Thrift Store Manager
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.
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APA! Thrift began in May 2017 with its 1st thrift store location on Burnet Rd, and we just recently opened our fifth store in Pflugerville! 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.
POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The Thrift Store Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations over an individual APA! Thrift store and in leading the on-site volunteer and staff teams to maximize profits and impact. This is a full-time, exempt position, with an average of 40 hours per week. The Thrift Store Manager reports to the Retail Operations Manager.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Manage staff and volunteers by providing ongoing support through effective communication, clear expectations, and mentorship, as well as ensuring policies and procedures are being followed, revenue targets are being met, signage and all store aesthetics are per APA! and APA! Thrift brand standards, etc.
- Ensure staff and volunteers are receiving adequate and updated training so as to be the strongest possible assets for APA! Thrift
- Provide ongoing appreciation to staff and volunteers to keep engagement high
- Assist with creating, implementing, and updating policies and procedures as needed and ensure updates are disseminated and implemented by staff and volunteers
- Assist with sourcing and coordination of in-store events targeting local student populations, organizations and businesses with the goal of driving as many new customers to the store as possible
- Oversee compliance of staff with all established agency policies and procedures
- Work with Human Resources to facilitate staff recruitment, selection, and onboarding
- Maintain a neat, clean, and organized store environment at all times
- Responsible for the overall productivity results in the store
- Drive operational efficiencies to help minimize risk and protect the store's assets
- Maintain safe working conditions for staff, volunteers, contractors, vendors, and customers
- Create and administer work schedules to ensure proper workforce coverage
- Provide regular reports to the Retail Operations Manager, which reviews and evaluates the activities and progress to date
- Collaborate across other APA! department leaders to optimize resources and initiatives
- Assist with marketing initiatives, including the building and maintaining of relationships with local businesses, ensuring APA! Thrift engages in maximum cross-promotion opportunities and receives maximum support from local businesses while ensuring that such initiatives are aligned with the APA! Marketing and Communications team
- Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
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 react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
- Able to work evenings and weekends as needed
- Able to work in a high volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
- All new store managers will be required to go through a 5 week training program that will take place at the Burnet location, or another location as designated by APA!
- In the event a store location is not available after the training program (due to new store lease negotiations, construction delays, or other new store openings issues) you may be asked to work at another existing location to expand personal training and development as a Thrift Store Manager, until a permanent store can be assigned.
- During the training period, or interim temporary store assignment, participation in sales incentive programs may be permitted on a discretionary basis.
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:
- Love of animals that helps keep the mission close to heart and a commitment to the No Kill cause is essential!
- 5+ years of retail management experience preferred with a proven track record of success
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and prioritize workload to manage multiple projects with strict deadlines
- Must be a collaborative team player who can both nurture and develop staff and volunteers
- Proven leadership ability, as well as strength in building internal partnerships
- Strong personnel management and retail operations knowledge, including inventory control, loss prevention, retail systems, merchandising, customer service and store budget preparation
- Energetic, self-motivated self-starter, flexible and adaptable with a sense of humor
- Able to multitask and work independently within a small, hands-on work environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills a must
- Computer proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint (G Suite is a plus)
- Must embody APA!'s Core Values of Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion
- Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
- 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
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Work is normally performed inside the Thrift Store; some outside work is required (events, accepting donations, etc)
- Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, high levels of noise, animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people
LOCATION(S):
- Round Rock Thrift: 913 N Interstate Hwy 35
- May travel to other offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS:
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including up to 95% subsidy on employer sponsored medical coverage, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, supplemental benefits, subsidized pet insurance, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 6 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with a third week of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employee's will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!'s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work.
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.
Pay Range: $47,000 per year