'Tis the season for Self Care! Buff City Soap makes fresh, handmade soap and self-care essentials right here in our Makery, using clean, plant-based ingredients — no mystery chemicals. Our holiday rush is coming, and we need a Shift Lead who can step up, keep the team on track, and make sure guests leave with a smile (and a gift bag).
If you've got leadership chops, a knack for keeping a busy shift running smoothly, and you actually like being the one in charge when things get hectic, this one's for you.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
Lead the Team
- Be the leader on duty for your shift — the one the team looks to when things get busy.
- Open and close the store, including counting and balancing cash drawers.
- Delegate tasks and make sure everything on the list actually gets done.
- Coach and motivate your team throughout the shift — especially when the line's out the door.
- Hold the team to our standards on procedures, guest service, and sales goals.
- Lead by example — attitude, work ethic, and hustle included.
Drive Sales & Guest Experience
- Set the tone for an exceptional guest experience, shift after shift.
- Greet and engage every guest who walks in.
- Make product recommendations that actually fit what the guest needs.
- Confidently ask for the sale and help your team hit (and beat) sales goals.
- Handle guest concerns calmly and professionally.
Operations & Production
- Jump into production alongside the team, keeping quality high even when things are moving fast.
- Multitask like a pro — balancing production, guest engagement, and shift duties all at once.
- Keep raw materials, supplies, and finished products at the right inventory levels.
- Make sure every finished product meets our quality standards.
- Follow all safety, sanitation, and cleanliness requirements.
- Help keep both the retail floor and production area clean and organized.
- Support inventory management, reporting, and other daily operational tasks.
What We're Looking For
- Previous leadership, keyholder, team lead, training, or supervisory experience required.
- Strong communication and guest service skills.
- You're comfortable in a sales-driven environment and motivated by goals.
- Basic computer skills and the ability to pick up new systems quickly.
- Solid organizational and time management skills.
- You're responsible, dependable, and trustworthy with cash handling.
- You work well with a team in an upbeat, fast-paced environment and follow company policies and procedures.
- You're available nights, weekends, and holidays as needed (this is a seasonal role, so flexibility here really matters).
The Physical Side This job keeps you on your feet and hands-on:
- Standing and walking for most of your shift.
- Lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs, sometimes repeatedly.
- Being around a lot of different scents and fragrances.
- Bending, reaching, stooping, kneeling, climbing, and repetitive motions.
- Pitching in on cleaning — sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, general Makery upkeep.
Why You'll Want This Job
- Room to grow — plenty of our team leads started right where you'd be starting.
- Flexible scheduling.
- Employee discounts on our products.
- Team contests and performance incentives (because a little friendly competition makes the season better).
The Details
- Job Type: Part-Time, Seasonal
- Schedule: Nights, weekends, and holidays as needed
- Location: In person at our Makery
- Pay: $16.00 per hour
If you enjoy leading from the front, motivating a team, connecting with guests, and thriving in a fast-paced holiday rush, we'd love to hear from you.
THE BUFF CITY STORY
We're on a mission to create handmade products that are free of harsh ingredients and full of nourishing plant-based goodies to make your skin happy.
WHY WE MAKE SOAP
Can we get on our soapbox a minute? Most of the trusted brands you’re washing up with are made with detergents, chemicals and tallow, which is just another name for cow fat (umm… gross). Sulfates, artificial detergents and parabens can cause irritation, trigger allergies and have other unpleasant side effects.
That doesn’t exactly say “refreshing shower” to us. So we set out on a mission to find an alternative. After learning more about commercial soap ingredients, we found ourselves in a bit of a lather about the whole business.
In 2013, we began experimenting with soap recipes that are safe for your skin and contain ingredients you can actually pronounce. After making a few big messes, we created something wonderful and Buff City Soap was born.
OUR SOAP MAKERY
We handcraft each bar of Buff City soap in what we call our Soap Makeries. Each of our locations makes every product sold right there, where you can see exactly what goes into the products you put on your body. It’s a bit of a mad lab stocked with ingredients like rose petals, lavender buds, hemp seed oil, shea butter, charcoal, and tea tree oil. Even our body scrubs are squeaky clean with natural exfoliants like chopped loofah bits, crushed walnut shells, and poppy seeds. What you will never see are artificial detergents, surfactants, dyes, or other harsh chemicals.
We even have our fragrances manufactured for us to ensure they are free of phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde containing/forming ingredients. You can customize your products with the scent (or non-scent) of your choice and the ingredients that you prefer.
The possibilities are endless!