LOLA HAIR STUDIO 703 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138 | lolahairstudio.com | (617) 945-9640
"We inspire confidence, courage, and connection through the beauty of design." Salon Operations Manager — Full-Time Days, Evenings & Saturdays Required | Cambridge, MA | Reports to Founder & CEO
Are you the operational engine behind someone else's vision — delivering results without the mandate, the ownership, or the reward?
Are you ready for a founder who doesn't need you to wait for direction — she needs you to pull her forward?
WHY YOU'LL LOVE WORKING WITH US
Starting compensation of $85K–$100K — inclusive of KPI-tied performance bonus, with real room to grow as the business does
True operational authority — you own the floor, the systems, and the decisions; this is not a coordinator with a manager title
A founder built for this partnership — emotionally intelligent, not a micromanager, actively making space for you to lead
3 weeks PTO + wellness benefits — in the offer, not the negotiation
Leadership coaching, industry retreats, and awards representation — your growth is part of the deal
A business in motion — $1.5M today, $3M on the horizon, and your fingerprints on everything in between
WHO WE ARE
Lola Hair Studio is an award-winning boutique destination salon in Cambridge, MA, founded in 2016 by a 20-year industry veteran who rose through every role — receptionist to master stylist to educator — before building a team-first studio rooted in community, craft, and collaboration. Seven consecutive Salon Today 200 awards. 90% staff retention. A team of ~12 driven professionals — and a business actively scaling from $1.5M toward $3M.
WE BELIEVE
Happy — Joy is a professional standard here. We bring it to the floor, celebrate each other genuinely, and make sure every client leaves better than when they arrived.
Brave Leaders — Everyone leads. We speak up, initiate hard conversations, and pull the team forward without waiting to be asked.
Generous — Clients, knowledge, credit — shared freely. Abundance over scarcity, always.
Growth Mindset — Learning is not optional. We pursue it independently and apply it visibly.
Life Harmony — Thriving career, thriving life. We've built a model that proves both are possible.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH
First 30 Days: Establish a proactive alignment rhythm with the CEO — KPI dashboards, priorities, and solutions delivered before they're requested
60 Days: Complete a full operational audit and deliver a ranked action plan with owners and timelines — not a list of problems
90 Days: Earn the room — trust built through competence and consistency, not title
6 Months: Core SOPs live across all departments; KPIs moving; Guest Care Coordinator developing into a confident floor leader
Year One: Lola hits $2M — and your fingerprints are on it
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Lead the floor daily — quality, client experience, cleanliness, and team behavior in real time; not hovering, but seeing everything
Own KPI reporting, SOP documentation, scheduling oversight, budget monitoring, and vendor coordination
Delegate administrative execution to the VA so your bandwidth stays focused at the leadership level
Hold direct, timely accountability conversations with stylists on pre-booking, retail, and service standards — firmly, without apology, and without manufacturing drama
Develop and mentor every level of this team — from coaching the Guest Care Coordinator into a floor leader to genuinely investing in your youngest team members; this floor includes a 19-year-old who deserves a leader who sees their potential and builds it with intention
Report proactively to the CEO — decisions already made, priorities already set, issues framed with solutions attached
YOU'LL THRIVE IN THIS ROLE IF YOU
Have been the strong #2 who made everything run — and you bring decisions to check-ins already made, not questions waiting for direction
Can hold a standard with a tenured professional who pushes back — without losing the relationship or manufacturing drama
Know that introducing structure into a relationship-driven culture requires emotional intelligence, not just authority — and you've done it before
Are equally energized by floor leadership and operational desk work — only wanting one is a dealbreaker here
Are available for a combination of days and evenings — the salon runs until 8pm, Saturdays are non-negotiable, and the specific weekly schedule is built collaboratively; if your availability can't flex across both, this isn't the right fit
Show up as a beauty brand ambassador — your presentation, polish, and style reflect the 5-star standard of this salon; you invest in yourself the way you invest in results: a mindset routine, moving your body, and mostly healthy choices aren't afterthoughts — they're how you lead at a high level; 80% is the bar, not perfection
Have a genuine life outside of work — front row at a concert, a great book, Sunday hikes, whatever recharges you — and you bring that full human energy into the building every day
Light up watching people grow — especially the younger ones; empathy and high standards aren't opposites here, and the best thing you can do for this team is model what a healthy, driven, purposeful professional actually looks like
Find scaling a $1.5M salon to $3M genuinely exciting — and want to be compensated when it happens
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
5–10 years of true operations or general management in a service-based environment (salon, spa, boutique fitness, upscale hospitality, or premium retail)
Specific, measurable results — KPIs, revenue movement, or cost reductions with before-and-after precision; "I helped the business grow" is not an answer
Independent leadership authority — proven track record of making hard calls without deferring upward
Financial literacy — P&L familiarity, KPI ownership, and hands-on budget and inventory management
Systems thinker — builds SOPs that outlast their creator; thinks in processes, not one-off fixes
Schedule availability — combination of days and evenings required; Saturdays non-negotiable; specific schedule built collaboratively
READY TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT LASTS?
If you've spent years being the person who makes everything work — and you're ready for a role where that work visibly changes the trajectory of a real business and a real team — this is it. Lola is an award-winning, people-first salon at a genuine inflection point. Apply today and tell us exactly what you've built.
We're proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.
Employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check — just one of the ways we maintain a safe, trustworthy, and people-first workplace.
Lola Hair Studio | 703 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138 | lolahairstudio.com | Prepared by DREAM Hire Engine by aha! Talent Experts | 2026