Hair Braider / Hair Stylist / Master Braider / Lead Braider
LYRD Hair Braiding
Joliet, Illinois
Employment Options: W-2 Employee or 1099 Independent Contractor, when legally applicable
Job Type: Full-Time and Part-Time Opportunities Available
JOIN THE LYRD TEAM
LYRD Hair Braiding is seeking talented, professional, dependable, and client-focused beauty professionals to join our growing team.
We are hiring for multiple skill levels:
- Hair Technician
- Professional Braider
- Hair Stylist
- Master Braider
- Lead Braider
LYRD provides an opportunity for professionals to grow within the organization based on their skills, experience, professionalism, client service, technical ability, leadership, and willingness to learn.
The position offered to each applicant will be determined through the application review, interview, portfolio review, skills assessment, and onboarding process.
1. HAIR TECHNICIAN
The Hair Technician is an entry-level or developing beauty professional who assists with client preparation, hair care, shampooing, detangling, take-down services, and other approved salon-support services.
Responsibilities
- Prepare clients for braiding and styling services.
- Shampoo and condition hair according to LYRD procedures.
- Assist with detangling and hair preparation.
- Assist with braid and extension take-down services.
- Assist stylists with client preparation.
- Maintain clean and organized workstations.
- Follow sanitation and disinfection procedures.
- Assist with shampoo services for sew-ins and other protective styles.
- Help maintain shampoo bowls and salon equipment.
- Assist clients with basic hair-care preparation.
- Follow product instructions and LYRD procedures.
- Provide professional customer service.
- Communicate client concerns to the assigned stylist or manager.
- Assist other team members when requested.
- Participate in LYRD training and continuing education.
Hair Technician Qualifications
- Interest in natural hair care and beauty services.
- Basic knowledge of textured/natural hair.
- Willingness to learn.
- Professional attitude.
- Dependable and punctual.
- Good communication skills.
- Ability to follow instructions.
- Strong sanitation habits.
- Team-oriented attitude.
- Appropriate credentials or licensing required for any services performed.
2. PROFESSIONAL BRAIDER
The Professional Braider is responsible for independently performing a variety of natural hair braiding and protective styling services.
Responsibilities
- Perform professional braiding services.
- Complete client consultations before services.
- Evaluate hair length, density, texture, and general hair/scalp condition.
- Create clean and consistent parts.
- Maintain appropriate braid tension.
- Perform box braids, knotless braids, cornrows, feed-ins, Fulani braids, twists, loc styles, and other approved styles.
- Perform braid take-downs and hair preparation.
- Provide professional aftercare instructions.
- Maintain appointment timing.
- Follow LYRD sanitation and disinfection procedures.
- Maintain a clean workstation.
- Communicate professionally with clients.
- Participate in training and skill development.
- Assist team members when needed.
Qualifications
- Professional braiding experience preferred.
- Strong knowledge of natural and textured hair.
- Ability to create clean parts and consistent braids.
- Good time-management skills.
- Strong customer-service skills.
- Professional appearance and communication.
- Portfolio of work preferred.
- Must meet applicable Illinois licensing requirements for services performed.
3. HAIR STYLIST
The Hair Stylist provides a broader range of natural hair, protective styling, hair-care, and approved styling services while maintaining LYRD's standards for healthy hair and professional client care.
Responsibilities
- Perform natural hair and protective styling services.
- Perform braiding and styling services within the stylist's qualifications.
- Perform shampooing and conditioning services.
- Assist clients with hair preparation and maintenance.
- Perform sew-in preparation, take-down, and resew services when trained and qualified.
- Perform twists, loc services, braids, cornrows, and other approved styles.
- Consult with clients regarding desired styles.
- Recommend appropriate styles based on hair condition and client goals.
- Review length, size, color, density, and parting preferences.
- Maintain appropriate tension.
- Provide hair-care and aftercare recommendations.
- Maintain clean and sanitary equipment.
- Follow LYRD's sanitation and disinfection policies.
