Thrift Store Associate

APA; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Austin Pets Alive! is seeking a part-time Thrift Store Associate to assist in daily operations of their boutique thrift stores. The position involves supporting customer service, supervising volunteers, and ensuring effective store operations to support animal welfare programs. Ideal candidates should possess strong customer service skills and a commitment to the organization's mission.

Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Fully subsidized pet telehealth

Discounted Perks Programs

Qualifications

• Retail and/or customer service experience preferred.
• Effective written and verbal skills.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Assist customers in all aspects of service.
• Ensure optimal daily store operation.
• Supervise and train volunteers.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Time management

Teamwork

Job description

APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no-kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no-kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project, a collaborative movement of more than 10,000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,900 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: APA! Thrift began in May 2017 with its 1st thrift store location on Burnet Rd, and we now operate 5 stores in the Austin area! Our stores are boutique-style, selling high quality new and gently used items for low prices. All net proceeds directly support the innovative lifesaving programs of Austin Pets Alive!, a 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization. APA!’s Thrift Store Associate consistently delivers strong sales and service results. The Thrift Store Associate will ensure that the store is properly staffed, team members are on task, and shelves are clean, organized and well-stocked. We are counting on the Thrift Store Associate to work closely with volunteers to keep the business operating smoothly during your assigned shift. This is a part-time, non-exempt (hourly) position. Shifts may vary depending on the needs of the organization and may include evenings and weekends. The Thrift Store Associate reports to the Thrift Store Manager. The Thrift Store Associate is responsible for supervising and training/retraining volunteers on procedures and assisting with creating a volunteer schedule.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Supports the front of house (FOH) team
• Assist customers in all aspects of service and create enhanced shopping experiences
• Ensure the store's optimal daily operation, including ensuring volunteers are assigned to the most urgent tasks and generally running the store per the store's standard operating procedures
• Maintain a professional attitude with sincerity and enthusiasm reflecting APA!’s commitment to our customers
• Greet donors and help them with their incoming donations
• Resolve customer complaints in a fair and impartial matter referring all unsettled disputes to the Store Manager
• Answer the phone and be friendly and helpful to all incoming phone calls
• Be knowledgeable of and perform sales support functions related to point-of-sale procedures
• Adhere to work schedule set by the Store Manager
• Assist in performing daily administrative/clerical functions of store operations and cash transactions
• Maintain the general appearance of stores and premises according to APA! Thrift standards
• Assist the Store Manager with the overall operation of the retail store.
• Open and close the store as necessary
• May be responsible for activities in the absence of the Store Manager; ie, act as the manager on duty in the event that a managerial decision needs to be made relating to pricing, urgent maintenance issues, etc.
• Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
• Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
• Able to react to change productively and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:

• Retail and/or customer service experience preferred
• Communication Skills: Effective written and verbal skills, ability to interpret instructional documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals
• Reasoning Ability: Self-starter, able to work independently and as part of a team and must have good time management skills
• Must embody APA!'s Core Values of Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion
• Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to routinely stack, lift, and sort boxes and individual donations which may be up to or over 50 lbs.
• Must be able to access merchandise, tools, and other necessary items in places that may be out of reach from a standing or sitting position. Some stores have stairs-only access to areas that will be required for this position to work in on a daily basis.
• Can be on the sales floor providing active service for an entire 8 or 10-hour shift
• If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is normally performed inside the Thrift Store, some outside work may be required
• Uses own transportation to travel and transport
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs

TIME COMMITMENT:

• This is a part-time, nonexempt position with an average of 20 hours per week.
• Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to the Thrift Store Manager , or another individual designated by APA!.

LOCATION(S):

• May travel to other locations as needed

BENEFITS:

All employees are eligible for access to an Employee Assistance Program, fully subsidized pet telehealth and emergency coverage, Discounted Perks Programs and time-off incentives.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT

Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.

Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation.

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at [e-mail] at least one week in advance of your interview.