Fly Fishing Store Manager Job Opening. Location: Big Sky/Bozeman, Montana.

Good friend Pat Straub needs an A player...

Do you live to fish? Do you want to be part of a dynamic fly fishing business in southwest Montana? Do you love to ski, too? Our full-time professional job in Big Sky, Montana, could be right for you. If you love to talk fly fishing, excited to work your tail-off during the season, and have a grasp of fly fishing culture (you know what MoldyChum is, right?), then see what we have to offer.

Gallatin River Guides is seeking an enthusiastic retail sales and customer service guru to be our full-time, year-round General Manager. This person will be dedicated to amazing customer service; enjoy working long hours during our peak season (June through September); committed to building our brand by collaborating with the owner; excited to be a part of community events; is dialed-into web, social media, and other non-traditional marketing outlets; eager to work in tandem with the owner in managing a high-volume guide service; staying up-to-speed on all the latest products and lines; working in a fast-paced team environment; and amped to be part of growing one of southwest Montana’s core fly shops.

If you are an aspiring fishing guide, don’t apply. This is a professional position in the industry. If you want to guide, attend our guide school (www.montanafishingguideschool.com) and we’ll help you get work.

For more information and in-depth job description, please visit http://www.montanaflyfishing.com/jobs.php

To apply e-mail a cover letter, resume, salary & benefit requirements, and ideal start date to Pat Straub, owner, Gallatin River Guides. flyfishpat@yahoo.com. Snail mail: PO Box 160212; Big Sky, MT 59716.

Ideal candidates will have most of the following and the desire to improve if they don’t:

• Ability to provide amazing customer service – being very approachable and have the patience to work with all abilities and ages of anglers and customers, including families and large groups.
• Desire to collaborate and have fun with the owner to build the brand in an ever-evolving industry.
• Excellent retail business acumen including selling skills, visual presentation, and sales analysis.
• Must be a “people person.” You can easily talk to customers and enjoy giving the various methods, techniques, and tips on everything related to fly fishing…over and over again.
• Effective management of retail staff – hiring, training, scheduling, oversight, firing, etc.
• Skills in ordering, maintaining, and keeping inventory up-to-date.
• Desire to increase our retail sales and guided trip bookings.
• Ability to take phone reservations, keep detailed records of bookings, guide rosters, and trip logs.
• Ability to work with a computerized POS, licensing system, and reservation system.
• Detail oriented and thorough understanding of its importance.
• General understanding of small business cash flows, inventory control, P & Ls, and accounting principles. Knowledge of Quikbooks is helpful.
• Ability to have fun, roll with what the day gives you, all while double checking every “i” and “t.”
• Desire and ability to work as a team – our success depends on the morale of our staff and core guides. We build each other up and no one person is any better than another.
• Ability to write regular informative and entertaining river reports and a creative blog and enjoy it.
• Ability to take pride in being responsible for a clean, sharply merchandised fly shop.
• Proficiency and enthusiasm for planning large sales or store-wide events.
• Skills to resolve customer and staff conflicts in a professional and non-reactive manner.
• Physical ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs.; bend, stoop, and climb short ladders.
• Excited to be a part of the Big Sky retail and lodging industry—attend functions and network.
• Additional duties may include but are not limited to: Attend industry events including Simms Ice Out, Patagonia Dealer Camp, IFTD, and others. Attend Big Sky community events and charity functions. Host weekly fly tying gatherings, fly casting clinics, and additional functions. Sell, organize, and host group travel to international destinations.

Gallatin River Guides, founded by Steve and Betsey French, opened its doors in 1984 and is located in the heart of great trout waters and some of the best winter recreation in Montana. We fish the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone, and Missouri Rivers, and in Yellowstone Park, and many other waters. Owner Pat Straub has been guiding and outfitting in Montana for over 15 years and is the author of six books. Gallatin River Guides and Pat have loyal customers and clients who enjoy the camaraderie, expertise, and friendly atmosphere of the shop and its guides and return year after year. Our manager of ten years has retired and we are looking for another upstanding individual to uphold and build our great reputation.

Working for Gallatin River Guides in Big Sky is both rewarding and challenging. Our prime season runs from early June to early October. During that time we are Big Sky’s premier fly fishing destination, offering a fully stocked fly fishing pro shop and professional guide service. During our prime season, our business is fast-paced, busy, and fun. Our staff and our guides work hard during our short season so they can play hard during the non-peak season.

Working at Gallatin River Guides offers exciting benefits, including discounts on shop goods, pro forms on most product lines, and the ability to work in one of southwest Montana’s premier fly shops. On their days off, our shop staff and guides fish the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone, Missouri, and other Montana waters. We love our mountain resort town and feel you will to. Thanks for your interest.