Round Up: 17 Bike Industry Jobs Available Right Now

 Wait until people come back for warranty. "My complete bike is color coordinated with my Fox fork lowers, but the DT logos are way off and now nobody wants to ride with me." Can you handle that?

 Probably to replace the guy that named the 533d that reads PEES when the rim rotates, which, being a rim.....it kinda does.

 @truenorthsimon: I've also still got a 6.1d. Would that have been the same guy or was it the one before that? Sooo looking forwards to what @the00 will come up with.

 The font is the key...

 @Switzerlanded: You mean to choose Helvetica or Haas Grotesk?

 @Alturis: Comic Sans all day every day!

 @truenorthsimon: I haven't come across 533d before so had to Google it, it did not disappoint #PEES

 @NickB01: Thinking of it, they've not only had the 6.1d, but also a 5.1d and a 4.1d. So that's pig, pis and piA (pain in the ass) respectively. Though agreed the 4.1d is a bit far fetched and probably not a reason to fire a grapig (digging for a pun) designer.

 I thought the same thing with Rapha. Pick a color to make the shirt, then put the rapha logo on it.

 Maybe this is why they search for a graphic designer....

 @truenorthsimon: I'm disappointed that they're not super aero wheels for a tri bike

 I can draw pictures of bikes AND slept at a Holiday Inn once. I think the fully qualifies me as a frame designer or frame engineer.

 @Switzerlanded: Well said.

 Yep. In the US employers (I'm referring to manufacturers like Specialized, K2, etc.) linked to outdoor activities- mt/road biking, snowsports, etc.- used to be well known for wages drastically below comparable positions in less sought-after companies. My reference cases were all pre-rona. Friends in the industry eventually left because why on earth would you accept to do the exact same job (emails, SAP, talking with sales reps and suppliers, tracking production processes) vs. getting paid fair industry rates for your work? We aren't talking a few $k, we're talking 50% discrepancy in some cases.

Don't know a single person who has been disappointed by chasing higher salaries instead of terribly paying bike or ski industry jobs. We all have more money for cool bike trips/travel, bike park season passes, non-bike related gear, and the occasional injury and PT regimen.

 @embi: Not sure what your point is. I can't disagree with something because someone isn't forcing me to do it? Very strange logic you have.

 @embi: I'm with @redrook on this, what is your point exactly? Is someone holding a gun to their head to force them to advertise absolute jokes of jobs? They're the ones advertising jobs to us. If someone walked up to you, as they are figuratively doing, and offered you a job with a joke salary, I think it's fair enough to tell them to **** off.

 @embi: Is someone holding a gun to your head forcing you to be a bootlicker?

 @embi: @embi: Lol, watch out, we've found the resident business hardass here (who's probably never run any business in his life).

 A lot of these positions aren’t really high paying jobs and bike brands are not a place to get rich.

This is why so many shop employees sell weed. Living their dream and paying their rent

 @NickMT: yup. When I left the ski industry as a senior ski patroller and became a probationary firefighter, I doubled my salary and cut my responsibilities by 90%. And that was on crappy probation pay. The ski and bike industries think it’s okay to make their valued employees live on or near poverty because you gave them an opportunity to work in a cool industry. This year is going to be a reckoning for places that used to get away with crappy pay.

 @whambat: Same with the creative and cultural industries too. Despite the fairly huge sums of money they play around with it doesn't filter down to compensating their usually highly expert and passionate workers, meaning they constantly move around and are under a lot more pressure than someone on the same pay in sales another sector.

 Regarding the YT job, I don't think it's unreasonable that customer service reps for a bike company have some shop experience and won't sound like asshats when they're asked a technical question...

 @NickMT: 100% can confirm. I worked in marketing management roles in the ski and MTB industries. I left the bike industry for the same type of role in an unrelated industry and instantly got a 50% pay increase. Plus profit-sharing, more PTO, all around better benefits. I actually ride more now outside the industry. Crazy!

 @Mntneer: selling weed only supplements your income where it’s not already legal and cheap at a dispensary down the street.

 @whambat: that’s really not true at all. When I lived in Colorado there was full rec and medical. I harvested about 30lbs of indoor per year and sold em at $1500/lb. they were also sold entirely in Colorado

 @MikeGruhler: Us accountants usually figure 40-50% on top of the EE wage for all the extra bits.

