Tombolo Summer Internship Program
Summer Associate: Retail (Full-Time) (Manhattan, NY)
Our 2023 interns have been selected. Please reference the below for 2024.
Tombolo is hiring for its 2023 summer internship program. We are looking to make 1-3 hires. The primary job role will be retail: we recently opened our flagship location at 208 Mott St in downtown Manhattan and interns will assist with this brick & mortar pursuit.
This is a paid position based in New York City starting in early June. This is a hybrid role where you will mostly work out of our flagship NYC store in a retail store role (~4 days per week) but you will also pursue a secondary project working alongside the cofounders in our Soho offices (~1 day per week). Interns will experience a start-up/fashion/retail environment firsthand and will come away with expertise in building a best-in-class brick-and-mortar experience, understanding the omni-channel marketing landscape, and building a consumer brand in a start-up context.
Each Intern will have a job title that reflects their hybrid role, i.e. ‘Summer Associate: Retail & ____’ in line with the secondary project they are pursuing. Examples of things that may fill in that blank include ‘digital marketing,’ ‘brand management,’ ‘analytics,’ ‘design,’ ‘creative strategy,’ ‘events management,’ ‘inventory management,’ ‘social media management,’ ‘merchandising,’ ‘materials research,’ etc.
Estimated start date: early/mid-June.
This is a full-time, paid position based in NYC.
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis. (Applications will likely close altogether approx. end of April or earlier if the positions are filled).
To apply, please email internships@tombolocompany.com with a brief cover letter (the letter should suggest areas of expertise for your summer project) and your resume.
The ideal Intern candidate must:
-have completed at least freshman year of college at the time of the internship
-be legally allowed to work in the USA
-be a proactive self-starter who is willing to commit to flexible hours (weekends are the most strategic and valuable time of the week for sales and retail)
-have a knack for physical retail and hospitality
-be creative with attention to detail
-have a passion for new people / new experiences
The ideal Intern candidate ideally:
-has retail experience
-has a passion for clothing and product design
-has an aesthetic eye: a distinctive personal style and a knack for cultivating an immersive environment
-has a deep understanding of social media and the evolving digital landscape
-has marketing experience and a knack for unlocking marketing arbitrage—opportunities to bring positive exposure to Tombolo that exceeds the costs
-has photoshop and design skills. Ability to repurpose and reimagine visual assets (on-model and product photography) and adapt them for digital content, promotional materials, advertising and PR campaigns, etc.
-has a passion for start-ups and entrepreneurship
-is willing to travel (e.g. for a trunk show on Nantucket, or to work out of the Tombolo store in Montauk)
These skills will support the following responsibilities:
Candidates will personally work the store, overseeing customer service and experience, retailing, and all other store-related operations.
Customer service and experience. You will be hospitable and welcoming, helping to ensure that the Tombolo brand and emotional connection carry across all customer interactions. Tombolo’s customer service mantras are (1) never be a 'used car salesman' and (2) treat your customers like you treat your friends. In this context, you will also serve as a Tombolo brand ambassador.
Retailing. You will foster an immersive, tidy environment that transports customers to the world of Tombolo. Your professionalism will ensure that the store runs smoothly and cleanly, always opening on time, always taking care of go-backs promptly, and always providing a seamless purchase process. You will become a product expert in Tombolo’s offering. You will use Shopify to manage point-of-sale checkout as well as tracking inventory to glean sales trends to inform restocks and alterations to merchandizing. You will develop an omni-channel understanding of Tombolo in order to navigate website checkout and shipping if items are unavailable.
Candidates will also pursue a secondary project that meshes with their skillset. Areas of particular need for Tombolo include but are not limited to the following:
Creative design: your photoshop skills help Tombolo repurpose content and develop visual assets for everything from website product pages to Instagram stories to event invitations.
Data Analytics: your analytical skills help Tombolo glean insight from historical sales data or inform inventory management and forecasting.
Social Media Marketing: your knowledge of social media --TikTok in particular -- helps inform Tombolo social media strategy.
Retail Strategy: your focus doubles down on Tombolo’s brick & mortar and you apply your expertise to optimizing the layout, strategy, product mix, and merchandizing of the flagship store and spearheading in-store events and partnerships. This focus may require 5 days in store and 0 days in office (instead of the standard 4 and 1 mix).
Brand Ambassador: your focus doubles down on Tombolo’s brick & mortar and you serve as the 'face of Tombolo' for a plethora of social media content including livestreams and events. This focus may require 5 days in store and 0 days in office (instead of the standard 4 and 1 mix).
***
OVERVIEW
- NYC-based, full-time: ~4 of 5 days in store, ~1 of 5 days in office
- Early/mid-June estimated start date (minimum commitment of 8 weeks—longer is better)
- Paid internship position
- Product benefits (i.e., stipend of monthly free product!)
To apply, please email internships@tombolocompany.com with a cover letter (including suggestions for your secondary project) and your resume.
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis. (They will close altogether approx. end of April or earlier if the positions have been filled).