- Maintain accurate appointment timing.
- Participate in continuing education.
- Work cooperatively with braiders and other team members.
Hair Stylist Qualifications
- Professional salon or natural-hair experience.
- Strong understanding of textured hair.
- Strong client consultation skills.
- Ability to perform services independently.
- Good communication and customer-service skills.
- Professional portfolio preferred.
- Dependable and punctual.
- Must hold any license or credential required for the services performed.
4. MASTER BRAIDER
The Master Braider is an advanced braiding professional with exceptional technical ability, speed, precision, consistency, and client-service skills.
Responsibilities
- Perform advanced braiding and protective styles.
- Perform intricate and detailed parting.
- Work with different hair densities, textures, lengths, and conditions.
- Perform advanced knotless, stitch, feed-in, Fulani, micro-braiding, twist, loc, and protective styles.
- Handle complex client requests professionally.
- Assist with consultations.
- Help evaluate hair condition before services.
- Mentor Professional Braiders and developing stylists.
- Demonstrate approved LYRD techniques.
- Assist with training and skills development.
- Support team members during high-volume periods.
- Help maintain LYRD service-quality standards.
- Assist with evaluating new styles and techniques.
- Provide excellent client service.
Qualifications
- Advanced professional braiding experience.
- Demonstrated mastery of multiple braiding techniques.
- Excellent parting and tension control.
- Strong speed and time management.
- Advanced knowledge of natural and textured hair.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to mentor other professionals.
- Strong professional portfolio.
- Must meet applicable Illinois licensing requirements.
5. LEAD BRAIDER
The Lead Braider is a senior-level professional who combines advanced braiding expertise with leadership, training, quality control, teamwork, and client-service responsibilities.
Responsibilities
- Perform advanced braiding services.
- Serve as a technical resource for the LYRD braiding team.
- Assist with training and onboarding new braiders.
- Help conduct practical skills assessments.
- Mentor Professional Braiders and Hair Technicians.
- Assist management with stylist evaluations.
- Demonstrate LYRD-approved techniques.
- Help monitor client satisfaction and service quality.
- Help coordinate service flow during busy periods.
- Assist coworkers when they need technical or service support.
- Help cover work when another team member is unavailable.
- Encourage teamwork and professional communication.
- Help maintain sanitation and workstation standards.
- Assist with continuing education and skills-development programs.
- Communicate operational or client concerns to management.
- Represent LYRD professionally at all times.
Qualifications
- Advanced professional braiding experience.
- Demonstrated mastery of multiple techniques.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Excellent communication.
- Strong client consultation ability.
- Excellent time management.
- Ability to train and mentor others.
- Professional portfolio required.
- Dependable and professional.
- Must meet applicable Illinois licensing requirements for services performed.
LYRD CAREER DEVELOPMENT PATH
LYRD encourages professional growth.
A team member may develop along a career path such as:
Hair Technician → Professional Braider → Hair Stylist → Master Braider → Lead Braider
Advancement is based on demonstrated:
- Technical skill
- Client satisfaction
- Professionalism
- Attendance and punctuality
- Sanitation practices
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Leadership
- Training completion
- Service quality
- Ability to perform LYRD-approved services
Job titles are not automatically based on years of experience. Skills and performance will be evaluated.
TEAMWORK IS REQUIRED
LYRD operates as a team.
All team members are expected to assist one another when reasonably needed.
Examples include:
- Helping with shampooing.
- Assisting with detangling.
- Helping prepare a client.
- Assisting another stylist with a service.
- Helping cover a client when a team member is unavailable.
- Sharing professional knowledge and techniques.
- Helping maintain salon cleanliness.
- Supporting new team members.
- Communicating respectfully with coworkers.
- Helping maintain a positive client experience.
CLIENT CONSULTATION
Every appropriate service begins with professional consultation.
