Retail Store Manager, NYC

About Peak Design

Peak Design makes radical, meticulously-engineered gear for detail-obsessed people. Our backpacks, travel bags, camera gear, and phone accessories are used dang-near everywhere. If you’ve visited Machu Picchu, Tokyo, or an REI store in the last 10 years, you’ve been within ogling distance of a Peak Design product.

Alongside our award-winning gear is a brand that truly reflects who we are as people—passionate about design, deeply caring about our environmental and social impact, unafraid to speak up, radically transparent, and generally down to clown. Whether we’re explaining a product, running a sale, launching a nonprofit, sponsoring a film, or razzing the biggest company on Earth, we do it with our trademark honesty, warmth, and wit. Through our products and our brand, we aim to create delight, and leave this world better than how we found it.

About the job

In this role, you'll have the opportunity to be the dynamic heart of our store, fueling our customers' love for our award-winning products with your boundless energy and meticulous attention to detail. You'll be the orchestrator of our retail experience, blending the roles of a sales ambassador, product guru, community builder, and customer support champion. We need someone to own the essence of our brand within the store's walls, ensuring it's a vibrant and welcoming space. As our fearless store leader, you'll inspire our sales team, design flexible schedules, and cultivate a joyful work environment. You'll lead our mission to enrich our community calendar and establish deeper connections with customers, like-minded brands, and our local neighbors. Your adeptness in managing our stockroom will ensure it's always brimming, our customers will leave with elation, and our store will become the go-to destination in the neighborhood. You'll figure out what works, discern trends, and know precisely when to innovate. We're looking for an individual who can skillfully combine all these elements, a person who thrives in the ever-evolving world of retail and knows that sometimes, bucking the trends is the key to making a lasting impact.

About the role:

People Leadership

• Lead all hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management efforts to build and develop a high-performing retail team.
• Manage staffing and scheduling to ensure optimal coverage, exceptional customer service, and support during peak traffic and special events.
• Foster a positive team culture, support employee growth, and communicate customer feedback and insights to retail leadership.

Store Performance & Financial Management

• Own overall store performance, driving sales, profitability, payroll management, and operational excellence while ensuring compliance with financial and cash-handling procedures.

• Monitor and analyze key business metrics (sales, traffic, conversion, UPT, AOV, payroll, and expenses) to identify opportunities for growth, efficiency, and improved customer experience.

• Partner with the Director of Retail on forecasting, staffing, scheduling, and business planning to achieve performance goals and optimize store operations.

Events & Community

• Plan and execute in-store events that drive traffic, customer engagement, and brand awareness.
• Develop relationships with local businesses, creators, and community organizations.

• Represent Peak Design within the New York retail and creative communities.
• Partner with the Retail and Brand & Marketing teams to support local activations and campaigns.

Products & Inventory

• Demonstrate comprehensive product knowledge and exceptional soft-selling skills.
• Manage financial tasks, including daily till counts and regular money deposits as per our Retail guidelines.
• Maintain accurate inventory data through regular cycle counts and checks.

Physical Space

• Maintain an exceptional in-store experience by ensuring the space is clean, welcoming, visually compelling, and aligned with Peak Design brand standards.
• Oversee visual merchandising, product displays, launches, and store updates to drive engagement and showcase products effectively.
• Manage facility maintenance, repairs, and safety procedures to ensure smooth, compliant, and efficient store operations.

Role requirements

• 5+ years of people management experience, with strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills.
• Deep understanding of the New York City retail market and community, with a passion for building authentic relationships and fostering a sense of belonging.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable, with exceptional project management and delegation abilities.
• An energetic, people-first leader who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment and inspires teams to perform at their best.
• Passion for sustainability and alignment with Peak Design’s environmental values.
• Available to work a full retail schedule, including weekends, and able to travel to San Francisco or other retail locations at least twice per year.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience operating within the SoHo/Nolita retail market and managing a flagship retail location.
• Proven ability to plan and execute retail events, brand partnerships, and community activations that drive engagement and brand awareness.
• Passion for travel, photography, design, and creative pursuits, with an appreciation for the communities that surround them.
• Familiarity with the Peak Design brand, values and product ecosystem.

A day in the life:

• Start your morning by unlocking the store, grabbing a coffee, and walking the floor. You check that the space looks great, inventory is where it should be, and the team has everything they need for a successful day.
• Before opening, you gather the team for a quick huddle. You share updates, answer questions, recognize great work, and make sure everyone is set up to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Once the doors open, no two days look exactly the same. You might spend part of the morning coaching a new employee, helping a customer find the perfect setup for an upcoming trip, responding to Google reviews, or connecting with a local business about an upcoming event.
• Between conversations on the sales floor, you'll carve out time for the operational side of the business. Maybe you're reviewing inventory levels, adjusting next month's schedule, interviewing a candidate, connecting with the other retail managers, or checking in on payroll and labor efficiency.
• Throughout the day, you're a visible leader. You support the team when the store gets busy, help solve problems, and ensure the store remains welcoming, organized, and running smoothly.
• As the afternoon winds down, you might connect with the Retail Corporate team about an upcoming launch, work through merchandising updates, or finalize plans for a community event.
• Before heading home, you'll review the day's business performance and make any necessary adjustments to staffing or priorities for the days ahead.
• Then it's time to close the laptop, lock the doors, and enjoy the city, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Salary Range

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging