About Korman
Founded in 1973, Korman has long been Austin’s premier destination for exceptional jewelry, rare diamonds, and distinguished Swiss timepieces. For more than five decades, we have built our reputation on uncompromising quality, enduring relationships, and an unwavering commitment to exceptional service. Since 2018, owners Kat and Larry Stokes have proudly continued this legacy, honoring Korman’s heritage while thoughtfully shaping its future.
Located in the heart of Austin 29th & Lamar, the Jewel House is a refined expression of timeless elegance and contemporary luxury. Our carefully curated collection features celebrated jewelry designers, extraordinary diamonds, and the world’s finest Swiss timepieces, complemented by our Rolex Service Center. Our mantra is Celebrate Every Day—we seek to create a welcoming space where life’s milestones, meaningful moments, and lasting memories are celebrated with extraordinary jewelry and watches.
Position Overview
Korman is seeking an experienced Director of Operations, Service and Inventory to lead the back-of-house functions that support our sales organization and luxury client experience.
Reporting directly to the President, this leader will oversee the day-to-day performance of the jewelry workshop, watch service and repair, inventory, and related operational functions. The Director will provide clear leadership to approximately 11 to 12 team members who currently work across these areas, establish accountability, improve reporting and financial visibility, and ensure work moves efficiently from intake through completion and client pickup.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can understand the details, identify the root cause behind operational and financial issues, and lead the team in implementing practical solutions. The Director will be expected to improve systems and controls, strengthen communication between the front and back of house, and prevent routine operational issues from escalating to ownership or sales leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Back-of-House Leadership and Accountability
- Provide direct day-to-day leadership to the jewelry workshop, watchmakers, watch repair and service, inventory, and other assigned operational team members.
- Clarify roles, priorities, workflows, performance expectations, and decision-making authority across the back-of-house functions.
- Hold regular team and individual meetings to review priorities, workload, service levels, obstacles, and follow-through.
- Conduct or oversee performance reviews, coaching, goal setting, and corrective performance conversations for assigned employees.
- Partner with ownership and HR resources on hiring, onboarding, training, employee relations, and workforce planning.
- Develop capable team leads and managers who can solve routine issues without relying on ownership or the Vice President of Sales.
- Create a culture of ownership, urgency, accuracy, collaboration, and consistent follow-through.
Jewelry and Watch Service Operations
- Oversee the complete repair and service workflow, including intake, estimates, approvals, deposits, parts ordering, work assignment, quality control, completion, client communication, and pickup.
- Establish visibility into repair volume, turnaround times, in-house versus outsourced work, backlog, rush work, completed jobs awaiting pickup, and open client commitments.
- Monitor the productivity, capacity, quality, and financial performance of jewelers, watchmakers, and repair personnel.
- Identify revenue leakage, unprofitable work, unauthorized discounts or complimentary services, incomplete deposits, duplicate parts orders, and other preventable losses.
- Ensure special-order parts, straps, buckles, stones, findings, and related materials are properly approved, tracked, used, returned, or added to inventory when appropriate.
- Develop practical service standards and escalation procedures that protect the client experience while supporting profitability and operational efficiency.
- Ensure high-value client property is handled, documented, secured, and tracked with appropriate care and controls.
Inventory, Purchasing, and Operational Controls
- Provide leadership and accountability across inventory receiving, tagging, transfers, returns, adjustments, cycle counts, stock movement, and related controls.
- Partner with inventory and buying team members to improve inventory accuracy, reporting, organization, and decision-making.
- Review purchasing and usage of workshop supplies, parts, tools, equipment, and other operational materials to reduce unnecessary spending and excess stock.
- Evaluate the business case, expected use, and return on investment for operational equipment, systems, and process changes.
- Identify bottlenecks, duplicated work, inconsistent practices, and gaps that create financial risk, delays, or poor client service.
- Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures for critical back-of-house activities.
- Implement controls that protect the accuracy, security, and integrity of jewelry, watches, diamonds, parts, repairs, and other high-value assets.
Financial Analysis and Reporting
- Create clear weekly and monthly reporting for ownership covering repair and service volume, revenue, cost, gross margin, productivity, backlog, outstanding client pickups, deposits, inventory issues, and other key operating indicators.
- Move beyond compiling data by identifying the underlying drivers of results, investigating exceptions, and recommending corrective action.
- Develop and monitor departmental budgets and operating expenses for assigned functions.
