The Role

The General Manager (GM) will be the operational engine and #2 to the CEO. While creative, we are a logistics company at our core, shipping thousands of rental units across the country annually from our studio and warehouse, and operating two retail locations and an online store. The GM will oversee the daily operations across all locations and business units. This role requires a unique blend of operational excellence, proficiency in modern business systems (e.g. SaaS, ERPs, Shopify, HubSpot, AI Agents, MS Office), flexible but disciplined people management, a "growth mindset" to drive sales, and "high-EQ leadership" to manage a multi-generational workforce as the CEO leads the company through significant technological, operational, and cultural change.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & SOPs: Must be an operations savant! You grok on managing logistics, setting and adhering to operational procedures and quality standards, and managing to KPIs. Codify and enforce SOPs across all departments to ensure consistency, compliance, and scalability
Sales & Growth: Partner with the CEO to develop and execute sales strategies. Identify market opportunities in both the rental and sales sectors to increase year-over-year revenue and profitability, and drive operations execution to deliver on sales
Quality & Customer Service: Set and maintain rigorous quality standards for costume curation, production, and maintenance. Overhaul customer service protocols to ensure every client receives an experience worthy of our 109-year reputation
Change Management & Leadership: Mentor a staff that includes veterans and new talent, fostering a culture of mutual respect and adaptability during our technological overhaul and cultural shift from a family-owned business to a high-growth, employee-owned enterprise
Strategic Problem Solving: Operate as a proactive partner to the CEO, communicating risks, challenges, and opportunities. Rather than just identifying obstacles, you will be expected to draft and present data-backed solutions and implementation plans that are measurably effective

What Success Looks Like - First 90 Days

Master the fundamentals of the business and operations—the team, products/ services, customers, financials and how we measure success, critical SOPs
100% of contracted orders are shipped on-time and meet the highest quality standards
100% of customer concerns are addressed in partnership with the CEO and department managers
Master key technology systems (Quickbooks Online, Shopify, HubSpot, 4D), demonstrating you can access and leverage the data to inform decisions, create and automate plans, and provide reporting

What You'll Bring

7+ years of experience in operational management (Retail, Production, or Logistics preferred)
5+ years of management experience as an operations leader, preferably in a medium to large, operationally complex or high-growth company where logistics and operational excellence were critical to success
Proven track record of managing complex ERP/systems migrations (specifically Shopify and HubSpot ecosystems)
Strong financial literacy with experience in QuickBooks Online and P&L management
Exceptional leadership skills with a "lead-by-example" mentality
Ability to balance the creative needs of a costume house with the rigid requirements of high-volume fulfillment
Must have at least 3 professional recommendations related to results delivered, professionalism, trustworthiness, and leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree required (business, accounting, finance, or related). MBA preferred

Must-Have Technical Skills & Tools

Read and understand a profit & loss statement, and take “next-best-action”.

Strong proficiency in Quickbooks/Quickbooks Online.

Understands and can access reports from Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, or another online platform to understand and drive sales, identify opportunities.

Soft Skills & Cultural Fit

Disciplined and accountable—you own it—wins/losses, and execute consistently
Data-driven mindset—comfortable managing to metrics, identifying indicators and KPIs, and using reports to inform action
Accurate and detail-oriented—must “sweat the details” and strive for 100% accuracy every time, every day
Trustworthy and discreet—you never share financial or confidential information, and don’t use your access to this information for personal gain
Friendly and professional—friendly and approachable for customers and staﬀ, while ensuring your duties are professionally executed
Self-starter and problem solver—works well solo or collaboratively and proactively identifies opportunities and executes solutions
Strong communication, management, and leadership skills—communicates well and proactively with the CEO, manages and leads teams and projects independently
Mission-aligned—loves theatre and theatre folk and wants to ensure its transformative benefits are available to actors of every age, everywhere

Work Schedule and Location

Full-time, nonexempt position—40+ hours per week
On-site. Must be located in NY Capital Region near Schenectady

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Learning and Development opportunities to advance your career
Employee Stock
Employee Discount

To Apply

To apply, submit your resume and a cover letter explaining why you’d be a great fit for this position.

The Costumer is an equal opportunity employer. This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties, and additional responsibilities may be assigned.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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