Dakota Stones
Operations & E-commerce Manager
Eden Prairie, Minnesota•Full-time
$60,000 - $80,000 annually
$60,000 - $80,000 annually
About the Job
Build your career. Help build our business.
Dakota Stones is an established gemstone bead manufacturer and distributor serving jewelry designers, retailers, and wholesale customers across the country.
For more than 25 years, we've built our business around quality gemstones, unique products, and strong customer relationships. Today, we operate a growing ecommerce business alongside wholesale distribution, trade shows, and direct-to-consumer sales.
We're looking for a motivated, organized, and business-minded individual to join our leadership team as an Operations & Ecommerce Manager.
This is an opportunity for someone early in their management career who wants to do more than maintain existing processes. You'll work directly with the owner, gain experience across multiple parts of the business, and help develop the systems and structure needed to support continued growth.
Our goal is to develop this position into a senior operations leadership role over the next 2–3 years.
What You'll Do:
Business Operations & Team Coordination:
- Help organize daily operations and improve communication and accountability across departments.
- Coordinate projects, establish priorities, and ensure deadlines are met.
- Develop and document operational procedures to improve consistency and efficiency.
- Identify opportunities to reduce operating expenses and improve profitability.
- Assist with operational planning, budgeting, and performance reporting.
Inventory, Purchasing & Vendor Management:
- Support inventory planning, forecasting, purchasing, and replenishment.
- Analyze sales trends, stock levels, and purchasing needs to improve inventory investment.
- Assist with inventory budgeting and cost management.
- Help manage relationships with overseas gemstone manufacturers and suppliers.
- Coordinate purchasing schedules, production timelines, and international shipments.
- Identify cost savings and improvements in inventory management and supplier processes.
Ecommerce & Fulfillment:
- Support the ongoing management and improvement of our Shopify ecommerce business.
- Work with our team to improve order processing, shipping, and fulfillment efficiency.
- Help evaluate staffing, workflows, technology, and equipment as order volume grows.
- Assist with ERP systems, inventory integrations, and operational reporting.
- Identify opportunities to automate repetitive tasks using technology and AI tools.
- Collaborate with marketing and product teams to support weekly product launches and promotions.
Technology, AI & Process Improvement:
- Explore and implement AI tools and automation to improve business operations and productivity.
- Identify opportunities to streamline inventory forecasting, purchasing, reporting, and fulfillment.
- Use data and emerging technologies to support better business decisions.
- Help evaluate and integrate new software and technology as the business grows.
Trade Shows & Business Development Support:
- Assist with planning and coordinating regional and national trade shows.
- Support show inventory planning, logistics, staffing, and operational execution.
- Help evaluate trade show performance, expenses, and profitability.
- Coordinate with the team to improve efficiency across our wholesale and retail channels.
Who We're Looking For:
We're looking for someone who takes initiative, enjoys solving problems, and is interested in understanding how a business operates.
Ideal qualifications:
- Associate's or bachelor's degree in business, operations management, supply chain, ecommerce, or a related field.
- 2–5 years of relevant business experience preferred. Motivated early-career candidates are encouraged to apply.
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets and comfort working with business data.
- Interest in ecommerce platforms, inventory systems, and business technology.
- Ability to coordinate multiple projects and follow through on commitments.
- Strong communication skills and a collaborative approach to working with others.
- Willingness to learn, take ownership, and grow into greater responsibility.
- Strong interest in AI, automation, and emerging business technologies.
- Curious and resourceful, with a willingness to experiment with new tools and improve existing processes.
- Experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or similar platforms for business applications is a plus.
Experience with Shopify, ERP systems, international purchasing, warehouse operations, or trade shows is a plus, but not required.
Why Join Dakota Stones?
Unlike a highly specialized role at a large corporation, this position offers exposure to nearly every aspect of running a successful small business.
You'll work directly with ownership, help shape how we operate, and see the results of your work.
We offer:
- Competitive compensation based on experience.
- Performance-based bonus opportunities.
- Direct involvement in business planning and operational decisions.
- Opportunities to work with international vendors and participate in trade shows.
- Hands-on experience with ecommerce, inventory, purchasing, and business technology.
- A defined opportunity to grow into senior operations leadership.
Compensation & Location:
- Salary: 60,000–80,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.
- Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunities tied to operational and company objectives.
- Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota — primarily on-site, with occasional travel for trade shows and business activities.
Interested?
If you're organized, curious about business, comfortable with technology, and ready to take on increasing responsibility, we'd like to hear from you.
Apply with your resume and a brief explanation of why you're interested in helping grow and manage a business like Dakota Stones.