 @MikeGruhler: "It's a companies (sic) job to make money for the shareholders or owners not the employees."

I'd say it's both. It's a competent and sustainable company's job to ensure their employees are earning a decent wage for the work they do, because that will absolutely translate into a better bottom line.

Your figure of an additional 25K is VERY dependent upon the industry, and the bike industry absolutely does not spend an additional 30%+ on its entry level employees through benefits. If you're on $65K then this discussion isn't about you.

 Wait, TY has a customer service department?

 @NickMT: And, you won't get jaded about the bike industry if you're not in it, LOL. I'm in buildng supplies, and bikes are my escape, not my income.

 @oscartheballer: Lol, maybe not that's why they're recruiting haha

 @MikeGruhler: that only works when your company doesn’t have set wages for every position/ rank and has flexibility for raises. Otherwise, your only option is to leave. Which I did.
My old boss tried a bunch of options to keep me around offering to create a new title to add flexibility for a pay increase, until he realized my probie pay was more than his bosses pay. These industries underpay quite a way up the ladder. And the executives don’t share in the pain, I knew it was time to leave when the company froze wages for a year while the CEO took a 7 figure bonus.

 @Mntneer: good to know.

 It obviously depends on whether you're on your own or whether you've got a family to care for. If a job involves lunch rides and they get you one bike (like Hope does) then you only need food and shelter. Otherwise you'd spend most of your money on the ride and riding anyway. Things change when you grow a bit older and your partner and kids expect you to bring something home. But otherwise it isn't too different probably from being an athlete where your sponsors put you in a position to ride and stay alive, but not much aside from that.

The social media job seems even better for some people. Just do what they do already: live through their phone screens. Only now they're getting paid.

 @embi: I don’t get why people are hating, your logic is fine.

 @NickMT: as someone who worked for Trek for 8 years, I can wholeheartedly confirm this. I left that industry and immediately made 45% more (no exaggeration) with far more opportunities for advancement. If you keep paying below-average wages, you're going to get below-average talent.

 @whambat: Leaving is always an option, you left because you have an understanding of your value and were not earning enough and obviously didn't see the ability to earn your needed wage there. Congratulations on leaving, always feels good moving to something better.

 @redrook: I agree, a good company would do just what you described, but that will not absolutely "translate to a better bottom line" if you're making less profits because of wage increases or increased benefits.

Those additional costs have nothing to do with benefits(which I have none) there literally just the cost of a company employing a person. That insurance I mentioned is not mine, it's what my employer pays for vehicle insurance for there service truck that I operate and the companies own insurance because they have a commercial office space with over 20 people in it. Then you have Social Security, workers comp and other state and federal taxes associated with that employee. Like I said most have no clue.

@Connerv6 seems to know what I'm referring to and his numbers are probably more accurate.

 It's always easier to blame the big faceless company. If YOU are worth more, go get more. Period. I bet most folks who whine about a company not paying their employees enough are the same people bitching about the price of a dozen eggs at the corner store when you can get it at WalMart for 25 cents less. When it comes down to YOUR money, you go for whatever is the cheapest, but when you're spending YT or Trek's money for them you want all their employees to make 6 figures.

 There are pros and cons. I made significantly more money with lesser responsibility leaving the bike industry, and pay increases came much easier. BUT, I had a lot more fun working in the bike industry. Say, for example, you walk into the office and hear your coworkers talking about minions, and you jump into the conversation with your preferred compound, Then they just stare stupidly until someone explains that this room full of adults is actually discussing a movie for children, what in the f*ck is super tacky?

 @redrook: So my insight is worthless because I make $65k yr? (Which is still shit for my expertise)
How about just a yr and half ago I was making 35k. Worked my ass off (50+hrs/wk-No OT) then asked for wage increases and discussed my value with my boss and my plans for the future with the company. Just this year I got an additional 15k in raises. Know your value and show it, bitching and complaining gets you nothing and nowhere in life.

That kind of pay is definitely possible in the bike industry, I know sales guys at a major shop in Orlando that make between 60k-100k a year. No bullshit. Just cause you're good at what you do doesn't mean deserve more money, just means you're at the wrong job or have the wrong attitude which honestly is all I hear from these people complaining about these jobs. For those who feel the need to downvote my comments, you're the one's with shit attitudes who can't pull useful information from what I'm trying to say. Go ahead and stay in your shit jobs complaining about you problems that no one but yourself created.

