Senior Retail Operations Manager, Training & Education

Lever, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Performance-based compensation

Paid time off

Job summary

Thuma is seeking a Senior Retail Operations Leader to build and scale our retail training from the ground up. You will shape onboarding, product education, interior design guidance, and trade resources to ensure a consistent guest experience across stores.

You will translate design and product knowledge into practical tools, support store openings, and collaborate with Product, Merchandising, Marketing, and Retail Operations to align launches and communications.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in retail operations, training, or store leadership.
• Ability to translate complex product/design into practical training.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to work with diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Establish and improve a centralized learning platform and scalable training resources.
• Coach store leaders and develop onboarding and product launch training programs.
• Translate product details into clear guidance for store teams and trade partners.
• Develop design guidance and in-store storytelling aligned with brand standards.
• Support store openings, launches, and SOPs with ready-to-use communications.

Skills

Retail operations

Project management

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Design interest

Tools

Shopify POS

NetSuite

Job description

Thuma is looking for a Senior Retail Operations Leader to join our lean, fast-growing team. You will shape Thuma’s retail training function from the ground up, setting standards and building programs that scale as our stores grow. You will lead education across retail, including product, guest experience, interior design, trade, and onboarding for new team members, so our teams can deliver a consistent, six-star guest experience.

You will turn product and design knowledge into practical tools and training for store teams, including resources that help them confidently support and sell to Trade customers. You will also support new product launches and store openings and partner with the Retail Operations team on other priorities as needed.

Success in this role requires clear communication, strong project management, and the ability to translate complex information into useful guidance. The ideal candidate brings retail operations experience, an eye for design, and a collaborative approach to working across teams in a fast-paced environment.

Thuma’s Headquarters is based in the historic Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco. This is a hybrid role, and candidates should be available to come into our SF office 3 days a week.

You Will

Training

• Establish and continuously improve a centralized learning platform, training processes, and reusable resources that support consistent, scalable education across product, interior design, trade, and other retail priorities.
• Partner with store leaders to identify skill gaps, coach consistent guest engagement and clienteling practices, and measure the impact of training on team confidence and performance.
• Develop the capabilities of Store Managers through targeted coaching and programs focused on leadership effectiveness, team management, performance, client experience, and commercial execution.
• Develop onboarding, ongoing learning, and product launch training programs with facilitator guides, job aids, and knowledge checks. Use feedback and performance results to refine the training system and keep resources current as the business grows.
• Support retail onboarding and early integration, ensuring employees receive consistent brand, product, service, and role-specific training.

Product

• Own retail product education and launch readiness. Translate product details, materials, care, pricing, and availability into clear guidance for store teams.
• Coordinate with Product, Merchandising, Marketing, and Retail Operations to align launch timelines, store communications, displays, and customer-facing information.
• Gather product questions and feedback from stores and trade partners, identify recurring gaps, and share actionable insights with cross-functional teams.

Interior Design

• Develop resources to help retail teams guide guests on space planning, styling, product combinations, materials, and design choices within Thuma’s assortment.
• Partner with design and visual merchandising teams to translate design intent into consistent in-store storytelling, displays, and guest experiences.
• Support store teams with practical design guidance for more complex guest needs and keep design education aligned with current products and brand standards.

Trade Education and Resources

• Create and maintain education and reference materials for trade professionals and the retail teams that serve them, including product specifications, ordering guidance, and program information.
• Partner with trade and cross-functional teams to deliver trainings, answer recurring questions, and improve the resources that support a smooth trade experience.
• Build a feedback loop with trade partners and store teams to identify resource gaps and recommend improvements.

Retail Operations Support

• Support new store openings, product launches, visual merchandising, and operational changes by preparing communications, and readiness materials.
• Partner with Retail Operations on SOPs, guest engagement standards, systems adoption, reporting, and other operational priorities as business needs evolve.

This Might Describe You

• Proven experience in retail operations, retail training, store leadership, or a related role, with experience building learning programs, systems, and processes for distributed teams.
• Strong product knowledge and interest in interior design, with the ability to make design concepts approachable for both retail teams and customers.
• Experience creating education or support resources for professional, trade, or business customers is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate training and work with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple workstreams, and meet deadlines.
• Comfort using retail systems and learning new tools; experience with Shopify POS, NetSuite, or related platforms is helpful.
• A proactive, collaborative approach to improving the guest experience and store operations.
• Willingness to travel up to two weeks per month to deliver and implement training across retail locations.

Why Join Us

• 401(k): Participation in our 401(k) program with company matching up to 6% of your contributions.
• Benefits*: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with generous employer contributions, 100% paid parental leave, and company-sponsored One Medical and WellHub memberships.
• Equity: Participation in employee stock option plan.
• Paid Time Off: We operate with a high-performance mindset and we believe healthy, happy, relaxed people do better work.
• Time to Recharge: teams receive select paid holidays, including key company closure days, along with holiday pay when working on designated holidays.
• Employee Discount**: 40% off almost all Thuma products.
• Cell Phone Stipend: $100 per month to support work-related phone use.
• Commute Reimbursement: Up to $150 per month for commuting to our office.
• Room Upgrade: A complimentary product credit upon joining, valued at up to $3,000.

** Some exclusions may apply

* Eligibility for compensation, benefits, and perks may vary based on employment status (e.g., full-time, part-time, temporary), work schedule, and applicable holiday policies, and are subject to the terms of the relevant plans and company guidelines.

$135,000 - $155,000 a year

Thuma provides an estimate of the compensation for roles that may be hired as required by state regulations. Compensation may vary based on (a) location, as Thuma factors in specific location when benchmarking compensation for most roles; (b) individual candidate skills and qualifications; and (c) individual candidate experience.

Additionally, Thuma leverages current market data to determine compensation, so posted compensation figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available. The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Thuma reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Who We Are

Thuma is a modern design company specializing in furniture and home goods. We believe simplicity is the ultimate luxury. That the details matter. And that good design is good hospitality.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of knowledge and are talented beyond the scope of a functional role. If this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t precisely match our job description. We hire for integrity, initiative, collaborative spirit, open mindedness, and willingness to learn.

Thuma is dedicated to going above and beyond to bring people with diverse perspectives and unique experiences together to do great work. We strive to create a sense of belonging by creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be their authentic self and by treating each and every team member with kindness, equity, and respect, always.