WINSTON CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

 

Employment at R.L. Winston Rod Co. & Bauer Fly Reels

 

At Winston & Bauer, we refuse to compromise on quality and performance, and have a true passion for doing things the right way. Since 1929, Winston has made not only immaculate fly rods, but – most importantly – rods with effortless power and intuitive feel that’s best described as “soul.”  Our company’s history isn’t just marked by dates, but by innovations.  For over 90 years, Winston has been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking advances in fly rod performance and we are committed to remaining an industry leader. For the past 45 years, our rod shop has been in Twin Bridges, MT – minutes away from the hallowed waters of the Ruby, Beaverhead, Big Hole, and Jefferson Rivers.  Bauer Fly Reels has also been headquartered in Twin Bridges since 2016 and shares the philosophy of innovation and prioritizing performance.  Our environment and small-town culture are the foundation of our authenticity, integrity, and resourcefulness.  We’re a small-town company doing big things on the world fly-fishing stage.


SENIOR SALES POSITION

 

The R.L. Winston Rod Company is looking for a highly motivated salesperson to join our management team to help grow sales of Winston fly rods, Bauer fly reels and our accessory products – both in the USA and internationally. The ideal candidate will be responsible for working with our Senior Marketing Manager and President to meet sales targets and strengthen our business partnerships globally. The Senior Salesperson will have the opportunity to take on increased responsibility within the company as we grow. Sales experience is important, and it will be helpful if the candidate is an excellent fly caster to demonstrate how Winston rods and Bauer fly reels are truly exceptional. Ultimately, this new Senior Salesperson position may involve significant travel to help drive sales growth of Winston and Bauer by ensuring our products are well represented in fly shops around the world. 

Job Duties:

The Senior Salesperson will be a key part of our Sales and Marketing department. They will be responsible for working with senior management to develop and implement plans to drive sales volume and meet sales targets by supporting our outstanding dealer network around the world.  This Senior Salesperson will be responsible for helping oversee the management of all Winston and Bauer sales functions – including our team of sales representatives in the field.

This position may be assigned additional duties that assist the company in achieving its goals. The Senior Salesperson must always represent the integrity and values of Winston Rod Company and strive to maintain an inclusive, safe, and positive workplace.

Senior Salesperson Desired Qualifications:

  • Several years of experience selling to specialty retail accounts
  • A bachelor’s degree. Sales and marketing, or business management experience
  • Demonstrated ability to meet sales targets
  • Ability to design and implement successful sales strategies and programs
  • Experience with forecasting, budgeting, and reporting on key metrics
  • Excellent interpersonal, customer service, and communication skills
  • Success with hiring, managing, and mentoring sales representatives
  • Planning, organization, excellent writing, and problem-solving skills
  • Knowledge of the fly fishing industry, experience in all fly fishing disciplines, and excellent fly casting skills

 
Senior Salesperson Responsibilities:

  • Overseeing all sales operations by developing a plan including revenue targets, sales and expense budgets
  • Assists in creating annual unit and gross profit plans
  • Implements national and international sales programs to meet, or exceed, planned sales goals
  • Leads team of independent sales representatives by developing and executing territory-specific sales targets and plans
  • Manages sales representatives’ work results by planning, monitoring, and evaluating job performance
  • Maintains sales staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees
  • Track and report on sales goals and expenses
  • Analyzing results and adapting strategy to changing market conditions
  • Partners with Marketing Team to drive revenue and support consumers and dealers
  • Assist Marketing Team in planning and executing product releases, and event participation
  • Understand our ideal customers and how they relate to our products
  • Provide and oversee exceptional customer service to our dealers and consumers
  • Ensure all communication with customers is followed up and resolved in a timely manner
  • Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed
  • Analyze industry trends to help shape future product offerings
  • Projecting expected sales volume and profit for existing and new products

To apply for this position, please email your resume to info@winstonrods.com.

 


FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

 

JOB DUTIES:

The Financial Controller is responsible for maintaining complete and accurate financial records for the Company and personnel.  This person manages the daily accounting for the Company including, but not limited to, accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank deposits and reconciliation, commission payments, excise tax payments, and managing employee timecards and benefits.  The Financial Controller position requires strict confidence with company & employee information and will strive to maintain an inclusive, safe, and positive workplace.

The priorities of this role may shift with the current focus of the company and are subject to change.

Outcomes of this role include:

  • Accurate and complete Financial Records
  • Accurate and complete tracking and timely payment of accounts payable
  • Accurate and complete tracking of accounts receivable
  • Timely collection of accounts receivable
  • Bank deposits and regular account reconciliation
  • Calculating and processing commission payments
  • Calculating and processing excise tax payments
  • Reporting on payroll hours for processing in an accurate and timely manner
  • Ongoing management of employee benefit programs
  • Continually review and improve processes leading to more efficient workflow
  • Appropriate Internal Controls designed and maintained to protect assets
  • Maintain employee records and company information with strict confidentiality
  • Manage employee relations, benefits, payroll, and training in compliance with local and federal law

