Operations Manager

Rowing Dock is one of Austin’s treasures providing kayak, canoe, and stand up paddleboard rentals on Lady Bird Lake. Our mission is to provide everyone, regardless of age skill, or income level, the opportunity to experience the joyful feeling of seeing Austin from the water. Our number one priority is ensuring that our customers and our staff have an exceptional, fun, and memorable experience. We believe in the power of hospitality and that starts with our leadership team.

What we are looking for:

Rowing Dock is looking to add an Operations Manager to our existing Operations Team. Our ideal candidate loves being outdoors, and working with people, has experience managing a team, and is passionate about customer service.

Why you want to work for Rowing Dock:

· Competitive Salary with Profit Sharing

· Healthcare & Retirement Benefits Package

· Paid Training

· Paid Time Off and Flex Time

· Can combine PTO and UPTO for longer vacations in the downseason

· A leadership team that invests in you and cares about your wellbeing

Position Summary:

The Operations Manager (OM) is a key member of Rowing Dock's leadership team and will be focused on executing Rowing Dock's customer-centric operations strategy. The OM plays a vital role in hiring, training, and managing our team and instilling our hospitality values along the way. Along with day-to-day business and staff management, the OM will be responsible for supporting and growing our guided tours, group reservations, and community offerings.

Schedule Requirements:

The Operations Manager position is a full-time salaried position with a minimum commitment requirement of one year. This position requires the following:

· Flexible Schedule- Customer volumes can be volatile based on seasonality, weather, events, and tourism fluctuation. The OM must be able to adjust their schedule to meet the demands of the business.

· Evening, Weekend, and Holiday Availability- Rowing Dock is open 7 days a week, weather permitting, from sunup to sundown. We are busiest on weekends and in the peak summer months and summer holiday weekends. To ensure business is running smoothly and all staff have the proper support, someone from the leadership team is staffed during all hours of operation. As a member of the leadership team, the OM will share the responsibility for providing some evening, weekend, and holiday support.

· Working in an Outdoor Environment- We think this is the best part of the gig - you must truly love being outdoors for the Operations Manager role to be a good fit. The OM spends approximately 60% of their time on the dock in varying weather conditions. For several months of the year (May – September), weather can range from 90 – 105 degrees. A successful OM must be comfortable working under direct sunlight, standing, walking, bending, and/or lifting 50-75 lbs.

Core Responsibilities:

Team

· Supervise current staff; interview, hire, and train all dock staff

· Lead the hiring and training process for guided tours and team building and games staff

· Oversee staff shift scheduling and time-off requests

· Review staff portal to analyze, address, and respond to day-of updates, questions, or concerns raised by the day-of manager

· Make day-of assessments to cut or increase staffing based on weather and volumes

Customers

· Interact and engage with customers while on-site, looking for ways to ensure each customer leaves raving about their experience

· Enhance the customer experience via our online platforms

· Execution and oversight of bookable offerings on-site

· Resolve negative customer complaints by conducting a thorough analysis of the situation to find the most effective solution

· Manage customer inquiries on Google and Yelp

Operations

· Manage labor costs based on fluctuating business operations and income

· Support your partnering Operations Manager with managing the rental fleet including regular evaluation of boats, management of repairs, boat warranty management, and ensuring launch readiness at all times

· Implement rental procedures and good practices related to boat usage, boat handling, customer communications, boat storage, fleet maintenance, and quality control

· Support your partnering Operations Manager with vendor negotiations, purchase of supplies, and maintenance of supply inventory

· Make adjustments and updates to the point-of-sale system based on new offerings, merchandise, or promotions; conduct testing

· Facilitate group bookings, private guided tours, and special events

· Develop and implement business growth strategies specifically related to group bookings, guided tours, and special events

· Support the Marketing Director with tasks related to merchandise sales, inventory management, planning, and onsite support for photo shoots and events

Experience and Competencies:

· 3+ years of previous management experience in customer service or the hospitality industry

· Experience managing staff schedule (40+ employees would be a plus)

· Experience running guided tours, trip leading, and small to medium-scale event management would be a plus

· A strong leader with excellent people and communications skills. Someone who is determined and proactive, organized with strong attention to detail, and is hospitality/service-minded

· A passionate and effective trainer who is adaptable and calm under pressure. Someone who is enthusiastic with high standards and is excited about teamwork, collaboration, and meeting group goals

Salary and Benefits:

· Annual salary range is $45k-$60k commensurate with experience

· Twelve days paid vacation + an additional week off around the Christmas holiday

· Flextime is available within reason (e.g. if you want to take a long vacation and decide to work back-to-back weeks with no time off, you can apply your weekly time off to that vacation)

· $3,000 Annual Health Insurance Premium Coverage **

· 3% Employer Contribution to 401K Plan + Profit Sharing **

**After the eligibility period