Contract Sales Support Manager

Contract Operations Manager

Until Filled (CST)

Minneapolis, MN, USA

75,000-85,000 per year Base + Bonus

Full Time

Benefits include paid vacation and sick time, 401(k) plan, medical insurance, dental insurance, employer paid short-term, long-term disability & life insurance, paid parental leave, and employee discounts on product.

Contract Operations Manager

Reports To: Sr. Manager, Trade & Contract

About Us: Blu Dot ( an award-winning designer and maker of modern furnishings, is currently searching for a Contract Operations Manager to join our dynamic and values-driven company.

Company Purpose: Inspire a more creative way of living through good design that's good to everyone.

Core Values:

- Good design is good. Good design should be reflected in everything we do.

- Keep it simple. Strive for economy in all that you do.

- Everyone is invited to our party. Treat every individual with respect & dignity.

- Our glass is half full. Focus on the positive.

- Be humble. We take nothing for granted.

- Turn it up to 11. Determine what is expected and do a little more.

- Stay curious. Try, learn, improve, repeat.

About The Role:

The Contract Operations Manager serves as the operational hub of Blu Dot's Contract business, partnering closely with Contract leadership to improve visibility across customer opportunities, strengthen business intelligence, streamline execution, and foster alignment between headquarters, the field sales organization, and cross-functional partners.

This role is responsible for building the operational foundation that allows Blu Dot's Contract business to scale-creating the visibility, systems, and cross-functional alignment that enable exceptional customer experiences and sustainable growth. By improving commercial visibility, strengthening reporting, coordinating complex customer opportunities, and driving operational excellence, the Contract Operations Manager enables Contract leadership to remain focused on revenue growth, customer relationships, and team development.

Responsibilities And Tasks:

Drive Commercial Execution:

• Coordinate Blu Dot's highest-value customer opportunities, including High Volume Order Inquiries (HVOIs), custom solutions, Graded-In program and Graded-In order management, and other complex commercial projects.
• Maintain visibility into priority customer opportunities (including delivery timeline tracking and inbound product availability), ensuring timely internal communication, accountability, and cross-functional coordination provided to Sales Leadership and account teams throughout the sales lifecycle.
• Partner with Contract leadership to proactively identify risks, remove obstacles, and improve execution on strategic customer opportunities.
• Support the successful implementation of new commercial initiatives that strengthen the Contract business.
• Develop scalable processes that improve execution while reducing administrative burden across the sales organization.

Champion Operational Excellence:

• Coordinate complex customer escalations requiring collaboration across Sales, Account Management and Coordination teams, Purchasing, Store Operations, and other internal partners.
• Improve communication and operational consistency across the Contract organization by establishing scalable workflows and best practices.
• Develop systems that improve accountability, visibility, and execution across the customer journey.
• Own the operational readiness of new Contract initiatives by partnering with cross-functional teams to develop workflows, documentation, reporting, communication plans, and internal processes that support successful implementation.
• Support organizational initiatives that simplify internal processes while enhancing the overall customer experience.
• Promote a proactive, solutions-oriented approach to operational problem solving.

Business Systems & Future Capabilities:

• Partner with Contract leadership to define future business system requirements that support the continued growth and evolution of the Contract business.
• Help evaluate CRM platforms, business intelligence tools, and emerging technologies that improve visibility, reporting, customer opportunity management, and operational efficiency.
• Support the future development and implementation of CRM capabilities, including reporting structures, data standards, and user adoption strategies.
• Identify opportunities for automation, process improvement, and digital transformation that simplify workflows and strengthen business performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to ensure future technology investments align with the long-term strategy and operational needs of the Contract organization.
• Continuously evaluate new tools and technologies that improve scalability, enhance customer experience, and enable more informed business decision-making.

Strengthen Cross-Functional Partnership:

• Build trusted relationships across departments to improve collaboration and remove barriers to execution.
• Serve as a central point of coordination between headquarters, Market Development Managers, Contract Account Managers and Coordinators and cross-functional partners.
• Help define and maintain operational expectations that support consistent execution across the Contract organization.
• Represent the Contract organization in cross-functional initiatives and projects as needed.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in commercial operations, business operations, sales operations, project management, or a related business function.
• Demonstrated success coordinating complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Strong analytical skills with experience developing reports, dashboards, and business insights that support decision-making.
• Experience supporting CRM implementations, business intelligence initiatives, or operational technology projects is preferred.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly collaborative, resourceful, and proactive with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Comfortable working independently while building strong partnerships across the organization.
• Experience within commercial furniture, interior design, architecture, manufacturing, or related industries is preferred.

Success In This Role:

• The ideal candidate is a highly organized business partner who thrives at the intersection of operations, analytics, and collaboration. They are energized by solving complex problems, creating structure, and building systems that allow others to perform at their highest level.
• Success in this role is measured by the team's ability to execute more efficiently, make better-informed business decisions, and provide an exceptional customer experience through stronger visibility, communication, and operational excellence.