Retail Operations Manager

About Mara, Inc.

Mara, Inc. is home to three unique retail brands that have become shopping destinations throughout the Midwest.

Cardigan is a contemporary women's boutique offering apparel, accessories, gifts, and seasonal collections in a welcoming, community-focused environment.

Mara Prom is one of the region's leading destinations for prom and homecoming fashion, serving customers from across Iowa and neighboring states.

Mara Bridal offers an elevated bridal experience with designer wedding gowns, mother's attire, tuxedos, and accessories. While Mara Bridal is part of the Mara family of brands, it operates with its own leadership team.

Cardigan and Mara Prom operate together under one roof, while Mara Bridal is located just one storefront away. Together, our brands provide a big-city shopping experience with small-town hospitality, helping customers celebrate life's biggest moments - from everyday style to prom to weddings.

About the Role

We're looking for an organized, motivated leader to oversee the daily operations of Cardigan Boutique and Mara Prom.

This position is responsible for ensuring both departments operate efficiently, deliver exceptional customer service, and maintain a polished, welcoming shopping environment every day. You'll lead the retail team, maintain visual merchandising standards, coordinate social media and marketing execution, and ensure the stores consistently operate at a high level.

Working directly with ownership, you'll help bring seasonal promotions, merchandising plans, and new initiatives to life. While the overall brand vision, buying, website management, and long-term business strategy are directed by the owner, you'll play a key role in executing that vision through outstanding operations, leadership, and attention to detail.

If you're someone who enjoys leading people, improving processes, solving problems, and taking pride in creating exceptional customer experiences, we'd love to meet you.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the daily operations of Cardigan Boutique and Mara Prom.
• Lead, coach, and support the retail team while fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Ensure merchandising is visually appealing and aligned with company standards.
• Maintain organized inventory and a customer-ready sales floor.
• Create, schedule, and manage engaging social media content.
• Coordinate promotions, seasonal campaigns, and in-store events.
• Monitor sales performance and key business metrics.
• Maintain operational standards, accountability, and attention to detail throughout both departments.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, organization, and the overall customer experience.

The Ideal Candidate

We're looking for someone who:

• Is highly organized and dependable.
• Naturally takes ownership and follows through.
• Enjoys creating systems, checklists, and efficient processes.
• Can confidently coach and lead employees with minimal supervision.
• Notices the details others miss and proactively solves problems.
• Has a creative eye for retail merchandising and social media.
• Enjoys building relationships with customers and providing exceptional service.
• Is comfortable learning new technology and retail software.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment where every day is a little different.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At Mara, Inc., we believe our greatest investment is our people. We strive to create a workplace where employees are trusted, empowered, and encouraged to grow both professionally and personally.

You'll work directly alongside ownership, where your ideas are welcomed, your contributions are recognized, and your work has a meaningful impact on the success of our business. We value initiative, creativity, accountability, and a willingness to continuously improve.

As a locally-owned, family business, we also believe in investing in our community. We encourage and support our team members in becoming active community leaders through volunteerism, nonprofit organizations, local events, and service on community boards and committees. We believe strong businesses help build strong communities, and we're proud to support employees who share that commitment.

If you're looking for more than just a job, if you're looking for a place where you can lead, grow, make a difference, and help shape the future of a growing company, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay: $20.00 - $22.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience:

• Fashion retail: 2 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Charles City, IA 50616 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person