Company description

Akari is a neighborhood sauna inspired by the everyday bathing culture of Japan. We create quiet, welcoming spaces where bathing can become part of a regular routine.

Job description

Role Summary

The Area Manager oversees daily operations across our Brooklyn studios, working closely with the founders and operations team. This is a hands-on role for someone who cares equally about the people who run our spaces and the details that make members feel comfortable and cared for.

You’ll spend time in each studio every week, supporting the team, maintaining our standards, and making sure each location runs smoothly. As Akari grows, you’ll help build the training, routines, and communication that keep the experience consistent while preserving the character of each space.

Role Structure

• Manages the Studio Leads and works closely with attendants across all Brooklyn locations, supporting training, development, and consistent standards

• Serves as the liaison between the on-site team and all other stakeholders across the business

• Floats between locations, spending real time on the floor at each one every week

• Serves as the main point of escalation for Studio Leads on staffing, member concerns, and operational issues

• Full-time, with a hand in opening future openings

Key Responsibilities
Set and maintain hospitality standards
• Coach every new hire, and reinforce the habits and systems that keep the experience consistent for the current team, from greeting regulars by name to a spotless changing room at the end of the night

• Walk every location regularly, using daily checks, member feedback, and check-in data to identify issues and address them with the team

• Be the first call when a heater goes down or a member issue gets tricky, and make sure the whole team knows what they can handle on their own

• Step in to support a location that needs additional attention, and help lead new location launches

• Know your members and your team, building familiarity and trust through a regular presence

Staffing and studio operations
• Build and manage staff schedules so every studio has appropriate coverage

• Work with on-site teams on inventory so no location runs short

• Own prep for monthly deep clean closures, coordinate with team for repairs and maintenance and follow through until issues are resolved

• Maintain consistent standards for cleanliness, equipment and facility quality

Team development
• Grow Studio Leads and attendants through regular 1:1s, direct feedback, and clear next steps

• Lead hiring for attendants and calibrate promotion decisions across locations

• Build one team across locations, where studios share what works and back each other up

Planning and performance
• Track memberships, retention, attendance, labor hours, and member feedback, and set clear priorities every week and quarter

• Work with each studio's team on what it needs to improve, then stay close as they carry it out

• Roll out new policies, tools, and offerings across all locations with clear communication and hands-on training, following up until they stick

Who you are
• A hospitality person first, with strong attention to detail

• A people leader who has developed others, and can hire well, coach, and lead a team with empathy and care

• Calm under pressure and comfortable troubleshooting equipment issues alongside vendors

• Comfortable analyzing data and using it to make practical decisions

• A planner who can look a quarter ahead and turn priorities into plans the team can act on

• A clear, direct communicator in writing (Slack, Asana, email) and in person, whether it's a team meeting or a difficult conversation

• Genuinely interested in hospitality, wellness, and bathing culture

• Physically willing to do hands-on work

• Based in New York City and able to travel between Brooklyn locations

Qualifications
• 5+ years of leadership experience in hospitality, wellness, boutique fitness, or other service-focused business

• Experience leading multiple locations and developing the people who run them

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Proficiency with scheduling, spreadsheets, and project management tools

• Understanding of Japanese culture and language is a plus

Availability
• Full time: approximately 50 hours across five days per week, including two peak operating days, typically weekends. The schedule includes a mix of opening, daytime, and closing coverage across studios.

Available for urgent operational or staffing issues outside of scheduled hours when immediate attention is needed

Benefits and perks
· $90,000 - $100,000 annual base salary

· 15 days paid annual leave

· Health/Vision/Dental Insurance

· Complimentary Akari membership

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000

Application instructions

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Deadline

November 30, 2026