General Manager - Love The Arts And The Ops!

Position: General Manager

Company Description The Costumer is a long-established costume retailer and rental company offering thousands of options for every kind of occasion, including plays and musicals, Halloween, holidays, school productions, and special events. The company serves both individual customers and institutional clients such as schools and theater groups. In addition to costumes, The Costumer provides theatrical makeup, wigs, hats, props, and a wide range of accessories to help customers create complete looks. Team members work in a creative, customer-focused environment where attention to detail and a passion for performance and events are highly valued.

Role Description The General Manager role at The Costumer is an on-site position based in Schenectady, NY. The General Manager oversees daily store and rental operations, including staff scheduling, workload prioritization, and monitoring inventory levels across costumes, makeup, wigs, accessories, and props. This role ensures a high standard of customer service, supporting team members in assisting customers with selections, fittings, and special orders for theatrical productions and seasonal events. The General Manager is responsible for managing budgets, ensuring sales targets are met, and operational processes perform optimally, as well as implementing merchandising and promotional strategies. The role also involves coordinating with vendors, maintaining safety and cleanliness standards, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive workplace culture.

We are a unique, creative business. However, we are also a production and logistics business. To meet our mission of keeping theatre arts accessible for all, we must deliver thousands of costumes to directors and actors across the US and abroad. To be a successful General Manager, you must be curious, a proactive problem-solver, and an excellent manager of people and processes.

Qualifications

• Experience in retail or rental operations management, including scheduling orders, tracking production/traffic flow, supervising staff, managing schedules, and overseeing day-to-day store activities.
• Background in customer service and sales, with the ability to support customers in making selections, resolving issues, and enhancing their overall experience.
• Skills in inventory control and merchandising, including tracking stock levels, organizing displays, and planning seasonal or event-based product arrangements.
• Operational and financial skills, such as setting and monitoring sales goals, managing budgets, and interpreting basic performance reports.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead diverse teams, provide feedback, collaborate across departments, and keep the CEO/President informed.
• Interest or experience in theater, performance, events, or costumes is highly beneficial, including familiarity with stage productions or school plays.
• Ability to work on-site in Schenectady, NY, and stand or move for extended periods in fast-paced production, shipping, and retail environments.

Education

• Associates’s or above degree required (business or related). MBA preferred.

Soft Skills & Cultural Fit

• Disciplined and accountable—you own it—wins/losses, and execute consistently.
• Data-driven mindset—comfortable managing to metrics, identifying indicators and KPIs, and using reports to inform action.
• Accurate and detail-oriented—must “sweat the details” and strive for 100% accuracy every time, every day.
• Trustworthy and discreet—you never share financial or confidential information, and don’t use your access to this information for personal gain.
• Friendly and professional—friendly and approachable for customers and staff, while ensuring your duties are professionally executed.
• Self-starter and problem solver—works well solo or collaboratively and proactively identifies opportunities and executes solutions.
• Strong communication, management, and leadership skills—communicates well and proactively with the CEO, manages and leads teams and projects independently.
• Mission-aligned—loves theatre and theatre folk and wants to ensure its transformative benefits are available to actors of every age, everywhere.

Work Schedule and Location

• Full-time, nonexempt position—40+ hours per week.
• On-site. Must be located in NY Capital Region near Schenectady.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary: $85,000-$95,000/year

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Learning and Development opportunities to advance your career

• Employee Stock

• Employee Discount

Apply:

To apply, submit your resume and a cover letter explaining why you’d be a great fit for this position.

The Costumer is a 108 year-old costume rental and retail business. We are committed to advancing scholastic theatre with its transformative benefits—enhancing communication skills, boosting self-confidence, encouraging resilience, enhancing social skills, and fostering empathy and critical thinking. We take pride in being the costumer for thousands of productions annually.

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