Team Lead - Sanctuary Store

Location: Kanab, UT


Hiring Range: This position's hiring range is anticipated to be $52,000 - $57,000 annually, depending on experience, plus great benefits!

Position Summary

The Sanctuary Store - Team Lead plays an integral role in shaping the shopper's experience by providing product knowledge, ideas, and excellent customer service. The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, customer-focused, and skilled at building meaningful connections with guests, while demonstrating a strong understanding of the organization's culture, brand values, and mission. As the Team Lead, this role regularly collaborates with the Manager of Product Development and the Director of Experience and Merchandising to gain guidance on best practices, ensuring a clear understanding of product messaging and the development of an effective product assortment. Additionally, the Team Lead supports the Sanctuary Store by leading the team to achieve sales and conversion goals, while reinforcing the importance of delivering a strong hospitality experience for all Best Friends visitors. They understand how Sanctuary Store products support and reflect the broader mission of Best Friends and can effectively communicate that connection to customers.


Culture Statement and Responsibility

We believe in treating everyone with kindness and compassion, building trust through authenticity and following through on commitments. We prioritize well-being alongside our mission, fostering strong relationships through open communication and transparent feedback. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture, enriching team dynamics by valuing diverse perspectives. Each team member is responsible for creating an inclusive environment where all voices are respected and contributing to a workplace that embodies our shared values and commitment to progress. By consistently aligning our actions with our Guiding Principles, we strengthen our culture and ensure that our values are lived every day.


Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Efficient in point-of-sale operations, including processing merchandise purchases, exchanges, and returns.
• Staff Leadership/Management:
• Oversees Sanctuary Store's daily, weekly, monthly duties and responsibilities of the Sanctuary Store Associates. This includes performing all duties of a Sanctuary Store Associate as needed.
• Lead and train Sanctuary Store Associates on shop floor training, point-of-sale training, scheduling, setting goals, providing feedback and participation in performance reviews.
• Responsible for educating and informing Sanctuary Store staff of policies, SOPs and SLAs.
• Collaborating with management, in the hiring process for Sanctuary Store Associates, providing input and recommendations relating to the needs of the role and respective candidates.
• Communication and documentation of weekly selling KPGs to Sanctuary Store staff and the ability to provide narrative behind drivers of results.
• Confident understanding of who the Sanctuary Store customer is and what their needs are so to better exceed their expectations and maximize sales revenue
• Liaises with Manager, Product Development to set sale priorities and goals for Sanctuary Store Associates by leveraging the tools available (i.e. stock to sale report, on order report, SKU movement report, merchandise alignment document and merchandise calendar).
• Solid understanding of the point-of-sale and inventory management system (Shopify) and collaborating with Inventory and Reporting Specialist to problem solve, when needed,
• Manages and maintains merchandise and operational inventory stock:
• Working knowledge of the inventory on hand and responsible for communicating inventory discrepancies. Facilitate spot check counts as needed to quantify discrepancies.
• Utilizes the merchandise / events calendar (How to Run a Lifesaving Sanctuary, Welcome Week, Discovery Weekend, Friends and Founders, etc.) planograms, and stock to sales to prepare the floor for items and creating supporting displays with input from the Manager, Product Development.
• Liaises with Inventory and Reporting Specialists to ensure proper inventory flow and communicates that information to the Sanctuary Store Associates.
• Responsible for ordering supplies (i.e. as bubble wrap, register tape), and creating new signage if needed
• Participates in merchandise alignment meetings and stock to sales reports to ensure product knowledge, selling features, and mission relevance to obtain speaking points and action items communicating back to the Sanctuary Store Associates. Delegating relevant next steps for action items and follow-ups.
• Responsible for receiving stock requests, compiling orders, and maintaining inventory for the Sanctuary Store, Roadhouse Mercantile, and Adoption Hub.
• Responsible for processing transfers between departments if needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills & Experience

• 2+ years of retail/sales and customer service experience in high-volume retail or specialty store environments
• Proven ability to lead, train, coach, and motivate retail associates while maintaining high performance standards
• Strong knowledge of point-of-sale and inventory management systems, including purchases, exchanges, returns, daily cash handling, and troubleshooting discrepancies.
• Demonstrated success in visual merchandising and creating engaging product displays that maximize sales.
• Strong understanding of inventory control, stock management, transfers, receiving, and shipment consolidation procedures
• Skilled in training associates on customer engagement, product knowledge, and mission-focused selling techniques
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience documenting SOPs, policies, and operational procedures
• Passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences while supporting organizational goals and revenue growth

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, move, and organize merchandise and supply shipments, typically up to 25-50 pounds.
• Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders to stock shelves and create displays.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks such as stocking, tagging, packing, and processing inventory.
• Flexibility to work varied schedules, including weekends, holidays, and special events as required.
• Must be comfortable with regular exposure to animals (typically cats and dogs but may occasionally include other species).

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career at Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or domestic partner status.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and/or will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by Best Friends Animal Society.