Thrift Store & Donations Coordinator

Do you have a natural talent for creating meaningful connections? Do you share a passion for providing exceptional customer service experiences, meeting sales goals, and enjoy working in a dynamic work environment? Aunt Leah’s Social Enterprise team is seeking 2 creative and driven individuals to join their team as Retail Thrift & Donation Coordinators! 

 About Us:

For over 25 years, Aunt Leah’s Social Enterprises have been raising money to fund programs that help prevent youth in foster care from becoming homeless and mothers in need from losing custody of their children. Join one of Canada’s top 10 impact charities and gain valuable non-profit experience while supporting Aunt Leah’s vision of building brighter futures for foster kids.

Aunt Leah’s Social Enterprises are comprised of: Thrift Store, Online Store, Donation Centre, and seasonal Christmas Tree sales at pop-up lots around Greater Vancouver. The Donation Centre, located in south Vancouver at 8380 St. George Street, is our hub for the selection and distribution of donated clothing, shoes, household items, and furniture that support our Thrift Store sales, online sales via Shopify, re-direction to other community organizations, and furnishing assisted living suites. The Thrift Store is located on Fraser St in the growing Mt. Pleasant neighborhood and sells women’s and men’s clothing, furniture, and other household items. Aunt Leah’s Christmas Tree sales operate from mid-November to Christmas Eve each year and is one of our significant annual fundraisers.

Job Summary: Primarily works as a cooperative member of the Retail Thrift Store & Donations Team, optimizing entrepreneurial business through the Aunt Leah’s Thrift Store and Donation Centre to raise funds to help prevent children in care from becoming homeless and mothers in need from losing custody of their children. The Donations Centre is responsible for selecting and distributing donated products that support our Thrift Store sales, online sales via Shopify, re-direction to other community organizations, recycling, and furnishing supported living suites. The Thrift Store sells gently used women’s and men’s clothing, furniture, and other household items. This role coordinates all aspects of Retail Thrift and Donations operations including supervision of volunteers; enhancing customer satisfaction; meeting sales and profitability goals; creating new and maintaining positive relationships with donors; identifying and selecting quality products, and contributing to store marketing through community engagement initiatives.

Reports To: Acting Social Enterprises Lead

Qualifications:

• 1 to 2 years of small business management or supervisory experience; or a relevant combination of education and experience will be considered
• Business, social service, or non-profit experience is an asset

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

•  Flexibility and ability to manage multiple priorities
•  Excellent Interpersonal & Team Building Skills
•  Ability to work independently
• Multicultural Awareness & Sensitivity
• Knowledge of retail management best practices
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Knowledge of e-commerce platforms; familiarity with Shopify is considered a
• Excellent Donor Relations Skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word & Excel) suite; Outlook
• Supervisory/Management Skills; collaborates with Volunteer Coordinator &
• Fundraising Specialist in providing direction and supervision to volunteers </li?>

Requirements:

•  Undergo & maintain satisfactory Criminal Record Check & Local Police Check
•  Standard First Aid required
•  Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
•  A valid Class 5 B.C driver’s license and access to a vehicle
•  Clear driver’s abstract
•  This job requires the ability to stand for long periods with frequent twisting, bending, crouching, and reaching; the ability to lift/move up to 50 pounds is required
•  Agrees to the Society’s Code of Ethics
•  Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends

 Self-directed with the ability to work independently

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Retail Thrift and Donations Coordinator: Works in collaboration with the Social Enterprises Team to ensure store profitability through sales, events, donation management, and exceptional customer service. Shifts will be at Aunt Leah’s Thrift and Aunt Leah’s Donation Center. Shifts will be scheduled as required during the Christmas Treelots season.

1. Retail Thrift & Donations Coordinator Duties include:

• Customer Service: Models and delivers exceptional customer service to provide the best service to

  our customers on their terms which may require all employees to be flexible and open to occasionally performing work/duties in other departments. Responsible for responding to all customer queries and complaints in a timely manner.

• In-Kind Donor Relations: Manages the ‘Love to- Give’ Donation Program by maintaining positive relations with donors and donating companies and seeking out new partnerships. Establishes positive relations with individuals and companies who donate goods to the Donation Centre.

• Marketing: Works with the Communications & Marketing team to ensure that all advertising and publicity has an optimum advantage. Exceeds revenue goals by marketing, advertising, show-casing profitable products and arranging sales events. Assists the Social Enterprises Operations Coordinator with the on-line e-commerce operations, including inventory selection, pricing, and order fulfillment.

• Product Selection & Merchandising: Maintains exceptional store condition by making suitable sales floor product selection and following visual merchandising standards. Overseeing pricing, and handling merchandise replenishment. Handles all inventory management, such as product selection, pricing, folding, hanging, and visual merchandising.

