Closing Keyholder / Sales & Hospitality Associate — PT/FT

The Spice & Tea Exchange; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Sales bonus

Holiday premium

Roth 401k

Employee discounts

Training program

Career growth

Job summary

The Spice & Tea Exchange is a specialty culinary hospitality company with experiential retail stores. We’re looking for an experienced Closing Keyholder/Sales & Hospitality Associate to lead evening closures, manage keys and security, and deliver memorable guest experiences.

This role blends hospitality and sales in a fast-paced setting, with training on our systems and standards and opportunities for growth beyond the store role.

Qualifications

• Previous Keyholder/closing shift‑lead experience REQUIRED.
• Experience as retail or hospitality Keyholder or manager‑on‑duty.
• Ability to open and/or close a location and handle cash accurately.

Responsibilities

• warmly welcome guests and help them discover products.
• Sell through hospitality by engaging guests and making recommendations.
• Lead the closing shift, ensure secure store closure and reconcile registers.
• Balance service with replenishment and merchandising in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicate clearly, take initiative, and contribute to a positive team.

Skills

Closing shift leadership

Cash handling

Guest service

Store security

Job description

Closing Keyholder / Sales & Hospitality Associate — PT/FT

Not Your Ordinary Retail Job

What if your next job let you create memorable guest experiences, talk about food and flavor, build real sales and leadership skills, and take ownership of a store closing shift?

We are more than a specialty retail shop. We are an experiential culinary hospitality company that also operates exceptional retail stores. Our stores are places where guests discover flavor through spices, teas, seasonings, culinary gifts, education and conversation—and our business is expanding into tastings, events, community programming, hospitality partnerships and other culinary experiences. Here is a short video you can watch: https://youtu.be/LBIKui96vYE?si=ZEUld3r-iJreVN6E

We're looking for an experienced Closing Keyholder / Sales & Hospitality Associate who can bring energy to the sales floor and confidently take responsibility for the store during assigned evening closing shifts.

Previous Keyholder Experience Is REQUIRED

Since this is not an entry‑level Keyholder training position. You must have previous experience as a retail or hospitality Keyholder, closing shift leader, manager‑on‑duty or comparable person‑in‑charge where you were personally trusted with responsibilities such as:

• Opening and/or closing a location
• Keys, alarms and store security
• Cash handling and register reconciliation
• Leading a shift when senior management was not present
• Handling routine guest/customer escalations
• Ensuring required closing procedures were completed accurately

We'll train you on our systems and standards. You should already understand what it means to be entrusted with the building, the close and the team working with you.

What You’ll Do

Create Memorable Guest Experiences - Warmly welcome guests, start conversations, ask great questions and help people discover products that elevate their cooking, gifting and entertaining.

Turn Hospitality Into Sales - We believe great selling is an extension of great hospitality. You'll confidently engage guests, uncover what interests them, make thoughtful recommendations and introduce products they may not have discovered on their own. This is an active sales environment—not a stand‑behind‑the‑register‑and‑wait retail job.

Own the Close - When scheduled as the Closing Keyholder/PIC, you'll help lead the shift and ensure the store closes correctly and securely. That includes directing closing priorities, supporting coworkers, resolving routine guest issues, reconciling registers and completing required security and closing procedures.

Protect the Guest Experience While Getting Things Done - Guests come before tasks. You'll balance proactive service and selling with replenishment, recovery, merchandising, cleanliness and closing responsibilities in a fast‑paced environment.

Lead by Example - You don't need to be a manager to demonstrate leadership. We expect our Keyholders to communicate clearly, take initiative, help redirect priorities when needed and contribute to a positive, accountable team environment.

Keep Learning - You'll build knowledge of spices, teas and culinary products while developing transferable skills in hospitality, sales, communication, problem‑solving and leadership.

We’re Growing Beyond Traditional Retail

We're evolving into a broader experiential culinary hospitality company, creating opportunities around areas such as:

• Culinary tastings and experiences
• Private, corporate and community events
• Hospitality and tourism partnerships
• Educational programming
• Gifting and special programs
• Brand activations and community outreach

These activities are not required of every Closing Keyholder, but we’re particularly interested in people who are curious about where the business is going and may want to contribute beyond their core store role as they grow with us.

You’ll Probably Thrive Here If You…

• Have previous Keyholder / closing shift‑lead experience — REQUIRED
• Get energy from interacting with people
• Enjoy starting conversations rather than waiting for customers to approach you
• Are comfortable selling and working toward performance goals
• Like variety, pace and having multiple things happening at once
• Take initiative when you see something that needs attention
• Are dependable enough to be trusted with keys, cash and store security
• Can give appropriate direction to coworkers when you’re the person in charge
• Stay calm and make sound decisions when something unexpected happens
• Follow procedures even when no manager is watching
• Enjoy food, cooking, tea, gifting, hospitality or culinary discovery
• Like learning something well enough to teach or recommend it
• Want a role where strong performance can lead to broader responsibilities

You do not need to arrive as a spice or tea expert. Curiosity, learning ability, hospitality instincts and the willingness to confidently engage guests matter much more.

Schedule

We are hiring for part‑time and potentially full‑time availability, with a specific need for reliable evening/closing coverage. Weekend and seasonal availability are important in our business. Because this position exists specifically to strengthen our closing leadership team, candidates must be able to work regular closing shifts.

Compensation & Benefits

$17.50–$20.00/hour plus bonus, based on relevant experience, demonstrated capability and availability.

Eligible team members may also have access to:

• Team sales‑performance bonus opportunities
• Premium pay for designated high‑demand holiday shifts
• Roth retirement savings program
• Employee product benefits/discounts
• Structured training and development
• Opportunities to grow into expanded sales, training, operational or leadership responsibilities

Our Culture

Our mission is to create joyful, memorable experiences through the discovery of flavor. Our team works around five core principles:

• Guest First — Customers come before tasks.
• Enthusiasm & Energy — Bring curiosity and excitement to every interaction.
• Sales Through Education — Knowledge, recommendations and stories create both guest delight and strong sales.
• Team Accountability — Support each other, finish what you start and own your performance.
• Continuous Growth — Learn, accept feedback and keep getting better.

“We create joy for our customers and growth for ourselves—every shift, every interaction.”

Please review our Culture Card before applying: https://tinyurl.com/4su3bmft

Ready to Join Us?

If you’ve already earned the responsibility of being trusted with a store’s keys and closing shift—and you’re looking for something more engaging than another routine retail job—we’d like to meet you.