Job description

About SecondBloom

SecondBloom Auctions is a niche advisory and auction firm focusing on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and industrial equipment sectors. Established by experts with a background in indoor cultivation and horticulture, the company handles equipment dispositions including UCC Article 9 liquidations and consignment sales on behalf of secured lenders, bankruptcy trustees, receivers, and others managing facility upgrades or closures. Our scope covers greenhouses, vertical farms, cannabis grow operations, and indoor produce businesses. We also run an online marketplace that facilitates equipment transactions industry-wide.

Our core mission is maximizing returns for sellers, mitigating risks for buyers, and ensuring valuable growing assets remain in use. As a compact and rapidly expanding team, we provide substantial responsibility and ownership from the outset.

Role Overview

This full-time onsite role is located in Northwest Indiana (Chesterton/Valparaiso area) with approximately 50% travel to various auction and project locations. The Operations Manager will oversee the entire execution of auction engagements—from initial intake to final settlement—and will contribute to developing scalable operational systems. You will be central to transforming equipment-filled facilities into organized, documented auctions and ensuring smooth transitions to buyers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the engagement process from asset intake and valuation through cataloging, sales conduction, payment collection, removal coordination, and final closure.
Perform site inspections to catalog equipment accurately, take photographs, and devise an effective lotting strategy with precise titles and descriptions.
Manage auction platforms by publishing catalogs, opening bidder registrations, monitoring live sales, and reconciling outcomes.
Handle invoicing, payment processing, manage tax paperwork like resale and exemption certificates, and oversee collections for any delinquencies.
Coordinate equipment removal logistics including scheduling load-outs, managing bills of lading, and supervising lot releases contingent on cleared payments and signed documentation.
Provide on-site operational assistance during removal phases, including staging, lot verification, and forklift operation, collaborating with rigging specialists who manage cranes and demolition.
Perform closure tasks such as reconciling engagements, processing leftover scrap and secondary sales, settling accounts, and archiving all related files.
Develop and refine standard operating procedures to drive continuous improvement as the business expands.

Qualifications and Skills

Experience in operations and logistics encompassing process improvement, inventory management, and workflow coordination.
Background in marketplaces, auctions, or e-commerce operations, with familiarity in vendor management, order fulfillment, online auction platforms, and payment systems.
Strong analytical capability and organizational skills, applying data-driven approaches to decision-making.
Proficient in business software including spreadsheets, inventory and tracking systems, project management, and document management tools.
Excellent communication and teamwork skills enabling effective collaboration with internal teams, vendors, buyers, and professional stakeholders such as lenders and counsel.
Comfortable working physically onsite, capable of operating forklifts, and able to travel about 50% of the time to active sites.
Preferred: experience related to agriculture, horticulture, or controlled environment agriculture; knowledge of liquidations, secured-party dispositions, or estate asset sales is advantageous.
Demonstrated ability to handle multiple priorities, work in fast-paced settings, and meet critical deadlines.
Bachelor’s degree in business, operations management, supply chain, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
Leadership experience including supervising teams, establishing procedures, and promoting continuous improvement initiatives.