Studio General Manager

CADY; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CADY, a leading school photography company, seeks a Studio General Manager to lead studio and school event operations, drive sales through employee engagement, and ensure an outstanding customer experience driven by photography excellence.

The role requires strong leadership, problem solving, and communication skills to manage teams, ensure quality, and achieve KPIs in a fast-paced retail and event environment. Travel and flexible scheduling are expected.

Qualifications

• Must be able to solve problems effectively in a fast-paced studio and events environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for team leadership and customer interactions.
• Ability to train, coach, and mentor staff across sales and service roles.

Responsibilities

• Oversees studio and event operations to meet financial and excellence goals
• Builds and leads a team of sales and service staff across roles
• Monitors performance, enhances customer experience, and solves issues promptly
• Collaborates to ensure quality and sales success
• Maintains studio condition and visual merchandising standards
• Reports KPIs such as buy ratios, AOV, trends, and payroll metrics
• Develops strategic plans for studio success and event execution
• Upholds CADY culture and mission in daily activities
• Performs additional duties as assigned

Skills

Problem solving

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Team leadership

Multi-tasking

Attention to detail

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree substitution option

Tools

Photography equipment knowledge

Quality assurance workflows

Job description

Who is CADY? CADY exists to inspire and unleash human potential. Started in 1999, we have become the fastest growing photography company in the U.S., with an average 20% growth each year. Through photography, classroom solutions, school branding, and more, we deliver an experience unlike anything in our industry. We are an innovative company competing to outdo ourselves, year after year. As the nation's premier school photography company, we engage with students, schools, and our team members to make them feel accepted and empowered. CADY's mission is to go beyond a portrait and to provide a premier experience for the extraordinary- because each of our guests, school partners, and team members are utterly extraordinary.

Who are you? You are an ambitious, detail-oriented team member who finds joy in making meaningful connections with people. You have a true passion for creating memorable experiences for people. You see beyond the surface of interactions and recognize that every person has a story and the idea of being a part of that is exciting! You enjoy working hard and celebrating hard. You love the opportunity to exceed expectations- and be rewarded for your contribution to the company!

Job Summary

The Studio General Manager performs critical functions driving the success of CADY. This position makes significant decisions and controls outcomes while increasing sales by improving employee engagement techniques. This position is responsible for all activities within the studio and at school events including an amazing customer experience driven by beautiful photography, a friendly, knowledgeable team, and a successful sales journey. Ultimately, a high performing General Manager will be effective and efficient in a seasonal, high-pressure retail and event environment and demonstrate excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversees successful studio and event operations ensuring financial and excellence goals are achieved
• An expert team builder that will hire, train, coach and mentor an amazing team of sales & service minded individuals in a variety of roles
• Evaluates studio & event performance and puts focus on enhancing the experience and problem-solving
• Collaboration with colleagues to ensure quality & sales success
• Ensures high levels of customers satisfaction through excellent customer experience
• Completes studio administration and ensure compliance with policies and procedures
• Maintains outstanding studio condition and visual merchandising standards
• Regularly reports on KPIs including, but not limited to, buy ratios/AOV and trends, customer reviews, quality scores, payroll metrics, employee management, and expense management
• Proposes innovative ideas to increase market share
• Conducts personnel performance reviews to assess training needs and build career paths
• Assists in dealing with all issues that arise from staff or customers (complaints, grievances, etc) and taking action for prevention
• Uses experience to develop strategic plan for studio success and event execution including timelines, checklists, and goal targets
• Is a shining example of well behavior and high performance
• Understands, and instills in the team, the importance of the CADY culture and our emphasis on providing CADY's mission as a critical piece of our success
• Additional duties as assigned

Job Requirements

• Highly effective and efficient problem solver
• Great communication and interpersonal skills
• Operationally proficient with strong understanding of quality assurance workflows
• Creative-minded with an general level understanding of photography and equipment
• Ability to train teams on everything from soft skills to technical equipment as outlined by the company and continual follow-up and retraining as needed
• Professional demeanor shown in person, on calls and in emails
• Highly effective communicator with ability to multi-task and prioritize
• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail
• Knowledge of business systems and ability to learn computer platforms & applications.
• Flexible with managing a fast-paced environment
• Must pass a satisfactory background check

Education

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Bachelor's degree or one year of relevant experience may be substituted for each year of required education

Physical Requirements and Environmental Factors

• Travel as needed
• Public/group presentations
• Ability to operate and transport photography equipment
• Extended periods of viewing computer screens
• Stationary for extended periods
• Walk/Move inside or outside for more than 6 consecutive hours
• Able to communicate with customers and team members