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Strict confidentiality regarding all aspects of the company including, but not limited to, financials, payroll, and human resources
  • Complete understanding and ownership of the Company’s accounting processes and procedures
  • Preparing accurate and timely reports and financial statements
  • Weekly reporting on sales, inventory valuation, and financial metrics
  • Bank account reconciliation
  • Driving the monthly/yearly financial closing process
  • Tracking budget expenses
  • Accurate and timely commission & excise tax calculations and payments
  • Assist in the preparation of annual audit reports
  • Assist in the preparation of annual budgets
  • Compiles various reports on business segments for management analysis
  • Oversees product costing, margins, and raw material / finished goods inventory targets
  • Integrate and troubleshoot new technology and processes as the company progresses
  • Ongoing management of, and point of contact for, employee benefit plans
  • Oversight of employee timecards and payroll reporting
  • Assist management team in employee relations including, but not limited to, employee growth plans, conflict resolution, and disciplinary procedures
  • Prioritizes supporting an inclusive, safe, and positive workplace
  • Must possess a team oriented, process-driven attitude and a mindset of continual improvement

 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Minimum of five years of related experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration preferred
  • Thorough knowledge of accounting procedures and principles
  • Expertise with general ledger functions and month/year-end closing process
  • Experience in a manufacturing organization
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
  • Advanced QuickBooks skills
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

To apply for this position, please email your resume to info@winstonrods.com.

 


DEALER AND CUSTOMER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE

 

JOB DUTIES:

The Dealer and Customer Service Representative is the company’s face and voice for its dealers and customers. This person is the first point of contact between our company and its domestic dealers, international dealers/distributors, and customers, and is responsible for prompt communication through excellent verbal, written, and electronic communication channels. As a key member of the sales team, they also play an important role in making, tracking, and recording sales according to the sales targets established by the Sales Manager.
This role may be assigned additional duties that assist the company in achieving its goals. This role will strive to help strengthen sales and relationships of the company and help dealers achieve sell through by applying best practices and maintaining the highest-level of service and communication.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Services

  • Promote the organization and its products in an accurate, helpful, and friendly manner.
  • 1st on the phone for all incoming dealer calls
  • 1st on the phone for all incoming consumer calls
  • 1st point of contact on info@winstonrods.com, orders@winstonrods.com and orders@bauerflyreel.com incoming email.
  • Provides Factory tours for visitors.
  • Builds, maintains, and continually improves relationships with sales representatives, dealers, pro team and consumers.
  • Provides same-day or better response time to incoming communication from dealers and representatives.
  • Performs monthly sales calls to dealers as directed by the Sales Manager.
  • Inputs, tracks, and organizes all Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) for dealers and reps.
  • Inputs new dealer information on QuickBooks and the appropriate Winston/Bauer website.

Sales

  • Ensures all wholesale orders are processed promptly, accurately, and efficiently.
  • Organizes, prioritizes, and communicates dealer orders with the Shipping Lead to achieve and exceed monthly sales targets as set forth by the Sales Manager.
  • Effectively communicates delivery timelines to dealers.
  • Helps Sales Manager build and write copy for company email and press release communications with Representatives, Dealers, and Pros regarding important news, initiatives, and promotions.
  • Has a clear understanding of Winston’s manufacturing processes to communicate lead times and to effectively prioritize product for key accounts and customers.
  • Develops strategies to process, prioritize, and stage fill in orders and preseason shipments.
  • Aids Sales Manager in Development of new Preseason Terms and Pricing Programs.
  • Makes any preseason adjustments as submitted by dealers and representatives, and, if necessary, records any dealer price/invoice level changes because of the dealer’s preseason adjustment.
  • Manages all international orders and organizes clear communication of order receipt, invoicing, and shipping with international accounts.
  • Communicates shipment delays and backorder status with sales representatives and dealers.
  • Ensures all wholesale customers receive order, invoice, and tracking confirmations as needed.
  • Enters all Winston & Bauer independent representative sample, promo, and at-once orders.
  • Tracks and communicates promo balance on all representative promotional orders.
  • Enters POP (Point of Purchase) orders for new dealers (signs, stickers, catalogs).

Reporting & Projects

  • Develops and maintains a database that shares key information (sales, customer concerns, opportunities) with the sales teams regarding the monthly sales calls to dealers
  • Provides Sales Manager with Rep and Customer Service Promotional account spend
  • Works directly with Sales Manager to cleanly develop and maintain a monthly sales book to clearly plan and execute sales.
  • Maintains and tracks Early Order Report on all submitted preseason orders
  • Develops Pro promotion calendar for sales, involvement, and inclusion
  • Assistance with Social Media posting, scheduling, reporting

To apply for this position, please email your resume to info@winstonrods.com.

 


ROD PRODUCTION

 

We are always excited to find qualified employees to join the rod production team at our facility in Twin Bridges. These are full time positions, Monday through Friday, and entail working in the departments / processes involved in fly rod production.

Job Expectations:

  • Maintain Winston’s high quality standards
  • Meet or exceed production goals
  • A team player and self-starter
  • Comprehensive job and product knowledge after initial on-the-job training
  • Ability to work independently, take initiative and suggest process improvements when appropriate

 

Company benefits

  • Competitive wages
  • Health Insurance
  • 401(k) program
  • 10 paid holidays per year
  • 10 paid vacation days per year
  • Significant discounts on Winston fly rods and Bauer fly reels
  • Opportunity for other outdoor industry discounts
  • Opportunity to represent the company at fly-fishing and outdoor shows
  • Live and work in SW Montana – surrounded by world-class fly fishing and recreational opportunities
  • Fun events throughout the year

The successful candidate should be detail orientated, a quick learner and excited to become a Winston craftsman.

To apply for this position, please email your resume to info@winstonrods.com or if you would prefer to fill out an application you can download our Winston Job Application Form.


OTHER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

If you are interested in other job opportunities at Winston, you are welcome to submit a resume and cover letter by email to info@winstonrods.com