Oh, and I'm just a carpenter with 30yrs experience, no college education and 42yrs old with 3 kids. There's damn good money out there for those willing to put in actual hard work.

 That's why the saying "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" is absolutely B.S. Work is work, not happy fun play time. Do what you love for work and you will most likely end up hating what you love (working sucks, fun is fun) There's exceptions but not many that I've seen.

 Come join me! We can collect unemployment and ride and drink! I'm sick of work and the wife wants to get back to work! But what to do with the kids....

 They're still doing that? They'd refused warranty on my Spectral a few years back, via the same excuse (it was classed as an XC bike on their site). I naively hoped that things would've improved...

 The reason I didn’t buy a spectral is because of stuff I read all over like this. Consumer direct prices are so close to shop brand prices now that the risk for garbage service is to great to justify.

 @mtbforlife4: yeah, a few years back canyon had a real edge with their prices, now I'm basically getting the same spec for the same price from Trek and Specialized. Had a few issues with my Slash and Top Fuel, everything got resolved within a week. Canyon was a month if you were lucky.

 I think SRAM may have an opening for that position also. Apparently if you install pedals it voids the warranty on their cranks. Not joking, they voided mine for iNstAlLiNg PeDaLs WrOnG despite the fact metal shards were hanging out of the threads when it came out of the box. Love flushing $300 down the drain on month old cranks.

Hell, Fox even has a line in their job posting about their tech staff being "empowered" to question whether something should be under warranty or not. Get your feeling of empowerment over your fellow human by telling them: "No, you put air in this, it isn't covered under warranty"!

 Err.. Well.. we'll start off with a 6month internship.. etc etc......

 Is it common to display the salary (or at least a range) on the other side of the channel ? In France you very rarely see anything related to the salary. The proper discussions on it generally occurs at the 2nd or 3rd interview.
It's very interesting to see how these kind of topics are discussed/managed abroad !

 The EWS "creator" job is £22K, which is appalling. Things like that are why I got out of the creative world and into...*looks around...culture. Doh!

 I wouldn’t even consider applying for a role unless a salary range is in the advert. It basically says ‘we will always try and get you for as cheap as possible and don’t really care about your life’

 @redrook: you can literally earn more as a retail sales assistant, that’s pathetic.

 @Aksel31: and then you find out after 2-3 rounds that they aren’t paying well enough and you’ve wasted all that time!

 @rich-2000: Err not quit like that. I mean I know a rough estimate of what is the salary for the job I apply for (depending on the company, the position ...). + I know what my current situation is and the raise I want (depending on responsabilities of the job, my experience ...).
But in the end to refine it and to propose a relevant salary expectation during the interview, the best is to know someone working in the company, or to find some information on the web. I agree, it is not the easiest or the most robust way, but it is what it is.

 @ilovedust: That's for higher end high paying jobs, for lowly stuff like customer service it should be right there.

 @Aksel31: since no one answered your question, no salaries are not usually posted with the job in the US. As in, I’ve literally never seen it. Not sure about Scotland though.

 @ilovedust: Headhunting and advertising jobs are two very different things. Yes you can negotiate salary within a range, but if the job description and person spec are competently written then the parameters and requirements should be clear and so should the compensation. At the very least the salary range should be visible. Because of my experience I got my job near the top of the salary range, but I still knew what that range was when I applied, and the potential lower end I would receive too.

 @Aksel31: As you say, you have a pretty good idea based on position, location, etc. Salary ranges seem to be much tighter in France (my impression as someone living here), whereas in the US, it's much more likely to get an insultingly low salary offer, no benefits, etc. And in this case people are extra distrustful since it's the bike industry.

 @ilovedust: might be industry dependent. Certainly if I were looking for a new job I'd expect to see ranges, which is backed up by most of the adverts displaying something:

www.jobsite.co.uk/jobs/mechanical-engineer/in-cheltenham?radius=20&s=header

 @embi: Except that's not how it works, and anyone who actually runs a business in the real world knows the importance of building relationships and the value of employers. Only an idiot would assume that someone is trying to sell the least amount of work, because only an idiot would assume that people don't want to work, particularly at something they enjoy.
A free market, particularly in skilled jobs, relies on people being valued, and valuing their work, and utilising opportunities. If what you say is true, there's no motivation for people to do so, and consequently no way for them to demonstrate their value and progress.
I'd suggest you don't bandy around economic theory without knowing what you're talking about

