About the company
We are a growing specialty competitive swimwear and aquatics retail and e-commerce business in Ottawa, Ontario. We serve competitive athletes, families, swim clubs, coaches and teams across Canada. Our operation includes a retail store, a Shopify e-commerce site, club and team programs, custom apparel, in-house decoration, and events.
About the role
We are looking for a hands-on Operations Manager to own our day-to-day operations while building the systems, processes and team for our next stage of growth.
This is not a role where every process already exists. Some of our systems are well established; others still need to be created, improved or documented. The right person is excited by that.
It is also not a desk-only role. You will work directly in the operation: serving customers, managing orders, coordinating fulfillment, organizing inventory, supporting events and working alongside the team when needed. At the same time, it is a true management role. We need someone who identifies priorities, organizes workloads, anticipates problems, coordinates people and follows through to completion without continuous direction.
Over time, you will take ownership of the day-to-day operation so the Director can focus on strategy, partnerships and growth.
Run the operation. Build the systems. Lead the team. Learn the industry.
What you will own
Operations and fulfillment
- Daily retail and e-commerce operations, the order queue and the fulfillment schedule.
- Daily and weekly priorities, and workload planning in high-volume periods.
- Spotting delays, bottlenecks and risks before they become customer problems.
- Clear ownership and follow-up on every open order, and commitments met on time.
- Shopify order management and related systems.
Processes and systems
- Designing, documenting and improving processes, SOPs, checklists and routines.
- Keeping knowledge written down so anyone on the team can do the work if you are out.
- Turning recurring problems into permanent fixes.
- Using technology, automation and AI tools to save time, with human review and care for customer data.
- Helping move the company from owner-dependent execution to a team-led operation.
Customer experience
- Building a culture of attentive, knowledgeable service across email, phone, SMS and social.
- Staying organized and calm with many customers and projects at once.
- Saying no when needed, with empathy, a reason and an alternative, so the customer stays happy.
- Owning customer issues until they are resolved, and supporting relationships with clubs and coaches.
Team
- Setting daily priorities, delegating, following up and holding people accountable.
- Training employees on products, systems and service standards, and coaching junior staff.
- Taking part in recruiting and onboarding as we grow.
Inventory, store and events
- A clean, organized, customer-ready store, with opening and closing procedures done.
- Monitoring stock, receiving and verifying deliveries, and following up on purchase orders and suppliers.
- Coordinating events and preparing inventory and materials. Occasional evenings and weekends.
What we are looking for
- Takes ownership and drives results without continuous direction; follows through on commitments.
- Notices unfinished, delayed or disorganized work and acts on it.
- Highly organized, with a real system for managing many tasks and projects; calm in high-volume periods.
- Enjoys creating structure, writing processes down and improving how things work.
- Delegates and follows up; communicates problems early and brings possible solutions.
- Treats customer service as part of the culture, and can say no in a way that keeps the customer happy.
- Comfortable learning new systems and tools, including AI.
- Genuine interest in learning our specialized industry and products.
- Commercial mindset: understands how operations, customer experience and sales connect.
- Comfortable in a growing small-business environment.
If you prefer a detailed daily task list before deciding what to work on, this role is probably not the right fit.
Experience
Relevant experience may include retail or store management, e-commerce operations, order fulfillment or inventory, team leadership, hospitality or other high-volume customer-facing environments, and growing or entrepreneurial businesses. Experience supervising people is strongly preferred. Shopify experience, English/French bilingualism and a sports or active background are assets.
Requirements
- Full-time, in-person work in Ottawa, including Saturdays as part of the regular schedule.
- Flexibility for occasional events, evenings, weekends and peak season.
- Valid driver's licence and reliable transportation.
- Strong written and verbal communication in English.
- Comfortable with computers and learning new systems.
- Legally eligible to work in Canada.
Compensation
We believe in rewarding results. Your pay here is built on merit: the more value you create, the more you earn.
- Base salary: $52,000 to $60,000, based on your experience and demonstrated management capability.
- Quarterly performance bonus: a bonus on top of your base salary, earned by results. Bonuses recognize outcomes such as orders shipped on time, customers updated proactively, processes documented and improved, and the growth of the business.
- Event compensation: additional pay for events, where applicable.
- Regular performance reviews: your pay and responsibilities are reviewed as you deliver results and the company grows.
- Growth path: as the business grows, your role, responsibilities and earning potential grow with it.
- Employee benefits: product discounts for you and your team.
The bonus targets are set clearly in advance, so you always know what is expected and how you will be measured.
What success looks like
Success is not how many tasks you personally complete. It is an operation where customers are updated proactively, orders are progressing, priorities are clear, delays are caught early, the team knows what it is responsible for, the schedule is met, processes are written down so anyone can follow them, and day-to-day operations run without continuous involvement from the Director. Meanwhile the business keeps winning more clubs and customers, and the operation grows as needed.
Why join us
You will join a growing business at a stage where your work directly shapes how it develops: building processes, developing people and creating the structure for continued growth.
- You will not simply inherit an operation. You will help build it.
