Careers & Internships

 

Work with a team you are sure to be Smitten with! We are looking for hard-working, motivated team members to help grow our brand. We currently have the following roles available: 

• Full-Time Retail Store Manager, Chicago
• Custom Studio Manager, Charlotte NC
• Part-Time Retail Sales Associates, Chicago IL 

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Full-Time Store Manager, Chicago IL

Smitten Boutique is seeking an experienced Store Manager for our Chicago & new Charlotte location to develop and manage all aspects of the business while ensuring the highest-level of customer
satisfaction.

A successful Store Manager candidate will have several years of specialty retail experience in a
leadership role, as a Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager or Team Leader. They should
possess an appreciation in top notch guest service, understand & enjoy product and visual
presentation, be an effective problem solver, possess an entrepreneurial spirit, and be able to
maintain the integrity of the brand. They will lead with compassion and assist the Owner and
Brand Manager in building and retaining a high performing and diverse sales team, as well as
contributing to the growth of the company.

Through coaching the Store Manager must motivate
their team to provide superior customer service and in turn maximize sales. The candidate, in
partnership with the Brand Manager, must understand business drivers, how to maximize
profitability, and ensure visual and operational standards are met consistently. They should
enjoy a creative workflow and pride themselves in pushing boundaries. And most important,
they must be passionate about people and want to work in a place they are truly smitten with.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Leadership

• Drives business results by maximizing daily sales plans, managing expenses and
  improving metrics through sales floor leadership, the execution of Smitten’s training
  programs, and continuous coaching on and off the sales floor
• Plans, delegates and follows up on expected tasks, assignments and activities to ensure
  expectations and objectives are met
• Provides consistent developmental feedback that empowers and motivates our team and
  fosters a team environment by using effective communication skills
• Assists in acting as a liaison between the Sales Team, Brand Manager
• Leads with empathy, develops and coaches team members to reach their fullest potential and prepare them for the next level of responsibility by utilizing company tools
• Evaluates and reacts to performance issues fairly and consistently in accordance with our expected practices
• Actively establishes open, candid and trusting professional relationships with their team members
• Maintains a high degree of personal integrity and inspires a team with the same values

Guest Experience

• Possess the ability to lead by example and deliver superior direction to the sales team
  and top notch customer service to all guests within the boutique
• Committed to fostering community relationship with our sweet locals & beyond. Also, we are dog friendly & have dozens of pup that we know by name.
• Prepares the team to balance our guest experience with necessary operational tasks

Visual Merchandising

• Maintains a visually inspiring boutique that is compelling to guests by developing visual
  decision making skills and effective communication of our visual standards
• Utilizes, leads and delivers our visual brand standards to present our unique product mix
  offering
• Demonstrates a passion for retail by understanding trends
• In collaboration with the Brand Manager, manage and execute the storefront window
  display visuals on a quarterly basis

Accounts Receivable

• Assist Brand Manager in purchase orders, data entry, incoming shipments with the POS.
  Secures revenue by verifying proper accounting of inventory and posting receipts;
  resolving discrepancies.
• Work with Brand Manager to create local, branded, on-trend seasonal palettes for all
  brand categories.
• Engage in weekly sell-thru meetings. Keeping up with bestselling / worst selling to better
  understand our customer, our business, and bring relevant information up the chain of
  command.

Qualifications

• BS/BA Degree and/or 2+ years previous managerial or assistant-managerial experience is preferred 
• Is able to diffuse high-pressure situations calmly while steering with EQ first
• Excellent organization skills; able to plan and execute tasks efficiently
• Familiarity with Smitten-like customer demographic and trend reporting for the latest “it”
  consumer based goods is a plus
• Strong business acumen and attention to detail
• Not afraid to speak your ideas and be willing to be the only champion for an idea
• Experience with thinking outside the box, finding value in creative ways
• Proactive and creative problem solving ability with a side of strong work ethic
• Experience in cultivating and maintaining a strong customer base
• Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and Google (docs, calendar, etc)
• Experience using a Point of Sale system (ideally Lightspeed or Shopify)
• Ability to work weekends, nights and holidays (always guaranteed two consecutive days off)

Physical Requirements

• Ability to effectively maneuver around the sales floor and stockroom, repetitive bending,
  prolonged standing, twisting, stooping, squatting and climbing (you will be smitten to
  hear you get in some cardio on the job!)
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25

The Perks of Working at Smitten

• Competitive pay, starting part time and increasing to full time 
• Employee discount
• Creative team environment 

Please email your cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Include your desired
position in the title of the email.

