Retail Store Manager (Seasonal)

Position: Retail Store Manager

Location: Greater Yellowstone National Park Area, Wyoming/Montana

Reports To: Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager

Status: Full-Time/Seasonal (April - October)/Non-Exempt

Summary Description:

Yellowstone Forever (YF) is the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park. Our mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone National Park through education and philanthropy. YF connects people to Yellowstone through outstanding visitor experiences and educational programs and translates those experiences into lifelong support of the park and philanthropic investment in its future. Our educational programming and products help people enhance their understanding and appreciation of the wildlife, natural wonders, and cultural history of the park. YF’s operations include Park Stores in and around Yellowstone; the Yellowstone Forever Institute, which offers in-depth educational programing for people of all ages; and a supporter program which raises funds for priority park projects.

The Retail Store Manager plays a critical role in overseeing day-to-day Yellowstone Forever Park Store operations in assigned stores at visitor centers and contact stations around the greater Yellowstone National Park area. The Retail Store Manager oversees staff assigned to specific stores as defined by the Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager and is responsible for the daily execution of effective retail operations, including: training staff, inventory management, daily/weekly/monthly reporting, store cleanliness and presentation, tracking and relaying key performance indicators (KPIs), overseeing related systems, and working to provide the highest quality visitor experience possible. The Retail Store Manager, in close coordination with the Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager, is also responsible for executing the retail merchandising, marketing, and communication plans in their assigned Park Store(s) and proactively looking for ways to enhance the visitor experience and developing recommendations to senior retail staff. Additionally, the Retail Store Manager will assist in training, and developing Park Store Associates. Success in this position requires excellent supervisory skills and customer engagement, experience capturing and analyzing KPIs, managing core retail operations systems, unrelenting pursuit of excellence, and a drive for continual growth and improvement.

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Effectively manage the customer experience throughout the store by executing merchandising plans, making recommendations, and testing product stories through creative displays, merchandising, and monitoring and reporting on these tests.


• Actively greet and engage customers with a passion for creating and delivering a superior customer experience.


• Be a Yellowstone Forever enthusiast in regard to our retail products, institute courses and offerings, the purpose of our philanthropy efforts, and the projects that we support annually.


• Provide training and mentoring to Park Store Associates, fostering a collaborative, team-oriented environment with high levels of understanding and appreciation for our product offerings, and accuracy in execution of retail transactions.


• Support Park Store Associates to ensure their ability to perform tasks as required.


• Capture, analyze, and relay retail industry KPIs and lead staff to achieve the goals set for the assigned store, informed by captured KPIs.


• Work with the Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager to identify budget needs for assigned store(s).


• Track expenses for assigned store operations within established budgets.


• Work with the Yellowstone Forever facilities team to ensure displays, lighting, fixtures, and the store's physical appearance are maintained to the highest standards.


• Work with the Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager to set product layouts in stores and deliver on the product distribution and visual merchandising plans.


• Accurately and efficiently use retail software systems to account for physical inventory, request inventory replenishment, track accurate stock levels and movement of inventory, and record and account for sales.


• Accurately process all transactions using the point-of-sale (POS) and other systems for item scan or lookup, cash and credit card sales, and accurate cash accounting.


• Become a POS systems expert and problem solver capable of system operation and troubleshooting of hardware and software issues, including the credit card processing equipment, and how these systems interact and communicate with each other and with the inventory database.


• Work with organizational leadership and park partners to maximize store hours by ensuring appropriate staffing levels are maintained through appropriate scheduling, while recognizing the need to provide fair and consistent hours and days off for Park Store Associates.


• Ensure that the store is held to the highest cleanliness and presentation standards.


• Work collaboratively within the Yellowstone Forever organization to ensure that Yellowstone Forever's procedures and standards are carried out in store operations.


• Collaborate with Finance staff to submit accurate and complete daily, weekly, and monthly reports ensuring proper internal controls are applied to cash handling and deposits.


• Ensure appropriate levels of cash are maintained for change funds at all stores.


• Assist with on-line sales fulfillment and warehouse operations.


• Ensure staff respond to questions about the park by providing accurate information or referring visitors to another source when necessary.


• Ensure the active promotion of the Yellowstone Forever Supporter and Institute programs.


• Develop and motivate staff to achieve optimal performance.


• Represent Yellowstone Forever and its mission accurately and positively.


• Travel into Yellowstone, throughout the Greater Yellowstone area and others, as required.


• Other tasks as assigned by Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising Manager, or other designated leadership.

Basic Qualifications:  

• 1-2 years of retail store experience, including use and performance related to retail industry KPIs;


• 1-2 years of supervisory experience;


• Experience in high volume (rush period) retail environment;


• Team player with excellent oral and written communication skills;


• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment;


• Proven ability to quickly learn and apply new systems, processes, and applications;


• Experience providing excellent customer service;


• Self-motivated with a sound approach to problem-solving and timely task completion;  


• Ability to sometimes work a flexible schedule, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays when needed;


• Ability to lift boxes/equipment weighing up to 40 pounds (with support of lift equipment);


• Ability to represent Yellowstone Forever in a courteous and professional manner;


• This position involves driving Yellowstone Forever vehicles; therefore, applicants must hold and maintain a valid US driver's license and a clean driving record for insurance purposes;


• A satisfactory criminal background check is conditions of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Demonstrated ability to supervise a team of employees;


• POS and retail experience;


• Experience working in a nonprofit environment;


• Knowledge of Yellowstone National Park.

Additional information related to this position: Living in employee housing is not a requirement of this position. Employee housing is allocated by Human Resources.

Housing availability:

RV sites: The majority of these positions are located within Yellowstone National Park, WY where the employee housing available is an RV site to rent via payroll deduction. These sites are limited to residential employee areas. 

Shared employee housing is available to rent in Gardiner, MT on a limited basis. Our employee housing is limited as it is a 3-bedroom shared unit, with other employees and volunteers. Our policy does not allow for pets/animals or couples in shared housing.

Shared employee housing is available to rent in Old Faithful, WY on a limited basis. Our employee housing is limited as it is a 2-bedroom shared unit, with other employees and volunteers. Our policy does not allow for pets/animals or couples in shared housing. Living in employee housing is not a requirement of this position. Exception: If a couple applies and both are hired the couple would occupy the 2-bedroom apartment, therefore the unit would not be shared with other employees.

Employee housing is available to rent in Norris employee area on a limited basis. Our employee housing is limited as it is a 1-bedroom unit only available seasonally. Our policy does not allow for pets/animals or couples in shared housing. Living in employee housing is not a requirement of this position. Exception: If a couple applies and both are hired the couple would occupy the 1-bedroom apartment. An employee could occupy this unit with a partner/spouse, occupancy restrictions apply.

Yellowstone Forever is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, political beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.