General Manager
hace 1 día
Chattanooga
General Manager – Kids Art Box Location: Chattanooga, TN (On-site) Relocation assistance available for the right candidate Reports To: Co-Founders (Nick & Mélanie Phillips) Website: About Kids Art Box Kids Art Box is a family-founded, fast-growing subscription and e-commerce brand delivering hands-on, creative art experiences for children across the country. Launched in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw rapid early success as families sought screen-free, meaningful activities at home. From humble beginnings at our dining room table, we've evolved into a thriving business with multiple product lines, a dedicated warehouse team, and nearly 200,000 art boxes shipped nationwide. In early 2025, we added a new marketing manager and are experiencing strong sales momentum. As we enter the next phase of growth, we are building a more mature organizational structure—focused on predictable execution, financial discipline, and scalable systems. To lead this effort, we are hiring a General Manager to help guide Kids Art Box into its next chapter. Position Summary The General Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational clarity, financial performance, and long-term strategic growth. The GM oversees the organization through middle management, who lead the functional teams in production, fulfillment, customer service, and marketing. This role focuses on leadership, structure, planning, and cross-departmental coordination—ensuring all teams are aligned, efficient, and performing to standards. Although this is a senior leadership role, the General Manager is expected to remain actively engaged—supporting teams directly when necessary and ensuring that critical tasks are completed to keep the business moving forward. The ideal candidate is a strong operator with a financial mindset who thrives in a growing entrepreneurial environment. They should be comfortable setting goals, creating systems, managing managers, and ensuring the organization executes consistently. This role requires working on-site in Chattanooga, where our operations are located. Relocation support is available for highly qualified candidates. Key Responsibilities Financial Leadership • Lead annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and monthly performance reviews., • Own P&L management, cashflow planning, and company financial health., • Build KPIs and dashboards that give leadership real-time visibility into business performance., • Analyze margin opportunities, cost controls, COGS optimization, labor planning, and product-level profitability., • Evaluate the financial viability of new product launches, marketing initiatives, and operational improvements., • Partner with ownership and accounting to ensure accurate and timely reporting. Operational Oversight (Through Middle Management) • Provide leadership, accountability, and direction to department managers overseeing:, • Quality control, • Production & fulfillment, • Shipping & logistics, • Customer service, • Marketing, • Ensure departments are aligned with company goals, timelines, and performance standards., • Hold managers accountable to processes, metrics, and deadlines., • Facilitate cross-departmental planning for monthly and seasonal box production., • Review operational metrics to identify inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement. Strategic Planning & Execution • Translate founder-level vision into operational plans with measurable targets., • Lead quarterly and annual planning sessions with department managers., • Support continued expansion into B2B channels, including:, • Schools, • Camps, • Homeschool/coop groups, • After-school programs, • Community organizations, • Evaluate pricing strategies, margin structures, and logistics for scaling group orders., • Identify new revenue opportunities, partnerships, and operational enhancements. Systems & Process Improvement • Strengthen company-wide systems, workflows, and SOPs to support scale., • Implement organizational tools and reporting structures to increase predictability., • Work with technical partners on improvements to our custom-built e-commerce platform., • Technical expertise not required, but a process-oriented, analytical mindset is., • Drive automation and data visibility across operations and marketing. Leadership & Culture • Lead middle managers with clarity, consistency, and accountability., • Support hiring, onboarding, team development, and performance evaluations., • Promote a positive, creative, family-centered culture aligned with Kids Art Box values., • Foster communication and alignment across departments to ensure seamless execution. Qualifications Required • 7+ years in operations, finance, business management, or similar leadership roles., • Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing budgets, forecasts, P&Ls, and reporting., • Demonstrated ability to lead managers and manage across multiple business functions., • Experience implementing operational systems and scaling processes., • Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills., • Proven track record guiding a company through the transition from early-stage, low seven-figure revenue to a stable, scalable eight-figure operation., • Willingness to work onsite in Chattanooga daily. Preferred • Experience with e-commerce, subscription businesses, or similar environments., • Exposure to technical systems or custom-built platforms (comfortable working with developers or tech partners). Key Traits for Success • Strategic thinker with strong execution skills, • Financially and analytically minded, • Process-driven and highly organized, • Strong leadership presence and managerial ability, • Adaptable, proactive, and resourceful, • Comfortable making decisions in fast-moving environments Compensation & Benefits • Competitive salary based on experience, • Performance bonus tied to company profitability, • Opportunity to earn equity over time, • PTO and paid holidays, • Relocation support for exceptional candidates, • Opportunity to shape the future of a growing, mission-driven company.