About Wndr
WNDR Museum is an immersive experience located in the vibrant West Loop of Chicago. Our mission is to ignite curiosity, creativity, and wonder within everyone who walks through our doors. We foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and endless possibilities, providing a dynamic and interactive environment for exploration.
Title: Retail Experience Manager
Reports To: General Manager
Compensation: $20 - $24 / Hour BOE
About The Role
The Retail Experience Manager is a key member of the WNDR Chicago leadership team, responsible for elevating the guest experience through world-class service, exceptional retail strategy, and dynamic floor leadership. This role operates at the intersection of hospitality and business operations—ensuring every touchpoint, from our retail shop to our lounge and museum floor, is intentionally designed, well-executed, and deeply memorable.
Reporting to the General Manager, the Retail Experience Manager serves as Manager on Duty (MOD) in the absence of the GM and AGM, and is expected to lead with presence, energy, and hands-on engagement. This individual is equal parts floor leader, coach, and operator—with a focus on guest experience, team performance, retail per caps, staffing efficiencies, and daily operations.
This role follows a weekly rhythm of:
- 2 Days as Floor Manager
- 2 Days as Retail Experience Leader
- 1 Day of Administrative Focus (Inventory, Merchandising, Scheduling, and Reporting)
This is a full-time, on-site role located in
Chicago, IL with regular working days of Wednesday through Sunday.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Guest Experience
- Lead by example with high visibility and engagement across the floor
- Serve as Manager on Duty, owning museum-wide operations in absence of GM or AGM
- Actively coach and mentor staff through real-time feedback and ongoing development
- Deliver exceptional service through a culture of curiosity, ownership, and hospitality
- Uphold and reinforce WNDR’s values, tone, and service expectations through modeling and leadership
- Assist guests with escalated service needs, ticketing issues, rebookings, and recovery moments
Retail & Merchandising
- In collaboration with WNDR Global’s Revenue Operations team, own the retail and F&B space presentation, visual merchandising, cleanliness, and guest readiness
- Monitor and improve per capita spend through product strategy, sales coaching, and upsell initiatives
- Maintain and manage stock levels, conduct regular inventory, loss prevention, and cycle counts
- Create and deliver product knowledge training, new item rollouts, and upselling prompts
- Develop and maintain merchandising standards that reflect the WNDR brand and current trends
Team & Operations
- Supervise and mentor Retail Ambassadors and cross-functional Ambassadors
- Ensure adequate staffing levels, training coverage, and shift assignments
- Identify and develop high-performing team members; provide coaching to underperformers
- Participate in the hiring, onboarding, and continued development of staff
- Lead and support opening and closing procedures across museum operations
- Collaborate with the AGM and GM on team schedules, feedback loops, and team culture
Administrative & Strategic
- Maintain weekly reporting on sales performance, inventory, and staffing
- Own retail-specific KPIs including sales goals, conversion, and per caps
- Review trends and provide insights to improve product offerings and guest interest
- Liaise with senior leadership to create seasonal product plans and promotional moments
- Review and help optimize vendor relationships for efficiency and cost-effectiveness
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 3+ years of experience in retail management, hospitality, or guest experience leadership
- Demonstrated success in driving sales, coaching teams, and managing retail operations
- Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
- Highly adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment
- Passion for art, design, or immersive experiences is a plus
- Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays as needed
- Preferred experience using backend managerial functions of Square POS
- Knowledge of basic technical troubleshooting preferred
- Mobility: This position involves both active and stationary activities, including: standing, reaching, kneeling, climbing, using a ladder and maintaining balance while walking
- Lifting: Candidates must be capable of lifting, carrying, and placing items weighing up to 50 pounds
- Being present in a space with a significant amount of multi-sensory stimulation including but not limited to multiple recorded audio tracks played over speakers, crowd noise, abrupt shifts in lighting, strobe lights and multiple video devices visible at once
- A passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences and fostering a positive team environment
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS (with Our Without Accommodations)
- Mobility: The ability to consistently walk and move around is essential for this role
- Stationary Tasks: This position involves frequent stationary activities, including standing, reaching, and maintaining balance while walking
- Body Movements: Occasional physical activities such as kneeling, crouching, climbing, bending, or stooping may be required
- Equipment Handling: The role could include pushing or pulling equipment, such as shelving bays, dollies, and carts
- Lifting: Candidates must be capable of lifting, carrying, and placing items weighing up to 25pounds
- Being present in a space with a significant amount of multi-sensory stimulation including but not limited to multiple recorded audio tracks played over speakers, crowd noise, abrupt shifts in lighting, strobe lights and multiple video devices visible at once
WNDR Museum warmly welcomes people of all ages, identities, ethnicities, beliefs, religions, and backgrounds to join our team. WNDR Museum is an equal opportunity employer, fully committed to achieving an inclusive and diverse workplace and we strongly encourage nontraditional candidates to apply. We hold ourselves to our commitment and continuously strive to attract, engage, and grow with our talented team.
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