Overview Ride & Paddle is looking for a reliable, capable person to become our Weekend Operations Lead . This is a hands-on leadership position. You will work alongside the rest of our crew serving customers, delivering equipment, cleaning and maintaining gear, and helping wherever needed. At the same time, you will be responsible for helping make sure the entire operation runs correctly during weekend shifts. We are not looking for someone who wants to sit in an office and manage other people. We are looking for someone who takes satisfaction in seeing what needs to be done, setting priorities, solving problems and helping the people around them succeed. Our business is built around a simple goal: help people enjoy time outside with their people. We rent bikes, kayaks and other recreational equipment to people visiting Siesta Key and the Sarasota area. The equipment matters, but what we are really responsible for is their experience. What You Will Do Help open and close the shop and ensure opening procedures are completed correctly. Help coordinate weekend shop operations, deliveries, pickups and scheduled kayak launches. Work directly with customers in person and by phone. Accurately process reservations, rentals, returns and payments. Make equipment deliveries and pickups using company vehicles. Help organize the work of other crew members when you are leading the shift. Recognize what needs immediate attention and what can wait. Keep rental equipment clean, safe, organized and ready to rent. Inspect returning equipment and identify problems before the equipment goes back into service. Learn to perform routine bicycle maintenance and repairs. Help load, unload and move bikes, kayaks and other recreational equipment. Communicate problems early and help develop solutions. Eventually learn our kayak-rental and tour operations and assist with kayak tours Do the unglamorous work too. Everyone here cleans equipment, moves gear and pitches in. What We Are Looking For The most important qualifications for this position are reliability, judgment and coachability .
You should be someone who:
Shows up when you say you will and takes scheduled work commitments seriously. Notices when something doesn't make sense and stops to figure out why. Can remain calm and prioritize when several things need attention at the same time. Communicates clearly and efficiently with customers and coworkers. Can handle an unhappy customer without becoming defensive or escalating the situation. Takes responsibility when something goes wrong and communicates the problem promptly. Is comfortable receiving direct feedback and using it to improve. Can admit when you don't know something and ask before guessing. Is willing to make decisions once you have the knowledge and authority to make them. Is mechanically inclined and enjoys understanding how things work. Is comfortable working independently while also being part of a team. Does not consider cleaning, loading equipment or other physical work beneath them. You do not need to be an experienced bicycle mechanic. If you have mechanical aptitude and are willing to learn, we can teach you how to maintain and repair our bikes. You also do not need to be an experienced kayak guide. We provide extensive on-the-job training for employees who demonstrate the aptitude and interest to move into that role. Minimum Qualifications High school diploma or GED. Valid driver's license and clean driving record. Reliable transportation to work on Siesta Key. Strong verbal communication skills. Comfortable working directly with the public. Able to regularly lift and move approximately 60-70 pounds and perform physically active work outdoors. Able and willing to work Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Comfortable driving pickup trucks. Willing to learn to tow and maneuver a trailer if you do not already have experience. Smoke- and vape-free. Particularly Helpful Experience None of these is required, but we would be interested in experience with: Equipment rental or outdoor recreation Hospitality or customer service Leading a shift or small team Delivery or logistics work Bicycle, automotive, marine or other mechanical work Using hand tools and troubleshooting mechanical problems Driving with or towing a trailer How We Train There are a lot of details to learn at Ride & Paddle, and we do not expect a new employee to know them on day one. We provide structured training using written materials, videos, hands-on practice and one-on-one coaching. As you learn, you will gradually take responsibility for customer transactions, deliveries, equipment maintenance and other parts of the operation. Feedback is a normal part of working here. Sometimes you will hear, "Stop," "No," or "Let me show you." That is not personal. We would much rather stop a mistake, talk about what happened and help you understand it than let you continue doing something incorrectly. All of us make mistakes. When something goes wrong, we want to know about it. Get in front of the problem and tell us first. We will figure out what happened, fix what needs fixing, learn from it and move on. What matters is that you are teachable and that your performance improves as you learn. Where This Position Can Go Our goal is to develop the right person into someone we can trust to run routine weekend operations independently. That means knowing when to make a decision yourself, when to slow down and verify something, and when a situation needs to be escalated. For someone with the right aptitude and interest, the position can also include additional training in bicycle repair, kayak operations and kayak guiding. Benefits Employee discount Paid time off for eligible employees Retirement plan for eligible tenured employees Annual bonus opportunities Paid training Opportunity to develop mechanical, outdoor-recreation and leadership skills
Work Location:
In person -
Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL Job Type:
Full-time Schedule:
Day shift; Saturdays and Sundays required; holidays required
