarding emails to other departments as needed. This position is required to record hours accurately using the company timeclock system and to submit complete expense reports on time. Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. * Oversee daily department operations, including opening and closing the store, and backfilling shifts as needed. * Ensure compliance with company policies. * Under the direction of the Sales Manager, participate in hiring, training, scheduling, and supervising staff, including giving input for formal performance reviews. As needed, they partner with the HR department to document and address performance issues. * Motivate retail associates and specialists to achieve high standards by training and mentoring staff and coaching for improvement as needed. * Deliver excellent service to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction. * Answer the phone, respond to internal and external customer inquiries promptly and professionally, accurately pull, prep, and write-up rentals (up to and including costume show packages), and ring out customers, ensuring that all appropriate paperwork is completed and properly filed. * Respond to customer complaints, concerns, and compliments in a professional manner, in person, by phone, and via social media and other online platforms. * Partner with departments throughout the organization to help develop and improve upon policies that intersect with the retail department. * Monitor inventory levels, coordinate with Purchasing to place restocking orders, research and order new items, receive shipments, submit POs for payment, conduct inventory counts. * Develop and arrange promotional material and in-store displays. * Prepare necessary reports regarding purchasing trends, etc. to guide future purchasing decisions. * Undertake store administration duties such as managing store expenses and updating financial records in accordance with Accounting procedures. * When appropriate, partner with Sales Manager, Marketing, Events, and/or Corporate Strategy Manager to create business strategies to attract new customers, expand store traffic, and enhance profitability. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities * Effective leadership and the ability to motivate others. * The ability to plan and prioritize workloads and delegate accordingly. * Strong focus on the customer's experience when interacting with staff as well as their experience in the store. * The capacity to grasp new concepts quickly and teach them to others. * The ability to multi-task and to exhibit composure and good humor under pressure. * Shrewd business sense and well-developed commercial awareness. * An ability to work independently and a desire to work as part of a team. * Excellent organizational and communication skills. * Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work enthusiastically with a wide range of individuals to foster productive partnerships and relationships. * Ability to work within a complex system and coordinate with appropriate departments and individuals at all levels. * Creative problem solving and the ability to troubleshoot and quickly adapt to change. * Proactive nature with meticulous attention to detail and a strong work ethic. * Strong computer literacy and comfortable with phone use and cash handling. * Knowledge of elements of events, theatrical design, lighting, costuming, or props and a desire to learn additional facets of the field. Supervisory Responsibilities * Train staff for the retail department, including rental areas such as costumes, props, and tech lab. * Organize and oversee the scheduling and work of staff. * Provide constructive feedback both in the moment and when contributing to performance reviews. Work Environment This job operates in a variety of work environments including, but not limited to: a retail environment using standard office equipment such as computers and phones, with frequent interruptions and unpredictable distractions; a warehouse environment subject to extreme temperatures and noise, sometimes loud and/or sudden while receiving shipments; a costume shop that uses a variety of standard, commercial, and/or industrial sewing machines, irons, and steamers; a tech lab with frequent light changes, including strobes, and potentially airborne particles from fog machines; and the outdoors while helping customers to load/unload rentals and purchases, as well as when pulling event items from exterior storage areas. Physical Demands * Ability to stand and/or walk for long periods of time. * Ability to sit and work at a computer for long periods of time. * Ability to operate washers, dryers, steamers, irons, theatrical lights, fog machines, speakers, phone system, computers, printers, handheld scanners, doors, label makers, etc. * Ability to lift at least 50 lbs. without assistance. * Ability to frequently climb and descend stairs and ladders. * Able to perform all essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations. Position Type and Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time, in-person, hourly position. Days and hours of work will typically be Monday through Friday, during standard retail hours (currently open M-F 9:30-5:30 with staffing M-F 9-6); however, long days and extra hours may be necessary during busy periods or when there are staffing shortages/conflicts. Saturday availability is required in October. Pre- pandemic the retail department was open Monday - Saturday 8:00 - 6:00 with extended hours during the Halloween season and we are working on moving closer to that schedule. The FOH Team Lead may not take any discretionary time off in October and must be available to work the Friday and Saturday of Halloween week and the following Monday. Travel Limited out of town travel is expected for this position - primarily to thespian festivals, vendor expos, and/or other A to Z locations. Required Education and Experience * A minimum of two years of retail leadership experience or a combination of retail experience and management experience. * Prior experience in theatre. * Extensive knowledge of at least one of the following: stage makeup (including special effects), costuming, props, theatrical lighting, and/or event A/V needs. Preference may be given to those with costuming and/or theatre tech experience. * Valid driver's license. * Ability to work in educational or governmental facilities without limitation. Preferred Education and Experience * Bachelor's degree in theatre, business, or a related field is highly preferred, but less formal education with more on-the-job experience may be substituted. * Experience with one or more of the following: Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite), IntelliEvent Lightning, Odoo, and/or Quickbooks. Additional Eligibility Qualifications * Ability to work various shifts as needed, including weekends, early mornings, or late evenings. * Must possess a strong work ethic. Offers of employment are contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. A background check will be conducted as a condition of hire, after an offer is made, and we reserve the right to conduct a background check at any time during employment. A to Z is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all persons. No person shall be denied employment because of ethnicity or race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, age, religion, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, medical conditions, status as a veteran, or ancestry. Please note that job descriptions are not intended, and should not be construed, to be exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with a position. They are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job elements essential for making fair hiring and pay decisions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Job Type: Full-time Pay: $19.00 - $25.00 per hour Expected hours: 40 - 45 per week Benefits: * Dental insurance * Employee discount * Health insurance * Paid time off * Retirement plan * Vision insurance Shift: * 8 hour shift Application Question(s): * Are you able work the schedule described in the job posting? * What are your wage expectations? Experience: * retail leadership: 2 years (Required) * theatrical: 2 years (Required) License/Certification: * Driver's License (Required) Ability to Commute: * Kansas City, MO 64131 (Required) Work Location: In person