 @embi: Sorry, but in my business that's definitely not how it works. I want to attract the best talent (I don't own the business but I do run the HR) and that's definitely not how you get it. By paying a low amount you immediately alienate a lot of the people you want to attract. You seem to be confusing a business relationship for a win-lose scenario. In a functioning business relationship, things work well for both sides. That's how you make things last and how you build sustainability into your business.
Free market has nothing to do with it, as the supply/demand is unclear. At present, it's really more of a seller's market in my sector (i.e. employee's, as there are more jobs than quality candidates). The same may be different in other sectors, but you can't make a broad generalisation.
"That's how a free market works" tends to be something said by people who don't know how a free market works.

 @Blackhat: Colorado requires the salary to be disclosed IIRC

 @embi what do the balls of capitalism taste like?

 @BobbyHillbomb: Lol, he's clearly been licking them without figuring out what they even are.

 @embi Aaaaaand that archaic thinking is why there is a "labor shortage" in the states.

 @Blackhat: I don’t know wtf you are talking about.

 @rich-2000: nah I just got hired for a role where salary wasn't disclosed until the offer was made and it was on the high side of what I was expecting. Some companies just like to keep their pay scales hush hush.

 @WY228: its also why US manufacturers got their asses handed to them by the Japanese 40 or so years ago who have a much more collectivist culture. North Americans still often think it's clever to pit suppliers against each other to get the lowest input prices, but then you just get shit inputs. Most of us figured out centuries ago that we can have more by working together, but there's always a few who don't get it. Group hug everyone lol!

 @friendlyfoe:

You were lucky then.
For some roles where I’ve been contacted by an internal recruiter / HR talent spotter if they want to set a first interview up then I won’t proceed unless they give me the salary range....

 "Wait, you guys are getting paid?!"

 @ilovedust:
Thats strange because I know roughly what all my friends earn because I ask them. And I’ll happily tell them if they ask me. Its a stigma we need to get over as a nation because the only winners are the companies...

 @BobbyHillbomb: They taste like fairness? You get paid what you're worth, bottom line. The problem is people who think they are worth more than they are. I think they are called "whiners".

 @rich-2000: I guess I am in a unique position that I've chosen a path that is not exactly well defined. If your work is very structured then companies will pay you based on being able to perform XYZ tasks. That being said I have always been willing to put my self in a position of low pay if it was a great experience, knowing that in a year from now if the company wasn't willing to pay what I was worth it would be easy for me to get a job somewhere else. If you focus on jobs that will be great experience I think it sets you up better in the long run because then the company has incentive to pay you more in the future so as not to lose you.

 @rich-2000: exactly, never had a problem discussing wages with friends or other employees. Being a lead carpenter remodeling houses I regularly evaluate new helpers and will either get them out because there experience will never match the pay and others who work hard and learn quickly will get the recognition and get a bump in there starting wage. Normally they start at $14hr and If there worth a damn they get bumped to $16hr. That's for a basic helper position with very basic skills like using power tools and reading a measuring tape. Mostly they clean up and get tools while watching and learning about the different processes. Eventually they gain enough experience to become a lead themselves earning between $21-$28hr after about 3yrs or so if there worth a darn.

 @friendlyfoe: absolutely great idea when you're in your teens to early 30's, but you can only leave so much money on the table for so long before it becomes a detriment to your bottom line. If you're able to increase your wages yr over yr or from job to job then you set a precedent for what the next job needs to pay you. I've made that process work for the most part of the past 20yrs. When I accepted way less money to stay at the right place(current employer) it took 3yrs to go from 16hr to 28hr. That's a alot of money left on the table over a 3yr period. No new skills were learned, just proving my worth to people who have a high standard for the employees they hire.

 Gotta match that PPM quality model.

 Yea or being constantly told by the bean counters to make it less reliable otherwise they won’t sell as many replacements

 Comes with a whole tribe of free dental care.

 That'll be the end of your lunch rides. Heck, that will be the end of your lunch too. From now on, there will always be someone scrutinizing your teeth.

 Starting salary better be 6 figures and I don't mean in pesos or yen

 @sjma: you can get six figures, sure. Just two of them are after the decimal point!

