At Danforth, our success is rooted in the strength of our talented management team and skilled artisans led by our General Manager.

The Danforth General Manager sets high standards for profit, growth, efficiency, and culture. They empower, mentor, and develop the management team to achieve those standards. The Danforth General Manager leads all functions through clear, productive lines of communication, encouraging all to stretch beyond their comfort zones and tap into their creativity.

This person has a deep and evolving understanding of all the channels and competitors in Danforth’s market. They use this understanding to look into the future, anticipating threats and opportunities. The Danforth General Manager is deft at gathering expert data and insights from the management team and others to create a clear and compelling vision for Danforth’s future. In addition, this person shares Danforth’s commitment to US manufacturing and the Vermont economy.

The Danforth General Manager believes that success comes from a thriving culture and that in order to ensure this success, the General Manager must dedicate themselves to constantly evolving and growing as a leader. The expectation is that the General Manager will be on-site at Danforth’s Middlebury, VT headquarters at least four days per week.

Objectives

● Develop and maintain a strategic plan that engages and motivates employees while providing a vision of success for the company.

● Drive organizational effectiveness through developing processes and implementing innovative changes.

● Possess a keen and current understanding of the state of all Danforth profit centers using channel-specific profit and loss analysis.

● Manage a key performance indicator (KPI) reporting process that provides visibility to drive process improvement and key operating decisions.

● Set & adhere to company standards for excellence and quality.

● Seek out opportunities for expansion and growth by maintaining and developing strong industry relationships.

● Provide guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas.

Responsibilities

● Lead daily operations while maintaining the vision for the long term success of the business.

● Recruit, onboard, train, mentor, and develop high-performing employees to achieve objectives for sales, profitability, and growth.

● Develop, implement, and maintain budgetary and resource allocation plans.

● Delegate responsibilities to appropriate employees to drive personal growth and development of the team.

● Lead the consistent application of all policies, procedures, standards, specifications, guidelines, training programs, and cultural values.

● Lead the strategy and oversee the processes to optimize channel mix and business segments for growth and profitability, including Retail Stores, Ecommerce Website, Amazon, Wholesale/Key Accounts, Corporate & Custom.

● Drive growth and innovation through new-product development.

● Identify and effectively seize new channels, international expansion, and other opportunities.

● Drive profitable consumer growth strategy, investing in customer acquisition, CRM and retention that delivers lifetime value.

● Cultivate and nurture the company culture.

Skills and Qualifications

● Proven success in a leadership role.

● P&L responsibility for a $5M business or division.

● Strong decision-making and prioritization abilities.

● Excellent communication, collaboration, and delegation skills.

● Proven ability to develop and achieve financial plans.

● Track record of recruiting, hiring, and firing as needed.

● Ability to motivate, lead, and hold employees accountable.

● Strong working knowledge of operational procedures.

● Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in business management or related field.

● Experience in conducting performance evaluations.

● Working knowledge of human-resources processes.

● High social and emotional intelligence.

● Experience successfully turning around a low-growth or unprofitable company to growth and sustained profitability.

● Experience in all forms of direct-to-consumer retail and bricks and mortar retail.

● Deep understanding of consumer brands like Danforth, where design excellence, craft, and affordable luxury are key elements of brand identity.

● Strength in manufacturing and operations, with an eye for improving production processes, reducing costs, and improving customer experience.

● Experience with strategic business partnerships, mergers and acquisitions.

● Success managing a positive organizational culture through periods of change.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid training

Experience level:

• 7 years

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person