What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager, Retail Operations position at Lehigh Valley Phantoms?
Position Summary
The Manager, Retail Operations is responsible for the day-to-day execution and operational success of the retail department. This position supports the Director of Retail & Merchandise by overseeing store operations, staffing, customer service, game-day retail execution, inventory movement, e-commerce fulfillment, and daily sales performance across all retail touchpoints.
This role is designed for a strong operational leader who can ensure the retail department runs efficiently, consistently, and professionally. The Manager will help lead the team store, arena retail locations, events, stockroom, warehouse support, and online order fulfillment while maintaining a high standard of organization, accountability, and fan experience.
The Manager, Retail Operations serves as the bridge between strategy and execution. This position ensures that the retail plan is carried out successfully daily, allowing the Director of Retail & Merchandise to focus on buying, revenue strategy, vendor relationships, merchandising direction, and department growth.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Manage daily team store operations and support overall retail execution.
- Lead game-day retail operations, including setup, staffing, sales floor execution, and breakdown.
- Build and manage part-time staff schedules based on store hours, events, and business needs.
- Train, supervise, and support part-time retail associates.
- Maintain strong customer service standards and ensure a positive fan experience at every retail touchpoint.
- Support inventory receiving, replenishment, organization, transfers, and product movement.
- Ensure merchandise is properly displayed, stocked, folded, hung, signed, and presented.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization across the team store, arena locations, stockroom, and warehouse areas.
- Assist with visual merchandising execution based on department direction.
- Monitor inventory levels and communicate product needs, sell-through, and replenishment opportunities.
- Support POS procedures, cash handling, returns, exchanges, discounts, and daily sales reporting.
- Assist with e-commerce order fulfillment, packing, shipping, customer communication, and order accuracy.
- Support event retail setup and breakdown for games, concerts, community events, and special retail activations.
- Serve as a key communication link between part-time staff, warehouse support, e-commerce support, and leadership.
- Help maintain operational consistency across both hockey and soccer retail needs.
- Support department goals related to revenue growth, accountability, organization, and fan engagement.
Qualifications
- Previous retail management, team store, sports retail, venue retail, or merchandise operations experience preferred.
- Strong leadership and communication skills.
- Experience supervising, training, and scheduling part-time staff.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, event-driven environment.
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
- Comfortable working with inventory, product movement, stockrooms, and retail floor replenishment.
- Basic understanding of POS systems, cash handling, returns, and daily sales reporting.
- E-commerce fulfillment or Shopify experience is a plus.
- Visual merchandising experience is preferred.
- Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and game days as required.
- Must be able to lift 30-50lbs, move, and organize merchandise, fixtures, boxes, and rolling racks as needed.
- Positive attitude, team-first mindset, and ability to lead by example.
Desired Skills
- Retail operations leadership
- Staff training and development
- Game-day and event retail execution
- Inventory organization and replenishment
- E-commerce fulfillment
- Visual merchandising
- Customer service and fan experience
- Problem-solving and communication
- Operational discipline and accountability.
Work Environment
This position works in a professional sports retail environment that includes a team store, arena retail locations, stockroom, warehouse/back stock areas, and event spaces. The role requires flexibility, hands-on leadership, and the ability to balance daily store operations with gameday and event retail needs.
Why This Role Matters
The Manager, Retail Operations, is critical to the growth and success of the retail department. As the organization expands to support both hockey and soccer retail, this position will help create the operational structure needed to improve efficiency, increase accountability, support staff development, strengthen the fan experience, and drive revenue growth across all retail platforms.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.