Store Manager - Vail, CO

New West KnifeWorks; Vail (CO); On-site; USD 59,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick leave

401(k) + 4% company match

Employee discount

Partner discounts

Incentive-based compensation

Job summary

New West KnifeWorks in Vail, CO is seeking a Store Manager to lead a premier retail experience at our Vail Village location. You will manage daily operations, drive sales, and mentor a team of customer service specialists in a selling culture.

Availability for weekends, openings, and closings is required. We offer an annual base salary with commissions and bonus opportunities, a 401(k) with company match, paid sick leave, and generous employee discounts.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership experience guiding a retail team.
• Excellent communication, decision‑making, and selling skills.
• Proven ability to build relationships within the local community.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on store success and guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Run a fiscally responsible store operation.
• Recruit, train, and develop a high‑performing customer service team.
• Ensure exceptional, authentic customer service aligned with company values.
• Foster sales excellence and coach staff on best practices.
• Inspire staff communication and share sales strategies to hit targets.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Sales skills

Community relations

Entrepreneurial mindset

American-made art

Job description

Retail Store Manage r - Full Time (salaried; exempt)

Location: Vail Village, CO

Reports to: VP of Retail

New West KnifeWorks’ mission is to make the finest knives in the world. A unique, world-class retail experience embodies the quality we strive for with our knives. The Store Manager’s primary responsibility is to manifest that experience.

About you:

• An inspirational leader, mentor, and coach
• Passionate about retail, business, and the guest experience
• Excellent communication, decision‑making, and selling skills
• A relationship builder within your local community
• Pride in creating an amazing environment and team
• Entrepreneurial mindset in both business and community
• Passionate about American‑made functional art

What you’ll do:

• Operate a fiscally responsible business by running a tight ship.
• Recruit, coordinate, and develop a team of motivated customer service specialists in a selling culture.
• Ensure that our customer service experience is exceptional, consistent, authentic, engaging, and aligned with New West KnifeWorks’s core values.
• Foster excellence among your sales team.
• Inspire and facilitate staff communication and best practices to achieve robust sales goals.
• Partner with grassroots nonprofit organizations through events and product donations.
• Project NWKW values while building relationships in your community.
• Foster a seamless customer experience from inventory, and merchandising, to the final transaction.
• Strategize with leadership to meet expense and profit goals.
• Maintain the look and feel of the store to reflect the world‑class quality of the product.
• Remain agile as New West KnifeWorks continues to grow.

Availability:

Our stores are open seven days a week. You must be available to work at least one weekend day, one opening shift, and one closing shift per week.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Annual base salary starting at $59,000-$68,000 DOE
• Significant incentive-based compensation including:
  • 0.5% commissions on all store‑wide net sales
  • 2.5% commissions on all personal in‑store sales
  • 3% commissions on all off‑site event sales (where store‑wide net sales commission does not apply)
• Additional monthly store bonus contests offered per discretion of VP of Retail
• Paid sick leave (in line with CO Healthy Families & Workplaces Act)
• 401(k) + 4% company match**
• Generous employee discount + friends & family discount
• Discount programs with partner organizations such as Kuhl

*60-day waiting period; then, eligible on 1st of following month
**6-month eligibility waiting period applies