Store Manager — SFMade Storefront

• SFMade Storefront | 373 Geary Street, San Francisco

• Full-time, fixed-term, grant-funded

• 40-45 hours/week | $40–$42/hour

• Non-exempt | Reports to: Program Manager

About SFMade

SFMade is a San Francisco nonprofit founded in 2010 to help local manufacturers start, stay, and grow. Through business advising, workshops, industry connections, workforce programs, and other resources, we support a network of 800+ manufacturers across the Bay Area.

Now we’re opening the first-ever SFMade Storefront at 373 Geary Street in Union Square.

The Storefront is more than a retail store. It’s a window into Bay Area manufacturing where people can shop locally made products, meet the people and stories behind them, and experience the creativity, craft, and ingenuity of things made here. Every product is made across the nine Bay Area counties, from apparel and jewelry to coffee, chocolate, home goods, art, and more.

It’s also a learning lab. Many of the makers on our shelves are early in their retail journey, and what happens on the sales floor helps them learn how to price, package, display, and tell their stories.

The Role

We’re looking for a Store Manager who is an equal parts retail operator, merchandiser, host, storyteller, and self-starter.

You’ll lead day-to-day operations of the Storefront, from sales, inventory, and manufacturer relationships to merchandising, staff, and special events. You’ll also have a meaningful voice in how the store evolves.

We want someone who notices things. You see a display that could work better and rearrange it. You hear customers asking the same question and suggest better signage. You notice people getting excited about a particular maker and start thinking about an event built around them.

Think of yourself a little like a great museum guide: curious, knowledgeable, warm, and excited to share what you know without giving a lecture. You’ll get to know the manufacturers behind every product: who they are, what they make, where they make it, how they got started, and why making locally matters. Then you’ll help customers fall in love with those stories.

This is a hands-on role. Some days you’ll help a customer discover a new favorite brand; other days you’ll receive inventory, troubleshoot Shopify, move a display, reconcile the register, train a Sales Associate, or set up an evening event.

You Might Love This Role If…

• You love discovering how things are made and the people who make them.

• You believe great customer service isn’t just about making a sale. It’s about making someone feel welcome enough to come back.

• You’d rather be on the floor talking with customers than behind the counter, and you can read when someone wants the story versus space to browse.

• You have opinions about displays, product placement, signage, and store flow.

• You take initiative, share ideas freely, and take it well when an idea needs work.

• You’re clever, kind, grounded, and have a sense of humor.

• You want ownership, not just a checklist.

• You’re a maker, artist, designer, or creative yourself (even better).

• Spending your days surrounded by locally made products and the people who make them sounds pretty great.

What You’ll Do

1. Lead Store Operations

• Serve as the primary onsite lead: open and close the store and keep it welcoming, organized, and stocked.

• Cover the sales floor until the mid-day Sales Associate arrives.

• Work the store and oversee and train 1–2 part-time Sales Associates on Shopify POS, products, manufacturer stories, and customer service.

• Run Shopify POS, cash, and card transactions, including returns and exchanges, and reconcile the daily cash drawer and sales.

• Keep inventory, sales, and commission records accurate in Excel and/or Google Sheets.

• May need to travel between the Storefront and SFMade HQ (150 Hooper Street) to manage inventory

2. Create an Exceptional Customer Experience

• Welcome customers with warmth and genuine hospitality, and stay present on the floor.

• Help customers discover products and makers based on their interests, and share where and how things are made.

• Build relationships with new and returning customers and invite them back for events and launches.

• Resolve concerns calmly and thoughtfully, escalating when needed.

• Represent the Storefront to press, donors, partners, and tour groups.

A great interaction doesn’t have to end with a purchase. Our goal is for people to leave knowing something they didn’t know before, and wanting to come back.

3. Own the Art of Merchandising

• Keep the sales floor engaging and visually compelling across apparel, accessories, jewelry, food and beverage, home goods, beauty and wellness, and arts and crafts.

• Refresh displays as products, seasons, promotions, and manufacturers rotate.

• Use sales data and customer observations to recommend changes

• Collaborate with the SFMade team on curation and placement

4. Support Internal Manufacturer Operations

• Supports internal SFMade Ops manager on the onboarding of new products into our systems, inventory drop-offs, replenishment, and pick-ups, reporting, gathers customer feedback

• Recommend when products should be replenished, rotated, extended, or removed based on performance.

5. Help Bring the Store to Life

The Storefront will host recurring activations, from maker demonstrations and tastings to product launches, conversations, and seasonal programming.

• Co-plan and support events

• Prepare and reset the store before and after events.

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• 3+ years of retail and sales experience, including key-holder, shift lead, or supervisory responsibility.

• Strong customer service skills and genuine enthusiasm for building relationships with customers and makers.

• Hands-on experience with visual merchandising and product placement.

• Ability to work independently with limited day-to-day direction and balance floor time with operational and administrative work.

• Strong organization and attention to detail.

• Comfort learning POS and inventory systems, and working experience with spreadsheets

• Comfort speaking with individuals and groups, including press, donors, partners, and tours.

• Reliable, accountable, and punctual, and comfortable in a fast-moving environment where priorities evolve.

Bonus:

• Shopify POS and inventory management experience.

• Apparel, specialty, museum, or gallery retail experience.

• Strong interest in local manufacturing, craft, design, or entrepreneurship.

• Experience with public speaking, tours, events, or storytelling.

• Social media experience and/or an eye for in-store product and lifestyle photography.

• Access to a vehicle for occasional inventory transport (mileage reimbursed).

Schedule & Availability

• This is a full-time, non-exempt hourly position averaging 40 hours per week. 

• The schedule includes a mix of weekdays and weekends and an occasional evenings for events, activations, and peak periods, especially the holiday season. We plan schedules in advance whenever possible.

• Hours beyond the regular schedule must be approved in advance and are paid in line with overtime law. Meal and rest periods are provided in accordance with California law.

Physical Requirements

This is an active, onsite retail role. It involves standing and moving through the store for much of the day, lifting items up to 30 lbs, and occasional travel between the Storefront and SFMade HQ. We provide reasonable accommodations to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.