Children's Art Studio Manager

Job title: Studio Manager

Hiring Locations:

• 135 E 63rd St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10065
• 1289 Madison Ave 2nd floor, New York, NY 10128

Overview

ColorPop is a vibrant art studio for children ages 3–12, with occasional adult classes and events, offering painting, clay, and mixed-media classes, camps, workshops, drop-ins, birthday parties, off-sites, and special events.

The Studio Manager is responsible for the successful day-to-day operation of their studio, including staffing, programming, customer experience, sales, events, safety, inventory, expenses, and team leadership. The Studio Manager is expected to take ownership of their location, proactively identify needs, and work collaboratively with leadership and the studio team to maintain ColorPop standards and provide a welcoming, creative, organized, and inspiring environment for children and families.

General Studio Hours

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Wednesday (admin morning): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Saturday & Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

These are preliminary hours as an example and may adjust slightly based on programming and business needs.

Responsibilities

Studio operations & scheduling

• Oversee daily studio operations, including opening/closing, classes, drop-ins, camps, workshops, birthdays, off-sites, and special events.
• Review Sawyer daily to monitor registrations, enrollment, headcounts, and upcoming programming needs.
• Create and maintain employee schedules through Homebase, ensuring appropriate staffing and required staff-to-child ratios for all programming in accordance with company SOPs.
• Maintain an organized, clean, well-stocked, welcoming, and efficiently run studio and proactively address operational needs before they become urgent.

Teaching & programming

• Lead and teach classes, camps, workshops, and other programming as needed, providing engaging and age-appropriate instruction.
• Develop an ongoing curriculum as assigned and create material lists to ensure projects are properly planned and stocked.
• Ensure project examples, materials, and preparation are completed in advance of programming.
• Provide hands-on support during classes, drop-ins, events, and other programming as needed.

Team leadership

• Manage, support, and provide direction to Art Teachers and Studio Assistants.
• Act as a lead example by demonstrating professionalism, reliability, initiative, flexibility, teamwork, strong communication, and excellent customer service.
• Assign responsibilities, reinforce ColorPop policies and procedures, and address or communicate performance and staffing concerns when necessary.
• Utilize and encourage collaboration among the studio team, fellow managers, and staff to problem-solve and support one another.

Customer service, sales & parent communication

• Serve as a primary point of contact for families, providing warm, knowledgeable, professional, and timely communication.
• Manage walk-ins and accurately process registrations, purchases, and payments through Sawyer and/or Square.
• Maintain a working knowledge of ColorPop's current programming, pricing, policies, retail products, and services.
• Proactively promote and upsell appropriate offerings, including retail products, classes, camps, workshops, drop-ins, birthday parties, special events, and other services.
• Build relationships with families and look for opportunities to encourage continued engagement with ColorPop.
• Address customer concerns promptly and escalate issues when appropriate.

Birthday parties & events

• Manage birthday parent communication and planning, including scheduling and conducting planning calls, project selection, timing, headcounts, food, vendors, entertainment, special requests, and other event details.
• Guide families toward projects and party plans appropriate for the children's ages, party size, allotted time, and staffing.
• Proactively recommend appropriate party upgrades and add-ons, including additional time, additional children, specialty or second projects, balloons, adult pizza, and other available options.
• Coordinate party staffing through Homebase and ensure required ratios and SOPs are followed.
• Ensure the studio team is briefed and that projects, examples, materials, supplies, and other event needs are prepared in advance.
• Oversee successful on-site execution of birthdays and other events and proactively flag concerns to the appropriate Director.

Ordering, inventory & expenses

• Manage ordering and inventory for classes, camps, workshops, birthdays, off-sites, special events, retail, and other studio needs.
• Order materials with sufficient lead time for delivery, project examples, and preparation. Immediately flag the Director of Programming if materials may not arrive with adequate preparation time.
• Monitor inventory and maintain organized supplies while avoiding unnecessary or duplicate purchasing.
• Remain mindful of the studio expense budget and make responsible purchasing decisions.
• Accurately log all studio purchases and expenses and maintain receipts in accordance with company procedures.

Communication & reporting

• Maintain direct communication with the Director of Operations regarding staffing, scheduling, customer service, expenses, team performance, and studio operations.
• Maintain direct communication with the Director of Programming regarding curriculum, projects, materials, examples, and programming/event preparation.
• Utilize your studio team and fellow managers for information, problem-solving, and support whenever possible.
• Follow established escalation channels. When the appropriate Director is off or unavailable and an issue requires timely attention, contact ownership.
• Complete the studio EOD email each day, including important operational updates, staffing or customer concerns, incidents, upcoming needs, unresolved issues, expenses, and receipts.
• Proactively communicate concerns and follow through on issues rather than waiting for them to become urgent.

Safety & studio standards

• Review, understand, and follow ColorPop's Safety SOP and remain familiar with all emergency and safety procedures.
• Ensure all studio employees understand and follow the Safety SOP, staffing ratios, supervision requirements, and other company safety policies.
• Ensure at least one manager on site, including yourself when applicable, maintains current CPR and EpiPen/emergency allergy-response training.
• ColorPop will cover the Studio Manager's initial required CPR and EpiPen training. The Studio Manager is responsible for monitoring expiration dates and completing and covering the cost of future renewals.
• Maintain awareness of emergency equipment and supplies and promptly report missing, expired, or damaged items.
• Ensure incidents, injuries, allergic reactions, and other safety concerns are handled, documented, and communicated in accordance with company SOPs.
• Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and welcoming environment and ensure ColorPop standards are consistently upheld by the entire studio team.

Flexibility & accountability

• Take ownership of your studio, anticipate needs, exercise sound judgment, and ask for support when needed.
• The responsibilities above represent the primary expectations of the Studio Manager role but are not exhaustive.
• Remain flexible and willing to support additional reasonable responsibilities, projects, events, and operational needs as they arise.
• Responsibilities, systems, procedures, and priorities may evolve as ColorPop grows and business needs change.

Pay: $30.00 per hour

Expected hours: No more than 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Health insurance

Work Location: In person