Columbia Sportswear Company - Office Manager (Part-time – 80%) - Munich

🔝 Reports to: Country Manager Germany

📑Permanent contract, part-time 80%

📍 Munich, Bavaria, Germany

👩‍💻🏡 Hybrid mode (3 days/office – 1 day/home)

📆 Start date: at the earliest convenience

OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.

At Columbia Sportswear, we’re as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we’re proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.

Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: “It’s perfect. Now make it better.” As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving

Discover a world of diversity within our team of 700+ across 13 European countries, united by the common goal of elevating Columbia to the pinnacle of outdoor brands in Europe. Our omnichannel approach seamlessly integrates Columbia and Sorel brands' engaging in-store and online experiences.

Nestled at the heart of the Alps in Geneva, Switzerland, our European headquarters hosts the Executive Committee, go-to-market functions, and Planning and Logistics teams. In Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg, our shared services center thrives with over 100 professionals managing Finance and Operations/Customer Service. Our distribution center in Cambrai ensures swift delivery to customers, while our 30+ Columbia stores adorn major European outlet centers. Finally, the Sales and Trade Marketing teams are displayed in 3 regions across Europe, close to their customers and markets.

We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.

And we believe in you.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Located in our Munich office, you'll join a dynamic team that's at the intersection of sales, marketing, and retail. The office serves as the central hub for coordinating sales and marketing activities across Germany and Austria, ensuring seamless operations and collaboration with our teams in Geneva and Strasbourg. As part of a smaller, yet impactful team, you'll have the opportunity to interact closely with key stakeholders, making a real difference in how we support our omnichannel sales approach.

ABOUT THE POSITION

This newly created role is an 80% part-time position, with an expectation to work 3 days in the office and 1 day from home. Reporting to the Sales Country Manager, the role aims to streamline office management, sales support, and administrative tasks in our Munich office. You will interact with the local sales and marketing team, the finance and operations teams in Strasbourg, the HR team and the central sales team in Geneva, and finally with external suppliers. By taking ownership of critical office and showroom operations, you'll be instrumental in supporting team collaboration, optimizing internal processes, and ensuring the smooth running of the Munich office.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

• Manage day-to-day office operations, including handling post, office supplies, and coordinating with external vendors.
• Support the sales team with showroom setup, sample coordination, and logistics for key trade shows and buying group meetings.
• Oversee company car fleet management and mobile phone administration, ensuring all employees have the necessary tools for their roles.
• Assist with health and safety compliance for the Munich office, coordinating with external providers.
• Facilitate communication with our headquarters in Geneva and shared services in Strasbourg for invoicing and administrative processes.
• Act as a central point of contact for the Munich team, prioritizing requests and managing multiple stakeholders to ensure smooth operations.
• Provide light HR support, including onboarding new employees, coordinating meetings, and handling confidential documents with the utmost discretion.

YOU ARE

• A proactive and organized individual who thrives in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• A confident communicator with the ability to interact with senior stakeholders and prioritize requests effectively.
• Someone who values collaboration and teamwork but can also work independently when needed.
• Detail-oriented with a knack for keeping operations running smoothly and efficiently.
• A problem-solver who enjoys taking initiative and finding creative solutions.

YOU HAVE

• Previous experience in office management, administrative support, or a similar role, preferably within a medium-to-large company.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, along with general IT savviness.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and set priorities.
• Fluency in both English and German to effectively communicate with our international teams.
• A high level of integrity and maturity, particularly when handling sensitive and confidential information

PERKS & BENEFITS

🎁 Significant discounts on Columbia and Sorel products

📚 Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning

📖 A monthly Learning Hour for training, discovery and learning

👩‍🏫 Unlock your potential: access to in-house training courses (feedback, leadership, Insights®…)

🌈DEI initiatives to exchange and strengthen our involvement around these themes

ABOUT THE CULTURE

• At Columbia Sportswear, we value an inclusive and open culture that emphasizes the absence of barriers between team members. We are committed to fostering a sense of belonging by encouraging personal connections at all levels, which creates a cohesive and supportive work environment.
• Team members serve as ambassadors for our brand, finding motivation in being part of an organization dedicated to activities they are passionate about. This dedication reflects our commitment to building a team that takes pride in our products and values.
• We offer the opportunity to work for a US-based company within a multicultural environment, where your job has an impact across different countries.
• Our "Always Be Learning" culture of continuous learning enables our employees to identify and develop skills that will enable them to continue to grow within the company.
• "Unlock Your Potential" is the spirit that characterizes our vision of employees' development: to offer them opportunities to grow, in their job, in their team or even to change jobs completely. We grow our people to grow our business.

To learn more about us and our culture, visit our page on Welcome To The Jungle: https://bit.ly/49bl1i5

ABOUT THE HIRING PROCESS

1️⃣ Ready to unlock your potential at Columbia Sportswear Company? Apply now to help us connect active people with their passion! The hiring team will review your application in the following weeks.

2️⃣ If your application is selected: a 30-45mn introductory interview with our Talent Acquisition Team to talk about yourself, your motivations and the role

3️⃣ Interview with the hiring manager in the office in Munich on 11-12 and 12-12-2024

4️⃣ Finale online interview with HR

5️⃣ Your unique strengths align perfectly with our team: we are thrilled to extend you an offer!

#LI-LA1

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.