Operations Manager — Santa Barbara

Climbing Business Journal; Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 71,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical coverage (Silver

Dental and vision coverage

Employee gym membership

Job summary

Climbing Business Journal in Santa Barbara seeks an Operations Manager to run the gym, build staff schedules, coach the team, and ensure smooth openings and closings. You’ll manage budgets, read financial reports, and implement improvements to daily operations.

The role emphasizes on-site leadership, guest experience, HR procedures, and safety. Climbing-gym experience is helpful; strong team leadership is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience leading people and daily operations in hospitality, recreation, fitness, retail or a similar setting.
• Scheduling, training, conflict judgment and routine cost control.

Responsibilities

• Keep the gym clean, safely staffed and ready to open and close, with accurate cash handling, schedules and timekeeping.
• Hire and train replacement staff within approved limits. Lead huddles, coaching and routine reviews, and make termination decisions when needed, following HR documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Scheduling

Staff training

Conflict resolution

Budgeting

Job description

NOW HIRING: OPERATIONS MANAGER (SANTA BARBARA)

Operations Manager — Santa Barbara

Full-time

• Onsite
• Reports to Kristin Horowitz, CEO

Do you like helping a team have a good day at work — empowering them to learn procedures and help people change lives? You’ll run the gym, build schedules, coach staff, and help when things go wrong. Call-outs and difficult conversations come with the job, and the care you put in shapes the experience for everyone who walks through the door.

Our mission

To build immersive, self-reliant and interdependent experiences, spaces, and opportunities through climbing, community, fitness, and love.

The work

Keep the gym clean, safely staffed and ready to open and close, with accurate cash handling, schedules and timekeeping.

Hire and train replacement staff within approved limits. Lead huddles, coaching and routine reviews, and make termination decisions when needed, following the established HR documentation and offboarding process. Track training and certifications.

Be present on the floor, welcome newcomers, resolve member concerns and host inclusive local activities with a workable staffing and safety plan.

Coordinate bookings, programs, supplies, inventory and facilities follow-through. Operate within the established budget. Learn to read financial reports, understand what is driving results, and use that information to adjust daily operations and check whether changes help.

Everyday expectations

Give staff clear priorities and feedback, maintain factual records and close commitments to members and peers. Keep qualified coverage and escalation paths current. Bring reserved decisions and material risks to the appropriate owner early. Send a useful weekly operating update and coordinate only with people who need to act or understand the impact.

Decisions and support

Make routine local decisions within policy, approved staffing/labor plan, schedule, budget and written spending delegation. Contribute local evidence to company improvements. HR, Facilities, Setting, Programs, Systems and Finance retain decisions in their areas.

You need current staffing and spending plans, financial reports, policies and specialist changes affecting operations. Use those reports to make operating decisions within the established budget; building the location budget and forecasting remain outside this role. Building an entirely new team and proactive business-partnership strategy are Senior scope.

Requirements

Experience leading people and daily operations in hospitality, recreation, fitness, retail or a similar setting.

Demonstrated scheduling, training, conflict judgment and routine cost control. Bring an example of an activity you personally hosted and how you helped newcomers participate.

Availability for agreed opening, closing, weekend and peak coverage. Climbing-gym experience is helpful; operating judgment matters most.

Code word: Support

Pay, schedule and benefits

$71,000–$80,000 per year, based on relevant experience and demonstrated capability.

Full-time, onsite leadership of our Santa Barbara gym, with an expected 30–40 hours a week. Opening, closing, weekend and peak coverage follow the approved staffing plan. The written offer sets final terms and the agreed start date.

• Employer-paid Silver-tier medical coverage is available to eligible employees, with dental and vision coverage and employee-paid dependent coverage options.


• Paid sick time is provided according to the employee’s classification, location and current company policy. Paid vacation and personal leave follow the role’s classification and current company policy.


• Gym membership for the employee and dependents, plus discounts on eligible retail and merchandise purchases.


• Employees who remain with The Pad for more than three years may become eligible for lifetime membership under the current policy.


• Internal transfers and promotions when an employee demonstrates readiness and an approved role is available.

Your first month

Learn the gym’s routines, staff strengths and open issues. Complete critical operating signoffs, publish reliable schedules, establish a clear weekly update and close immediate training gaps. Agree with your manager on decision limits and who handles urgent issues when you are off.

We are an equal opportunity employer that welcomes diverse voices and experiences aligned with our vision: Climbing. Community. Fitness. Love.