Role Summary
Our client is launching a high-design, highly curated destination for building and renovating exceptional homes—a physical showroom and creative hub where homeowners, builders, architects, and designers can source, select, and specify the major elements of a home under one roof. Architectural materials, cabinetry, tile and stone, lighting, plumbing, appliances, intelligent home technology, and whole-home wellness come together in an inspiring environment, with expert design support.
This is not a conventional showroom or operations role. The environment is designed to bring leading custom builders, talented designers, exceptional vendor partners, and clients together in a highly collaborative, creative setting. The Director of Operations will be at the center of that ecosystem, helping shape how the business works from the ground up.
This is a builder role rather than a maintainer, translating the founder’s vision into the systems, infrastructure, team, vendor programs, client experience, and day-to-day operations that bring the concept to life. It is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role spanning strategy and execution, the showroom floor and back office, and people and systems.
The ideal candidate will help turn the flagship location into a proven prototype, then help shape the roadmap, metrics, and operating standards for an ambitious multi-location expansion.
Location and work pattern
Based in Wimberley, Texas (78676), this is a highly collaborative, primarily onsite leadership role serving the Austin–San Antonio–Hill Country region. The flagship location serves clients and trade partners throughout the Austin–San Antonio corridor.
The Director of Operations will engage directly in the physical business, working alongside the founder, design team, vendors, builders, and clients as the showroom comes to life and the operating model is built. The role offers some work-from-home flexibility on Mondays and Fridays, with a strong in-person presence Tuesday through Thursday. Additional onsite time is expected during build-out, launch, and other key growth periods.
Primary outcomes (first 6 months)
The role is successful when:
- The flagship location opens on a credible timeline, with core infrastructure, systems, and staffing in place
- Builders, designers, and homeowners experience a clear, consistent workflow from inquiry through selections, ordering, and follow up
- Vendor programs and product lanes are established, with priority partners onboarded in each major category
- The showroom operates against documented SOPs, with a working Operations Manual and reliable day to day rhythms
- Trade and homeowner programs are defined, documented, and usable: agreements, referral structures, and outreach lists are in place
Secondary outcomes (first 12 months)
- The flagship is operating against clear financial and operational KPIs (e.g., revenue, margin, cash flow, client experience)
- The founder is able to focus primarily on design, brand, strategic relationships, and growth rather than task-level operations
Responsibilities
1. Organizational and team design
- Partner with the founder to finalize the organizational structure, leadership team, reporting lines, and launch staffing model for the showroom and design studio
- Help evolve the Director of Operations function from launch-stage to scalable operational leadership
- Build and maintain the master staffing schedule
2. Human resources and operating norms
- Refine and implement the company employee handbook, establishing clear standards for schedules, conduct, and client experience
- Create onboarding processes, ensuring new hires can plug into systems quickly
- Design and implement performance review processes and people systems appropriate to a growing, high-touch business
3. Finance operations and pricing (partnering with the finance lead)
- Support the finance lead in implementing accounting systems, QuickBooks setup, chart of accounts, payment processing, and vendor payment procedures
- Contribute to cash-flow projections, startup budget refinement, and pricing strategy for product markups, trade tiers, and retail structure
- Ensure operational decisions and vendor terms align with margin and cash flow requirements
4. Technology and core platforms
- Lead selection and implementation of core business systems: CRM, procurement/project management, POS, inventory management, and email marketing platform
- Oversee networking, security, hardware, and coordination with web and marketing partners on core digital systems and future e-commerce
5. Operations, workflows, and documentation
With the founder:
- Design end-to-end client workflows: intake, guided showroom experience, selections, approvals, ordering, and follow-up
- Build vendor workflows and order processes in partnership with the founder, including sample requests, approvals, lead-time tracking, and delivery coordination
- Create and maintain the company Operations Manual and SOP library for both the showroom and design business
- Develop receiving, staging, and logistics processes for warehouse and storage
6. Client and trade programs
- Define and implement the builder program in partnership with the founder, including agreements, referral structures, and incentives, in coordination with counsel