- Analyze profitability by service type, department, vendor, or other meaningful category and identify opportunities to improve margins and productivity.
- Provide the Vice President of Sales with accurate operational data and analysis needed to support sales planning, team reviews, client service, and action plans.
- Present operational performance, risks, priorities, and recommendations during leadership meetings with ownership and the Vice President of Sales.
Front-of-House Partnership and Client Experience
- Partner closely with the Vice President of Sales, who will continue to lead the sales team, sales strategy, sales goals, revenue forecasting, and front-of-house client experience.
- Ensure the front and back of house have clear communication, shared priorities, and dependable handoffs for repairs, special orders, custom work, inventory requests, events, and client commitments.
- Provide timely information to sales leadership regarding service timelines, capacity, risks, delays, and operational issues that may affect clients.
- Address escalated operational or service concerns when senior leadership involvement is appropriate.
- Support a seamless luxury experience by ensuring back-of-house execution consistently delivers on commitments made to clients.
Facilities and Vendor Coordination
- Serve as the primary operational contact for the building manager and service providers supporting the facility.
- Coordinate maintenance, HVAC, landscaping, pest control, security, repairs, inspections, and other facility-related needs.
- Manage vendor relationships, service schedules, invoices, and follow-through for assigned operational providers.
- Ensure the 11,000-square-foot facility is safe, professional, functional, and maintained to Korman standards.
Process Improvement and Special Projects
- Lead operational improvement initiatives from analysis through implementation and sustained adoption.
- Define project owners, timelines, deliverables, communication, and measures of success.
- Partner with team members and outside providers to improve systems, reporting, workflows, and documentation.
- Balance immediate operational needs with the development of stronger long-term infrastructure and controls.
- Use sound judgment and a practical, client-focused approach when evaluating policies, procedures, and proposed changes.
Initial Priorities
During the first 90 days, the Director will be expected to:
- Develop a detailed understanding of the jewelry workshop, watch service, repair, inventory, purchasing, facilities, and related workflows.
- Establish clear reporting on repair and service volume, revenue, costs, margins, productivity, turnaround time, backlog, outstanding pickups, deposits, parts, and open commitments.
- Assess team structure, responsibilities, workload, performance expectations, and leadership gaps across the back of house.
- Identify immediate financial leakage, control weaknesses, unnecessary spending, and process breakdowns requiring corrective action.
- Create a regular operating cadence for team meetings, performance reporting, issue escalation, and follow-through.
- Review existing procedures and prioritize the SOPs, controls, and workflow improvements needed most urgently.
- Build an effective working partnership with ownership and the Vice President of Sales while reducing routine operational escalation.
Qualifications
- At least 7 years of progressive experience in operations, service operations, inventory management, retail operations, or a related field.
- At least 3 years of experience directly leading employees across multiple operational functions or departments.
- Experience in fine jewelry, luxury watches, repair and service operations, or another high-value product environment is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of inventory controls, service workflows, work-in-process tracking, purchasing, vendor management, and process documentation.
- Financial acumen, including experience analyzing departmental revenue, cost, margin, productivity, budgets, and operating reports.
- Demonstrated success identifying root causes, improving processes, establishing controls, and increasing accountability.
- Experience conducting performance reviews, coaching employees, addressing performance concerns, and developing team capabilities.
- Strong judgment and the confidence to make practical decisions in a fast-moving, owner-led business.
- Ability to work effectively with ownership and sales leadership while independently managing assigned operational functions.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building, organization, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with business systems, spreadsheets, reporting tools, and operational data.
Leadership Profile
The successful candidate will be:
- Highly organized, analytical, and attentive to operational details.
- A hands-on leader who can manage people while also understanding the work and data behind the results.
- Decisive, accountable, and comfortable addressing performance or process issues directly.
- Financially disciplined and motivated to protect margin, productivity, and high-value assets.
- Collaborative and capable of building a strong peer relationship with the Vice President of Sales.
- Practical and common-sense driven, with a clear focus on efficiency, profitability, and client experience.
- Respectful of Korman's history and culture while prepared to strengthen structure, standards, and accountability.
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary of $120,000 to $150,000 based on experience and qualifications.
- Performance-based annual bonus opportunity
- 401(k) with company match up to 3%.
- Health insurance, with Korman contributing 50% toward employee-only coverage.
- Health savings account.
- Tiered paid time off based on tenure.
Korman is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics.
Pay: $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