Stylists and braiders may discuss:
- Desired style
- Hair length
- Braid size
- Hair density
- Hair texture
- Color
- Parting preference
- Hair extensions
- Shampoo requirements
- Take-down requirements
- Hair/scalp observations
- Maintenance
- Estimated service time
- Service price
- Appropriate aftercare
Team members are expected to communicate with management when a requested service may not be appropriate based on the client's hair condition, safety considerations, or LYRD policy.
SANITATION & SAFETY
All LYRD team members must follow LYRD sanitation, cleaning, disinfection, and workplace safety procedures.
This includes:
- Proper handwashing.
- Cleaning and disinfecting tools.
- Maintaining clean workstations.
- Proper disposal of hair and waste.
- Keeping shampoo bowls clean.
- Preventing cross-contamination.
- Following product and disinfectant instructions.
- Reporting unsafe conditions.
- Following applicable Illinois requirements.
- Completing required sanitation training.
EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS
LYRD may offer qualified professionals either:
W-2 Employment
Qualified positions may be offered as W-2 employment, with compensation, scheduling, and benefits, if any, established by LYRD.
1099 Independent Contractor
Where legally appropriate, LYRD may offer qualified professionals an independent-contractor arrangement.
Employment classification will be based on the actual working relationship and applicable federal and Illinois law.
Specific compensation and employment terms will be discussed during the interview and offer process.
LYRD HIRING PROCESS
Applicants may complete the following process:
Step 1 — Application
Submit your Indeed application, resume, experience, availability, and portfolio.
Step 2 — Application Review
LYRD reviews experience, skills, work history, portfolio, and qualifications.
Step 3 — Interview
Discuss your professional background, preferred position, availability, client experience, teamwork, and career goals.
Step 4 — Skills/Portfolio Review
Selected applicants may complete a portfolio review or practical skills demonstration.
Step 5 — Position Placement
LYRD determines whether the applicant is best suited for:
- Hair Technician
- Professional Braider
- Hair Stylist
- Master Braider
- Lead Braider
Step 6 — Employment Classification
Discuss available W-2 or 1099 opportunities, when applicable.
Step 7 — Onboarding
Complete required employment/contractor documentation, LYRD policies, training, and orientation.
Step 8 — Initial Evaluation
New team members may complete an initial evaluation period according to the applicable LYRD agreement and policies.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We want professionals who are:
- Talented
- Reliable
- Professional
- Creative
- Detail-oriented
- Client-focused
- Team-oriented
- Coachable
- Punctual
- Clean and organized
- Passionate about natural hair
- Committed to healthy hair practices
- Willing to continue learning
- Comfortable working in a professional salon environment
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Please answer the following questions when applying:
- Which position are you applying for?
- Hair Technician
- Professional Braider
- Hair Stylist
- Master Braider
- Lead Braider
- Open to placement based on skills
- How many years of professional beauty or braiding experience do you have?
- What services do you specialize in?
- Which services can you perform independently?
- Do you have a portfolio or examples of your work?
- Are you currently authorized to work in the United States?
- Do you have the applicable Illinois license or credential required for the services you intend to perform?
- Are you seeking W-2 employment, a 1099 independent-contractor opportunity, or are you open to discussing both?
- What days and hours are you available?
- Are you comfortable working with children, teens, and adults?
- Are you comfortable performing client consultations and hair/scalp observations?
- Are you willing to participate in a practical skills assessment?
- Are you willing to follow LYRD sanitation, safety, teamwork, client-service, and salon policies?
- Why would you be a good fit for LYRD Hair Braiding?
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through Indeed and include:
- Resume
- Professional experience
- Portfolio/photos of your work
- Professional social media or portfolio link, if available
- Position of interest
- Availability
- Preferred employment arrangement
LYRD Hair Braiding
Joliet, Illinois
Phone: (815) 415-8756
Email: [email protected]
Website: lyrdsalonsuites.com
LYRD HAIR BRAIDING BAR
Professional Beauty Healthy Hair Exceptional Service
Pay: $19.95 - $30.84 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