 

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CUSTOM STUDIO MANAGER, Charlotte NC

$40,000 to $50,000 annually (plus commission)

Smitten Boutique, a premier purveyor of custom wedding, event, and personal stationery, is seeking a Custom Studio Manager for our Chicago location to manage all aspects of the custom paper goods business while ensuring the highest-level of customer satisfaction.

A successful Studio Manager candidate will have several years of design experience, a keen understanding of exceptional customer service and a passion for all things paper.  The candidate, in partnership with the Creative Director of Invitations, must understand business drivers, how to maximize profitability, and ensure the highest standards of customer service and finished product are met consistently. They should enjoy a creative workflow and pride themselves in pushing boundaries. And most important, they must be passionate about people and want to work in a place they are truly Smitten with!

JOB DESCRIPTION

Stationery Sales + Customer Service

• Lead in-store custom wedding stationery appointments; offer assistance and design/etiquette advice to customers as they make their final selections
• Lead in-store appointments for social stationery, graduation, shower, baby announcement, holiday and other personalized stationery products
• Produce customized pricing proposals and manage customer communication/follow-up from sale through delivery
• Attend virtual custom wedding stationery appointments with the Creative Director
• Assist with post-proposal follow-up and post-deposit order management — write wording homework; set up and advise on guest addressing template

Design + Production

• Design invitations, envelopes, place cards, day-of stationery items, etc. within provided specifications
• Brainstorm ideas for customers’ paper goods based on inspiration photos 
• Layout and print in-house products as needed
• Assemble, stuff, stamp and mail invitation orders and/or welcome bag orders as needed
• Work with management to design Smitten collateral and in-house projects

Custom Studio Management

• Maintain Custom Studio appointment calendar and customer database — send calendar/Zoom invites, manage customer intake and portfolios 
• Answer questions and schedule consultations with walk-in customers
• Assist with order receiving, boxing/unboxing, samples, and assembly if necessary
• Utilize Smitten Boutique’s point-of-sale system to log and process Custom Studio payments
• Assist with the design of Custom Studio social media content

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Design + Technical Skills

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field (preferred)
• Fluency in Adobe Creative Suite
• Expert Proficiency in InDesign
• Proficiency+ in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat
• Fluency in G-Suite (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets)
• Fluency in digital design platforms (Canva; Lightspeed or Shopify a plus)
• Experience in a print production environment
• Familiarity with print production terminology
• Knowledge of specialty print methods used in custom stationery, and best practices associated with designing for different processes
• Comfort designing within technical specifications, using templates, and creating print-ready files
• Outstanding eye for typography and invitation layout
• Stationery design & invitation experience
• Excellent attention to detail (both ability to perform extremely detailed tasks and appreciation of its importance)

Sales, Service + People Skills

• 2+ years experience in a customer-facing service, sales, or sales support role 
• Ability to conceptualize and carry out concepts to final execution with fast-paced deadlines
• Top notch customer service abilities
• Ability to communicate effectively and work with all types of customers

Marketing + Management Skills

• Desire to be part of the boutique's creative team
• Assist in planning & creating social media content for the Custom Studio
• Assist in planning & creating in-store events for the Custom Studio
• Possibility of managing associates as the creative team grows

Candidate Qualities

• Enthusiasm for the wedding industry, with experience in "Wedding World" a big plus
• Demonstrable awareness of current design trends in the wedding industry and beyond
• Passion for creating a high-end customer experience from start to finish
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to offer creative solutions and troubleshoot with a positive attitude via email, phone or in-person
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to work independently, multitask, and prioritize a workload that changes on a daily basis
• Comfort working in a deadline-driven environment and managing schedules for multiple in-progress orders at once
• Sense of ownership and desire to be a utility player in a small business environment
• Flexibility to take on projects outside the scope of the stated job description — "no job too big or too small"
• Fast learner with a curiosity to learn new skills and become an expert in the industry
• Comfort ideating alternative revenue streams and contributing to the growth of the business
• Full time, flexible schedule with the ability to work evenings and some Saturdays

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25lbs.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time and perform repetitive motions (such as invitation suite and welcome bag assembly)

THE PERKS OF WORKING AT SMITTEN

• Competitive pay, starting part time and increasing to full time 
• Employee discount
• Creative team environment 

Please email your cover letter and resume to [email protected].

 

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PART TIME SALES ASSOCIATE, Chicago IL

Starting at $15.00 per hour

Does helping people find the perfect gift sound like your dream job?  Then we would love to chat with you! 

Please email your and resume to our Owner, Kirstin: [email protected] 

 

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We believe in the power of a diverse workplace. Which is why we are committed to actively recruiting and hiring people of all races, religions, colors, national origins, genders, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, ages, marital statuses, veteran statuses and disability statuses.