LDA UT Creamery Store Manager & Bulk Sales Coordinator - UTK

This position oversees both retail operations, catering, and bulk sales coordination in a variety of locations on and off campus for the UT Creamery student experiential learning retail business program. Responsibilities include managing daily retail store activities, managing student workers, supervising bulk and catering sales, creating program initiatives, and fostering strong relationships with the University of Tennessee (UT) internal departments and external partners. The ideal candidate has exceptional standards, is highly organized, detail-oriented, an excellent communicator, and experienced in retail and people management, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-energy environment. A positive, mentoring approach is essential for guiding and developing college-age staff while maintaining compliance with UT policies and delivering exceptional customer service.

This employee will work within the Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management (RHTM) and closely communicate with the Business Manager and staff. This position reports to the Director of Retail Strategy for the UT Creamery. It is a Limited Duration Appointment, up to 12 months with future possibilities.

UT Creamery Retail Operations & Retail Management

• Oversee workers for daily and weekend retail operations: opening/closing, POS credit card transaction handling, food/beverage process and policy control, sanitation and quality checks to ensure health-code compliance.

• Develops sales goals and plans to meet expectations on sales. Ensure university branding guidelines are followed. Provides input on budget creation in coordination with the Rocky Top Institute, housed in the department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management. Provides input to develop retail business plans, retail strategies, and consumer product development, uses creative strategies to develop promotions and marketing strategies and campaigns to promote the Creamery and bulk sales initiatives.

• Responsible for retail store and bulk sales finances, expenditures, and timely invoice creation, Track inventory, place supply orders, and manage operations to meet both in-store and bulk demand. Use reports to analyze data to make informed decisions. Oversee retail finances of the UT Creamery to ensure budget compliance, approve student timecards and monitors payroll budget

• Engage visitors and event guests about the UT Creamery brand, products and its mission.

In-Store & Off-site Bulk Sales

• Cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders and communicate timely to grow in-store and off-site bulk sales events.

• Manage bulk sales coordination through emails, phone calls, in-person and spreadsheet tracking

• Oversee logistics, preparing and executing from start to finish for each catering event, including staffing, transport, set-up/tear-down and guiding students for off-site locations.

• Manage exceptional customer service for in-store and off-site bulk sales experiences.

Staffing

• Recruit, train, and schedule college-student team to meet brand, university and health safety policies and processes. Ensure every guest receives outstanding service.

• Coach employees in professional public speaking skills such as communication, professional engagement, customer service and brand story telling. Develops progressive experiential learning opportunities for students to develop practical and professional skills.

• Manage students rotating roles (sanitation, store prep, scooping ice cream, milkshakes, POS register, daily checklists, inventory, bulk events).

Communication and Reporting

• Develop and communicate retail business initiatives and key performance indicators with a plan of action to address any needs.

• Attend project meetings to represent the creamery with internal and external partners.

Responsible for developing and delivering high-level presentations to internal and external stakeholders. Complies, evaluates and analyzes data for efficiency and effective reporting in order to make effective recommendations.

• Responsible for developing and delivering high-level presentation to internal and external stakeholders. complies, evaluates, and analyzes data for efficiency and effective reporting in order to make effective recommendations.

Timely send UT Creamery sales and tax information, business updates, bulk sales information, tracking and reports to RHTM and other UT stakeholders on a regular basis, and as requested.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors Degree

• Experience: 2+ Years of experience in training/supervising
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of store and business side of retail policies, systems and procedures. (food service a plus)

• Ability to train and supervise employees in a positive way with high standards and results oriented.

• Strong public relations and interpersonal skills with ability to plan, organize and communicate well with professionalism while dealing with the public, key stakeholders and others.

• Retail business skills tracking sales, budgets, marketing and retail strategies.

• Ability in Microsoft Office: Email, Word, Excel (administration experience a plus).
  

Work Location

• Location: City, State-2712 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

• Onsite
  

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 08

• Anticipated hiring range: 08

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Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before 03/27/2026

• Resume

• Cover Letter
  

About The College/Department/Division

At RHTM, you will find a dynamic curriculum where innovation meets application. We offer a welcoming, immersive environment designed to help you master consumer experience design, retail strategy, hospitality operations, and resilient tourism systems.