Title                        Operations Manager

Reports to              CFO / Director of Operations - Jason Koole

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location:                 6658 East Paris Ave, Caledonia MI 49316

Hours:                     Full time - 8 AM to 5 PM EST

Schedule:                On-site, Monday through Friday

COMPANY INFORMATION – WHO WE ARE

Howies Hockey Tape is a locally owned and fast-growing business that has been around the Grand Rapids area since 2002. Our focus is selling the world’s highest quality hockey tape, accessories, apparel, and other hockey equipment. Over the years we have become a staple in the hockey community, servicing customers ranging from local pro shops all the way up to the NHL – and everyone else in between.

Our sister company, Howies Athletic Tape, was launched in 2015. This brand allows us to expand our reach into new markets and other sports including teams in the MLB, NFL, MLS, and NBA. With the introduction of our sports medicine product line, we are able to also support hundreds of top tier division 1 athletic programs such as the University of Michigan and Michigan State as well as thousands of high school programs all across North America. 

All in all, we pride ourselves on providing the world’s highest quality products to anyone in the world of sports. We are also highly focused on expanding our internet sales for business directly to consumers, so everyone can use Howies. Our team-oriented culture, industry-leading customer service, top notch product portfolio, and ability to fulfill orders quickly and error free across all sales channels sets us apart from the competition.

POSITION INFORMATION

The “One Thing”: Take unparalleled ownership of all essential warehouse functions related to Howies operations – employee management, receiving inbound freight, shipping / outbound logistics, fulfillment, order processing, & building maintenance. 

We are looking for a detail oriented and driven individual to join our team at Howies for the role of Operations Manager. Over the past few years, we have experienced unprecedented growth, and operations has been a key part of our success. Facilitating a safe and productive environment for our warehouse staff while enabling sales and marketing to continue this growth is paramount. If you are interested in working within the world of sports, this is a great opportunity to thrive in a fast-paced and culture-focused company!

OVERSEE OPERATIONS ACTIVITIES

• Lead and implement standard operating procedures for the order fulfillment process to ensure same day shipping on all received orders

• Manage and supervise the coordination, handling, and fulfillment of specialty orders for large retailers, international distributing partners, and intercompany shipments

• Ensure all orders are packed with the first class care and meticulous attention to detail

• Optimize the accuracy of all outbound shipments by implementing processes, thorough training, and proven effective organization strategies 

• Develop protocols and procedures to guarantee warehouse duties are being completed at an exceptional level

• Supervise the quality control process on all incoming products and work closely with internal supply chain team as well as vendors to coordinate returns

• Familiarize / become proficient in our ERP system to support operations top to bottom

• Maintain a perfect understanding of inventory levels and control the communication with procurement specialists to ensure a healthy balance of products in stock

• Build and foster relationships with members of our sales and marketing teams to establish clear cut goals and do everything in our power to make sure they are met

MANAGEMENT OF WAREHOUSE STAFF

• Define daily expectations and set standards for our warehouse team – leading by example and highlighting the importance of work ethic, accuracy, and overall speed

• Schedule and direct the daily activities of warehouse employees to ensure all tasks are being completed promptly and accurately by holding team accountable

• Assist HR Director with the hiring and onboarding of new warehouse associates while spearheading the training efforts to get them up to our expected speed and quality

• Mentor warehouse and operations employees by expressing how vital they are to the company as a whole and how critical the work they do is for our customer base

• Create and maintain a detailed employee schedule by understanding the seasonality of our business and our anticipated sales / holidays

SUPERVISION OF HOWIES FACILITIES

• Recognize any issues that may occur, large or small, with the building or equipment and have the ability to take immediate action to have it corrected

• Establish the most efficient systems / procedures possible for both picking and packing

• Allocate the required staff to ensure facility is kept clean and orderly at all times

• Monitor employee activity to make sure company property is respected with care

• Consistently evaluate warehouse setup and forecast with sales team to make the appropriate changes in order to accommodate for continued growth

• Cultivate and maintain a positive and safe environment for all warehouse personnel

GENERAL – As a small business there are many other tasks that will be required

• Represent Howies Hockey / Athletic Tape at tournaments and tradeshows as needed

• Order fulfillment – know how to process and pack all orders that come into Howies  

• Work closely with other departments to improve overall company performance

• Handle misc. administrative, IT, data entry, or clerical duties as needed

• Communication and positive relationships with the entire team – top to bottom

• Engage both the operations and sales sides of the business daily

• Anything else required from Howies to be a best-in-class business

POSITION REQUIREMENTS & CORE COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in operations management, business administration, or related field not required, but would be preferred

• 5 years of relevant work experience in a warehouse leadership / management role

• Extremely high level of attention to detail and process implementation experience

• Outgoing personality that encourages motivation and cohesiveness among the team

• Strong communication skills with warehouse leads, associates, and leadership group

• High level of discipline and a “coach” mentality when delegating and assigning tasks

OUR COMPANY MANTRA

Here at Howies, our entire team takes the phrase “work hard, play hard” very seriously. When we are not busy assisting our customers, packing orders, or coming up with our newest product, we are busy having a good time. Whether it be playing in the Tuesday morning intercompany hockey game, or hitting the links when the season allows it, we always find something fun to do as a team. In the wintertime, we will crack open a couple of cold ones and watch the Red Wings or even pop downtown and catch a Griffins game at the Van. All in all, we are always up for a good time, both in the office and out. We strive to make Howies an awesome environment that everyone is excited to come to on a daily basis and put in a hard day’s work.

APPLY HERE