Founding General Manager

Ember is a social thermal bathhouse opening in Seattle in fall 2027: 8,800 SF in South Lake Union. The circuit is built on contrast — a 50-seat event sauna, a smaller soft sauna, a steam room, a hammam lounge, hot and warm pools, and two cold plunges — plus a wellness bar and lounge designed for staying, not just passing through.We're looking for the person who will open it and run it.What you'll do:• Build the operating playbook from zero: guest flow, session timing, service standards, opening and closing routines, and the first-visit experience• Assist in recruiting, training, and leading a team of 12–20• Own water quality, sanitation and safety under WA pool and spa rules (WAC 246-260) and Public Health – Seattle & King County, plus the wellness bar's food permit• Help choose and launch the booking, membership and POS systems; manage linen, chemical and maintenance vendors• Own the P&L after opening: labor, cost of sales, throughput, membership retention• Pre-opening: work with the founders and the design team on back-of-house, mechanical and operational decisionsWhat you bring• 2+ years in a leadership role at a bathhouse, thermal spa, or high-volume wellness or hospitality venue• Hands-on knowledge of commercial pool and spa operations (CPO or AFO certification is a plus)• A record of building teams people stay on• Warm, calm and organized, and you take heat-and-cold practice seriously without being precious about itDetails• Seattle, on site• Full-time from June 2027; paid advisory involvement possible before then• $80,000–$115,000 base + founding equity• Benefits: [health/dental, PTO, Ember membership, etc.]