District Manager, Chicago

Job Description

Job Description

We’ve built Rowan by rethinking the ear piercing experience from the ground up—prioritizing safety, clinical expertise, and a customer experience that feels both celebratory and trusted. Every piercing is performed by licensed nurses and guided by our Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard® and paired with our hypoallergenic products, setting a clear standard that is differentiated from traditional retail models. Our goal is to create a destination where customers feel confident, cared for, and excited to participate.

The Rowan District Manager of Studios will oversee the operations of Rowan studio locations within their designated region, playing a pivotal role in our continued expansion across the country. This position is responsible for leading and developing Studio Managers, with a strong focus on driving sales, enhancing the Rowan piercing experience, and maintaining Rowan’s high standards for customer service, safety, and operational efficiency. 

 

The District Manager will ensure consistency across all studios by providing comprehensive sales training, coaching, and building high-performing teams that are experts in both product knowledge and piercing. Consistent studio visits are required to maintain a strong presence, align with company objectives, and support growth and profitability. Additionally, the District Manager will drive new and repeat client engagement through local in-store events, community partnerships, and clienteling efforts. This role reports directly to a Regional General Manager. We are looking for an enthusiastic, customer-obsessed District Manager to join our team and oversee our studios in the Chicago Market!

What you'll be doing:

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Leadership + Team Development:

• Lead, mentor, and develop Area and Studio Managers to ensure they meet performance standards, are equipped to manage their teams effectively, meet Rowan’s operational expectations, and cultivate a positive, customer-centric studio culture.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback to Area and Studio Managers to help them improve their performance and leadership skills.
• Prioritize dedicated time to support studios facing challenges with employee retention and operational performance, providing guidance to elevate them to Rowan’s standards.
• Ensure that managers are effectively addressing and resolving employee issues in a timely manner, fostering a positive work environment and maintaining team morale.
• Guide managers on best practices for handling employee relations, including performance management, conflict resolution, and team development.
• Act as a resource for managers when dealing with complex employee issues, offering advice and support to ensure issues are handled in line with company policies and values.
• Monitor the handling of employee issues across studios to ensure consistency and adherence to Rowan's standards.

Operational Excellence:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of 5-12 studio locations, ensuring each location adheres to Rowan’s policies, procedures, and brand standards.
• Conduct regular 8 hour shift studio visits to assess performance, provide guidance, and ensure operational excellence.
• Analyze sales data, customer feedback, and operational reports to identify trends and areas for improvement; implement immediate feedback and corrective actions as necessary.
• Validate and track studios’ progress through Dashboard Checklists and take appropriate action.
• Ensure studios maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment that complies with health and safety regulations, particularly regarding piercing procedures.

Sales + Profitability:

• Drive sales growth and profitability across all locations by setting clear performance targets, monitoring progress, and implementing strategies to achieve goals.
• Work with Studio Managers to optimize product displays, manage inventory, and execute promotional activities that align with company goals.
• Monitor financial performance, manage budgets, and ensure that all locations operate within their financial targets.

Customer Experience:

• Customer-obsessed, working on the selling floor shoulder to shoulder with your teams, leading by example and delivering celebratory customer service, ensuring every customer enjoys a joyful and memorable ear piercing experience.
• Champion Rowan’s commitment to address escalated customer concerns or complaints professionally, ensuring swift resolution and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Communication + Collaboration:

• Serve as the primary point of contact between studio locations and corporate teams, ensuring clear and effective communication of company initiatives, policies, and goals. 
• Ensure stores are clear on SOPs expectations and that they are executed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Report regularly on district performance, opportunities and successes to corporate leadership.
• Partner with the HR team to recruit, interview, and select top talent for open studio positions, ensuring alignment with Rowan’s values and customer-centric approach.
• Oversee the onboarding and training process for new hires, ensuring a smooth integration into the team and consistent delivery of the Rowan experience across all studios.

Strategic Planning:

• Participate in the strategic planning process for the district, contributing insights on market trends, customer preferences, and operational opportunities.
• Partner with key stakeholders and assist in the opening of new studio locations within the district, including staffing, training, and setup to ensure a successful launch.

What you'll bring

• Proven experience in multi-unit retail management, with a strong track record of driving sales and operational excellence across all locations.
• Exceptional leadership skills, with experience in coaching, mentoring, and developing teams.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple locations effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence across all levels of the organization.
• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.
• Big picture mindset, able to anticipate changing needs and comfortable managing change.
• Competitive and business-driven. There’s not a goal out there you won’t achieve.
• Customer-obsessed, you love being on a selling floor with your team leading by example and delivering exceptional, memorable customer experiences.
• Proficient working in Google Suite (Calendar, Gmail, Sheets, and Documents).
• Analytical skills, including basic retail math, calculating inventory on-hands, tracking sales.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations, particularly related to ear piercing, is a plus.
• This role requires frequent travel (up to 75%) within the assigned district.
• Previous retail management experience in California required.
• Must be able to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays, as needed.

Full-Time Benefits & Perks

• Medical/Dental/Vision Health Plans
• Long-term Disability 
• Life Insurance
• 401k and Roth IRA Plans 
• Paid accrued vacation, sick, and holidays
• Employee discounts on our amazing products!

About Us: Rowan is an innovative ear-piercing and hypoallergenic jewelry brand that brings safety to the forefront with our team of licensed nurses—and celebration to every guest with our joyful approach to piercings and jewelry. Our brick-and-mortar locations across the US also provide a long-overdue alternative to the standard mall piercing. At Rowan, we believe that every ear piercing is a milestone and it should be celebrated. We believe in “Piercing for All”. 

 

Check us out on CNBC's How I Made It

Check us out on the TODAY Show on NBC — How 1 woman is reinventing the ear piercing experience (today.com)

 

How Rowan Has Created a New Pathway for Nurses

 

Important note: Rowan believes in teamwork, collaboration, and diversity. We know our team is stronger together and we commit to staying true to these values as we grow. In a remote setting, interviewing at Rowan may include phone interviews, virtual “on-site” interviews, and on-the-job mock cases. We are committed to run a thorough process for candidates with whom we identify a potential match, and we will do our best to follow-up with each and every applicant! If you’re on the fence, just give it a try! We are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage everyone to apply!

 

Rowan is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin (including language use and possession of a driver's license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the United States is authorized under federal law), ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity (including transgender identification), gender expression, age for individuals over forty years of age, military and veteran status of any person, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws (“protected characteristics”).   

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.