Thrift Store Associate
APA! BACKGROUND: Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads 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 its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.
The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.
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. The Thrift Store Associate is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. 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 plays a key role in advancing the goals of APA!’s Thrift Store Department. This position contributes directly to APA!’s mission to increase the live release rate across Texas by supporting a sustainable, inclusive, and high-impact model for thrift store operations. The Thrift Store Associate is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high-quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands-on, mission-driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.
APA! is a volunteer-powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Thrift Store Associate collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day-to-day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect. This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need. Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:- Actively contribute to a volunteer-powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
- Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
- Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
- Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
- Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
- Contribute to a positive culture by recognizing volunteer contributions through appreciation, gratitude, and shoutouts
- Help set volunteers up for success by clearly explaining tasks, providing hands-on guidance, and offering in-the-moment support
- 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
- Regular, dependable attendance & punctuality
- 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.
- A primary role of this position is to engage and drive new and existing volunteers to the store
- Use APA! Volunteer software such as Better Impact and Airtable to engage volunteers
- Touch base with volunteers on a regular basis (once every two weeks)
- Create a recognition program for store volunteers
- Use events such at Second Chance Saturdays to recruit new volunteers
- Ensure there is current signage in store for volunteers to sign up
- Work with the Store Manager on incentive ideas the store can roll out for volunteer engagement
- Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
- Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
- Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
- Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
- Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and support volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
- Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
- Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
- Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment
- Comfortable working autonomously when given goals and deadlines
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
- Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
- Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
- Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
- Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
- Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
- Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials
- Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
- Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
- Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
- Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
- Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience
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, based on business need
- 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):
- Oltorf Thrift 1409 West Oltorf Street Austin, TX 78704
- Burnet Thrift 5801 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78756
- 51st Thrift 5102 Clarkson Ave Austin, TX 78751
- Round Rock Thrift 913 N IH-35, Round Rock, TX, 78664
- Pflugerville Thrift 15803 Windermere Dr Pflugerville, TX 78660
- May travel to other locations as needed
BENEFITS: All employees are eligible for access to an Employee Assistance Program, Discounted Perks Programs, fully subsidized Pet Insurance 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
[email protected] at least one week in advance of your interview.
