One of the most legendary outdoor stores in the world, Neptune Mountaineering has been getting people geared up for climbing, skiing, camping & hiking for over 48 years. Our staff members are passionate about the activities we represent in our store and their knowledge and expertise help us deliver an unsurpassed customer experience. The Neptune customer shops with us not only for our deep product knowledge and outstanding selection of the best outdoor gear, but because of our friendly and approachable attitude.
But Neptune is more than a retail store; we are a resource for the outdoor community and for those visiting our community to learn about the best places to go to experience the outdoors, to visit the one-of-a-kind Neptune museum or to dream about and plan for their next adventure in the Neptune Cafe. Our vision is to create a ‘home’ for those who love to get outside and play – at whatever level or intensity.
One of the finest outdoor specialty retailers in the country, Neptune Mountaineering based in Boulder, CO, has an excellent opportunity available for a Chief Executive Officer.
The CFO is responsible for overseeing all of Neptune’s operations – including all aspects the company’s business strategies, organizational needs, staffing levels, achieving sales goals, customer service and visual merchandising standards, marketing and promotional activities, and growing the community culture. This role provides respected and respectful leadership and direction for all staff while ensuring the growth and profitability of the store. This is a keystone role in continuing the success and solidifying the reputation of this beloved and iconic retail institution.
We are looking for a confident leader who has outstanding people skills. Our ideal candidate is an energetic, independent go-getter who is not afraid to get in the trenches and inspire the retail floor staff but at the same time can act at the highest level as the representative of the owners. This is the top position in our company and the successful candidate will be well-compensated. The right candidate also has the potential of an earned ownership stake as part of their compensation.
The responsibilities of the role:
Sales & Marketing
- Develops the annual sales forecast/budget and sets monthly and daily sales goals and is responsible for attaining the goals once those budgets have been approved by ownership.
- Ensures sales targets are met and all costs and expenses are within budget; ultimately responsible for the profitability of the company.
- Works with sales operations manager and the buying team to ensure that inventory levels are appropriate for store’s projected sales goals.
- Provides sales and expense reporting to owners and ensures appropriate flow of key metrics/data regarding sales and marketing initiatives is conveyed.
- Works closely with the buyers to manage merchandise life cycle including the end-of-season mark down strategies to maximize gross margins and inventory turns.
- Designs appropriate processes, training or methods that elevate our retail sales results, the customer experience and fosters employee motivation and engagement.
- Through oversight of the marketing manager, ensures that appropriate and timely marketing activities are executed to promote/support store events such as seasonal sales, anniversary sale, slide shows, etc. Directs and communicates the promotional cadence for the store.
- Communicates effectively with managers, merchandising contractor and floor staff in advance of any store promotion or sale to assure necessary prep is done and that the promotion is successfully executed.
- Work closely with ownership, managers and buyers to monitor and analyze sales trends and suggest actions to respond to opportunities in the market.
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Operations
- Audit existing systems, processes and procedures and implement continuous improvements to those systems.
- Create policies, procedures and guidelines and oversee their administration and execution.
- Develop operating budgets for owner approval and ensures expenses stay within budget.
- Act as the primary administrator for our POS system (Retail Pro) ensuring it is fully optimized and performing as needed; will be fluent in Retail Pro and will coach others to become more powerful users.
- Ensures efficient inventory management protocols are in place (e.g., receiving, shipping, tagging, merchandizing of received inventory, adjustments, consignments, RTVs, damages/defects). Works closely with sales operation manager as needed to achieve smooth processes from the moment inventory arrives until it’s sold and heading out the door.
- Ultimately responsible for the IT infrastructure; works closely with our IT vendors on software implementation, upgrades and improvements.
- Effectively manages the sales operation ops team, ensuring the website is functioning smoothly and fulfilling orders in a timely manner.
- Manage accounting staff and external professional services contactors (e.g. bookkeeper, IT contractor)
- Create opening and closing protocols as well as processes for each business function.
Retail Inventory Management
- Utilizes sales data, inventory levels and turns, merchandise reports, margins, revenue etc. to provide insight into where there are successes and where there are opportunities; makes adjustments or improvements based on sound data analysis.
- Communicate assortment needs or inventory issues to the buyers to ensure sales potential is maximized and our customer’s needs are met.
- Ensure that the visual merchandizing and the buyers are coordinating on any new merchandising strategies and that seasonal floor set changes are planned for and carried out in a smooth and timely manner.
- Responsible for maintaining and improving the excellent merchandising standard that sets Neptune apart and contributes to reaching the company’s sales goals.
Staffing and Development
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- Responsible for hiring, training, reviewing and performance management of all staff.
- Ensures that onboarding, eligibility of benefits, payroll approval and off-boarding processes are accurate, timely and in accordance with the laws and our policies.
- Oversee all staff members and ensure training and performance are meeting expectations; lead and mentor store managers and buyers so they achieve their own leadership potential and learn new skills.
- Review and manage training protocols to ensure our staff have the tools they need to be successful
- Ensure floor staff has on-going product knowledge as well as sales and customer service training
- Makes sure that each team member is given feedback at least annually regarding their job performance and when appropriate is given an individual development plan.
- Implements employee recognition programs to bolster staff retention
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Facilities Management
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- Ensure store has adequate supplies for its day-to-day functions (cash register tape, price labels, shopping bags, shipping tape, etc.).
- Resolve maintenance issues.
- Responsible for store cleanliness and stock room organization.
- Propose physical modifications to store, casework, and fixture designs that will increase operational efficiency.
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Inventory Control/Loss Prevention
- Manage and oversee annual physical inventory and cycle counts.
- Oversee regular inventory counts; monitor and assist with weekly cycle counts and inventory reconciliations.
- Accountable for meeting the company’s shrink goal by developing Loss Prevention standards and conducting Loss Prevention awareness trainings.
Salary is commensurate with experience, with the range being $90,000 to $120,000 for this position. When eligible for benefits they include health insurance, dental/vision, short-term disability, PTO and paid holidays, 401K with employer match, access to pro deals and discounts on gear and a fun, relaxed and dog-friendly workplace.
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