- Refine and implement the designer/trade program in partnership with the founder, including membership structure, agreements, the independent designer network, trade materials, and founding member recruitment
- Refine the homeowner experience and client agreements, aligned with the design studio and company offerings
- Work with marketing to build and maintain outreach lists (CRM) for architects, realtors, builders, designers, past clients, and leads
7. Vendor and product lane management
- Partner with the founder on priority vendor strategy; own vendor onboarding, account structure, terms, documentation, and operational management
8. Showroom planning and experience
- Ensure the showroom operates as a polished, high-design, welcoming environment for trade partners and homeowners, consistent with brand and client-experience standards
9. Launch and continuous improvement
- Plan and run the operational side of soft launch, optimization period, and grand opening, including staffing, logistics, and issue resolution
- Track lessons learned, Phase 2 opportunities, and continuous improvement ideas, updating the operating roadmap and SOPs accordingly
- Refine systems and workflows at this flagship site and partner with the founder to build the playbook, KPIs, and rollout plan for future locations
Reporting relationship
This role reports directly to the founder and serves as their day-to-day operating partner. The Director of Operations owns the operating model, systems, people, execution, economics, vendor infrastructure, and accountability; the founder retains ownership of vision, brand, design direction, product and partner curation, and strategic relationships.
Physical Requirements
This role requires the ability to walk the showroom floor for extended periods, move through warehouse and storage areas, and occasionally lift or move product samples and materials up to 25 lbs. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate:
- Has deep experience building and operating complex client-facing businesses (showrooms, multi vendor environments, hospitality, design build, or similar)
- Is comfortable designing systems from scratch
- Can move between strategic planning and detailed execution, and enjoys both
- Is energized by the pace of an early-stage venture and thrives in a highly collaborative launch environment
- Communicates clearly with the founder, designers, vendors, and trade partners, and brings structure and accountability to a creative environment
Building and scaling something from zero
- Has built or helped build at least one business, division, showroom, or operating function from the ground up, not just managed an existing, already-running operation
Leading and scaling teams
- Has hired, trained, and directly managed teams, with experience building and scaling a team from the ground up; experience growing a team from fewer than 5 people to 15+ is a plus
- Comfortable operating as both the first hire on a team and the person building out the team(s) that follow
Budget management
- Has owned and managed operating budgets, and can speak to both the smallest and largest budgets they’ve been responsible for
P&L exposure
- Has direct exposure to a company’s or division’s profit-and-loss statement, ideally with accountability for outcomes
Compensation & Structure
Compensation range
- Base salary: $150,000 – $190,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.
Equity / profit participation
Depending on candidate fit and the overall compensation package, this role may include minority equity or performance-based profit participation.
Benefits
- Paid time off and recognized holidays
- Employer-funded health reimbursement benefit, anticipated to be structured as a QSEHRA or comparable arrangement
Employment status
- Full-time leadership position; W-2 employee, classified as exempt and salaried under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Employment with our client is at-will
- Any offer of employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check and verification of eligibility to work in the United States
Pay transparency statement
The posted range reflects our good-faith estimate of compensation for this role, based in the Austin–San Antonio–Hill Country region. Actual pay will depend on the selected candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications within that range.
Note on our review process
Every application is read by a person on our hiring team. We do not use automated resume-scanning software to screen candidates for this role.
Equal Opportunity
Our client is an equal opportunity employer. Our client does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
To Apply
Please submit a current résumé. A cover letter is welcome but not required.
Pay: $150,000.00 - $190,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Experience:
- operations launch and scaling: 3 years (Preferred)
- client-facing operations leadership: 5 years (Preferred)
- P&L (e.g., exposure, accountability): 3 years (Preferred)
- direct people management: 5 years (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Wimberley, TX 78676 (Required)
Work Location: In person
