Paddle Sports Associate

Summary:

Next Adventure surrounds itself with employees who are passionate about the outdoors and want to make a positive impact in the company every day. The role of every Associate is to promote our mission:

Inform. Outfit. Excite.

General Description of Position:

The Associate is the true heartbeat of every Next Adventure Location and represents our customer experience and culture. All Next Adventure Associates have key product knowledge, are passionate about the outdoors, are excellent at engaging with customers, and are stewards of the locations they work at.

This position is designated as a summer temporary role with an end date of October 1st, 2024, and flexibility for an earlier departure if needed. If you are interested in continuing employment beyond this period into the winter season, there may be opportunities to work at other locations such as Grand, Sandy, or DC.

Please note that continuation of employment into the winter season at these locations is not guaranteed and will be subject to the discretion of the location manager.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide excellent customer service, every shift, every opportunity. Next Adventure has built a reputation for having friendly, honest and knowledgeable staff that is always willing to help guide customers through one of the best shopping experiences around. We're not just selling gear. We are selling the journey.
• All Associates must develop their own personal and effective approach to closing a sale and recommending appropriate rental items. You should be passionate about what you’re selling or renting and share that passion with customers.
• Gain the required product knowledge. Next Adventure will provide access to clinics, literature, online resources, Sales Reps and more, but it is the responsibility of each Associate to learn and retain product knowledge.
• Associates are expected to have effective written and verbal communication skills and use established communication systems to their fullest.
• Be a positive part of the team. Both the retail floor and rental department can be a fast-paced environment that can only function with a cohesive team.
• Perform basic Retail Pro functions: Inventory searches, cash register duties, cycle counts, creating customer profiles, and tag printing.
• Perform basic Easyrent functions: issuing rental articles, returning rental articles, creating customer profiles, invoice receipts, issue reservation refunds, navigate inventory, and setting up reservations.
• Be able to correctly rent out any equipment that is provided by Next Adventures robust fleet.
• Associates are expected to be able to merchandise the retail floor to ensure it is organized, easy to shop, stock appropriately and creates an inviting atmosphere.
• Associates will be expected to complete daily shop duties and be accountable for keeping the store and rental department clean and organized.
• Help customers take their rentals down to the water, help customers with their rental gear at the end of their day, and be able to provide a high level of customer service from the rental shop down to the bay.
• Demonstrate integrity regarding company and customers' belongings.
• *Sandy and Grand- Perform basic boot fitting skills: must be able to measure in mondo point, read last, shell fit, size boots properly, and know when to ask for help.

Qualifications:

• Previous customer service experience in outdoor retailer (preferred)
• Previous experience working in an outdoor rental shop is preferred but we are willing to train the right candidate.
• Ability to work under pressure while meeting tight deadlines
• Previous experience working with a team
• Ability to talk about general paddle sports nomenclature
• Light to heavy lifting, with reasonable accommodation
• Practicing safe lifting techniques
• Standing for long periods of time
• Able to work outside in variable weather conditions for long periods of time.
• Basic math skills
• Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Proficient with, or a quick study on, Microsoft Excel

Key Competencies:

• Customer Focus- Anticipating, meeting and/or exceeding customer needs, wants and expectations.
• Teamwork- Cooperating with others to meet objectives.
• Flexibility- Readily modifying, responding and adapting to change with minimal resistance.
• Continuous Learning- Taking initiative to regularly learn new concepts, technologies and/or methods.
• Time and Priority Management- Prioritizing and completing tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.

Hiring Process at Next Adventure - What to Expect:

• At Next Adventure, our primary objective is to hire the most qualified candidates and ensure their long-term success within our organization. We place great value in our hiring process, and we ask that all applicants submit a cover letter with their resume. We appreciate the time and effort that goes into submitting an application, please be assured that we will respond to all applications within 1-2 weeks, and we will maintain open communication with our applicants throughout the process.
• We use a generic email account to communicate with applicants, and sometimes our emails may end up in your spam or promotions folder. Please ensure that you check these folders for any correspondence from Next Adventure. To streamline our communication process, we highly recommend opting-in for text messages, as this will allow for quick questions and reminders about interviews.
• At Next Adventure, we take a personal interest in every applicant, and we read each resume and cover letter carefully. We value creativity, initiative, and a passion for the industry. Our goal is to hire the best candidates and retain them for the long-term, and we believe that this process begins with a strong application and a commitment to kaizen.

Next Adventure provides the following benefits to full-time (FT) employees:

• Group health, dental, and vision insurance - Aetna & Principal
• Short-term disability
• Voluntary life insurance, and 25,000 basic life insurance
• OregonSaves Retirement plan
• Vacation up to 4 weeks, based on position and years of service. 2 week sabbatical added after 10 years.

Next Adventure provides additional perks to any employee as follows:

• Employee discount: Max 35%
• Free Demos & Rentals
• Circuit Bouldering Gym Daily Passes
• The Source Climbing Gym Daily Passes
• Membership discounts at Movement and PRG
• Access to Industry Pro Deals on products, events, lift tickets, and more!