 I have 30+ years experience in this field.

 perhaps someone from Sick Bicycle could handle the complaints

 No so bad, there are no bikes to order, so no bikes to go wrong. It does amaze me - YT bring out the capra and its not available for 18 months. Canyon bring out the new spectral, its in stock and on your doorstep 5 days later.

 I guess that is a £100k plus yr job. Going on the skills and experience you would need to be successful in that position. Some how I don’t think excellence is in YT’s vocabulary.

 Maybe I’m lucky, but I’ve always had great customer service from YT. Had 2 or 3 issues dealt with promptly by Germany, and then this year they replaced my carbon Tues frame due to a hairline crack that I wasn’t even sure was there, and that was the YT UK gang.

 you mean the Juliana bike ?

 I think the pay cut to work in industry very much depends on the position. It is one thing when you still make 6 figures. When the pay isn't enough to live on, that's what people are whining about

 6 figures isn’t much when ya live in golden. Or ya gotta commute for an hour from Denver.

 @Cahris: 6 figures isn’t that much in Seattle either, but like I said everything is a trade off.

 @adrennan: agreed, I fully understand people need to pay for a place to live and food to eat. I don’t think the pay issue is exclusive to the outdoor industry though. I’d wager that a lot of retail companies have the same issues, which is why they are struggling to find people right now. Unfortunately a lot of companies have only one other option, and that’s not hire at all. So it comes down to : is something better than nothing and someone somewhere will take the job even if it pays less than the company next door.

 @dpars63: I understand what you’re saying however the trade off shouldn’t be on you. Brands need to step up and realize it shouldn’t be normalized to take a 50% pay reduction and expect to live in a high cost location just to ‘get to work in the bike industry’. PNW, Asheville, Colorado, NE are alll terribly expensive and where these brands are located. The other one that burns me is the lunch ride. Lol like unless you’re letting your crew manage their own 2+ hr lunch but instead watch the clock not get past 61 mins then you aren’t offering anything.

 @Cahris: I totally get that those areas are expensive, and yet minimum wage will never be 100k. As someone on the opposite side of the money issue I can first hand tell you the trade off will always be on the employee. I make great money, but I am expected to be available 24/7 and taking vacation often means simply working remotely while pissing off my wife because I’m not engaged. That’s the expectation in big tech and it comes with the highest payout because of it. Now in theory then the yeti job could be the same, but at that point no would stay there OR they would only have sub par engineering because they would only attract people who can’t do anything else. My gut tells me it’s not like that only because yeti is not trying to take over the world by doing everything, they are just trying to make kick ass bikes. As far as the lunch ride goes, the 10 direct reports to the person who will get that job are probably all salaried engineers, and it’s not a time issue, rather they have deadlines and if they have to stay later because they went on a two hour ride then again, that’s the trade off they are making. But again, in a pre civid world taking a lunch in my industry was often frowned upon, let alone saying I’ll be back after my bike ride. Covid changed that, but I expect in 2022/2023 it will be back to that.

 FIGJAM?

 Yeah especially customer service.

 I would love to see Waki handling customer service, really do, I mean, I will break a frame just to be able to talk with him XD

 But they used to distribute them (look on the fork decals)

 @ThiloSchmidt-Werthern: Used to isn't does.

you'd think an updated image wouldn't be that hard...

 @conoat: Next they will be looking for a new marketing director

 A design technique first perfected by Trek and Santa Cruz I should add.

 Specialized is looking for A LOT of people.
Highlight on the "Mechnical Engineering Manager – e-Bike Frames" position in Switzerland: boards.greenhouse.io/specialized/jobs/3572815

 @robinlechevallier: Thank you sir!

 Virginia to CO seems like a no brainer…

 @mtbforlife4: Seems like it but Roanoke is sick. I dont have to drive a car to do any outdoor recreation. There's a mountain and a river right in the city, low cost of living, downtown is never busy and it snows once or twice a year.

 No, I want that job! But unfortunately the salary is a pittance compared to my current job in the construction sector.

 @AckshunW: it starts at 50K and goes up from there with no college degree needed.... Call me old fashioned but thats pretty damn good for bike industry.

 @tacolord:
“For the bike industry”—- well 10k taken for taxes, 20k for a 10-year-old Tacoma, 10k for a bike with Kashima, that only leaves 10k for food and housing for the whole year!

 @tacolord: in Colorado that’s nearly minimum wage

 @DHhack: In Roanoke 50K is nearly 6 figures lol