Store Operations Lead Salty Babe | Newport, RI Year-Round

About Us

The Salty Babe is a women's coastal lifestyle boutique with flagship locations in Newport, RI and Kailua, Hawaii, plus Driftwood Surf Market — home of our sister brand Après Sea Ranch — also on Thames Street. We've been building something real since 2017 and we're entering our next chapter of growth, with e-commerce expanding alongside our brick and mortar stores.

We're a small, passionate team led by a founder who cares deeply about the brand, the customer experience, and the people who show up every day to make it happen.

We're looking for a Store Operations Lead to be our trusted, on-the-ground presence in Newport. This is not a traditional retail manager role — it's an ownership role. You'll be the person we count on to keep both Newport locations running beautifully, our team performing, and our online orders going out the door with the same care we'd give an in-store customer.

You’ll work closely with the founder, our operations team, and our remote staff to make sure nothing falls through the cracks — and you’ll be empowered to make decisions and solve problems without waiting to be told what to do.

• Day-to-day operations across both Newport locations — opening, closing, floor standards, and everything in between
• Staff scheduling, accountability, and day-to-day coaching
• Inventory receiving, organization, and restocking
• E-commerce order fulfillment — picking, packing, and shipping online orders with care and accuracy
• Deposits and basic cash handling
• Customer experience on the floor — escalations, clienteling, building relationships with regulars
• Weekly communication with the founder and remote team on what's happening in the stores
• Keeping Driftwood and ASR running consistently with the same standards as the Newport flagship

• You have real retail experience and you're genuinely good at sales — you love connecting with customers and you know how to close
• You are detail‑oriented and nothing slips past you
• You're a self‑starter — you don't wait to be told what needs to be done, you see it and handle it
• You're proactive, goal‑oriented, and take ownership seriously
• You're comfortable working independently and reporting remotely to a founder who trusts you
• You are reliable, mature, and the kind of person your team naturally looks to for direction
• You genuinely love lifestyle, fashion, and coastal brands — you get what we're about and you care about representing it well
• You're local to Newport or Middletown and available year‑round

This is not a seasonal summer job. This is not an entry‑level sales associate position. This is a year‑round, full‑time leadership role for someone who wants to grow with a brand they believe in.

$45,000–$55,000 annually, based on experience. Year‑round, full‑time.

Send your resume and a brief note about why this role feels like a fit to

We read every application and we respond to every person who takes the time to write something real.