• Operations: Ensures all store operations are running smoothly and efficiently, including rotating of goods through the Donations Centre Warehouse and Thrift Store. Ensures all operations are running smoothly, including but not limited to assisting Social Enterprises Operations Coordinator with inventory transfers, request deliveries and unloading donations, and driving in support of donation pick-ups. This role will support Aunt Leah’s Christmas Tree Sales operations throughout various pop- up locations in the Greater Vancouver area from mid-November to Christmas Eve each year.

• Volunteers: Collaborates with the Volunteer Coordinator in the process of training and supervision of the Social Enterprise volunteers in the Thrift Store and Donations Centre.

• Reporting: Involved with tracking outcomes measurement (e.g. store traffic, changes in demographics, etc.) and participation in the yearly Outcomes Report. Responsible for reporting donation amounts and distribution of donations. Prepares monthly sales reports and annual Retail Thrift and Donations financial outcome reports

• E-Commerce & Social Media: Assists with online e-commerce operations, including inventory selection, pricing, and order fulfillment. Assists with content creation of Aunt Leah Thrift Store social media platforms.

• Social Enterprise Employment Training: Works in support of the Employment Training Program at the Thrift Store and Donation Center in providing opportunities for participants to gain work experience and utilize acquired employment skills.

• Donation Centre Duties: Will be required to perform an array of functions that may include ensuring all store and Donation Centre operations are running smoothly and efficiently, accepting and processing incoming stock and materials, picking and filling orders from stock, packing and shipping orders or managing, organization, and retrieving stock in the warehouse. Assists in posting items for sale in online sources.

• Delivery Duties: May be required to perform an array of functions including donation pick-ups between individuals and companies, donation drop-offs, and inter-store transfers between the Thrift Store and Donation Centre. Ensures all merchandise, including donations, is appropriately disposed of or redirected.

2. Financial Responsibilities:
   • Oversees all record keeping and cash handling in accordance with Thrift Store and Donation Centre operational policies and procedures
   • Tracking donor contributions to the ‘Love to Give’ donation program; including reporting of items given to youth and items prepared for Thrift Store sales
   • Tracking of in-kind donations redirected to external donation organizations and items provided to youth
   • Ensures that Risk Management Procedures are followed in the Thrift Store and Donation Centre
   • Assists Social Enterprise Lead in budget management of the Thrift Store; monitors revenues and expenses

3.Health and Safety:

• Ensures that the Thrift Store is maintained to Society standards and according to the Thrift Store policies and procedures manual by ensuring the store environment is clean, safe, and secure
• Ensures Donation Centre is maintained to Society standards and according to the Donation Center policies and procedures manual by ensuring the Thrift Store environment is clean, safe, and secure
• Conducts regular emergency drills with volunteers; checks safety devices in-store and Donations Center monthly
• Ensures volunteers are knowledgeable of workplace Health and Safety and emergency procedures. Participates in the annual review of Aunt Leah’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures

4.    Communication:

• Submits Weekly and Monthly Sales Reports to the Acting Operations Director
• Attends team meetings, Staff Development, and Development Meetings as required
• Seeks direction from supervisor in crisis situations
• Oversees and maintains the Store Communication Log

5.      Physical Demands:

• This job requires the ability to stand for long periods with frequent twisting, bending, crouching, and reaching; the ability to lift/move up to 50 pounds is required
• May be required to work outdoors in all weather conditions at Greater Vancouver pop- ups selling Christmas Trees from mid-November to mid-December

6.      Work Environment:

• Hours of work are generally 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week; scheduled Sunday to Thursday or Tuesday to Saturday (2 positions available) with some flexibility required to work a variety of shifts as needed. The schedule may change based on operational needs
• Regular work shifts will be scheduled at Aunt Leah’s Donation Center, Thrift Store, and seasonal Christmas Tree Lots
• Occasional work shifts at Aunt Leah’s New Westminster and Vancouver offices may be required based on the needs of the business

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: As of January 4, 2022, Aunt Leah’s Place has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination policy. Aunt Leah’s Place strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (2 doses) for COVID-19. Rather than a mandatory vaccine policy, we are implementing a voluntary disclosure of vaccination. Employees will fill out a “voluntary disclosure” form indicating their vaccination status. Employees that do not wish to voluntarily disclose their vaccination status will be considered unvaccinated for operational planning purposes. The voluntary disclosure form will be included in the hiring process.

Living Wage Employer: As a certified living wage employer, we are committed to compensating our employees a living wage that allows working families to support the healthy development of their children and participate in the social, civic and cultural lives of their communities. Embracing a living wage policy aligns with our Strategic Goals and provides our staff a great place to work!

We Offer: A comprehensive benefits package that includes: dental, extended health care including vision care and prescription, RRSP matching, generous vacation, and personal time package, and an employee discount at our Thrift Store.

Salary: Starting at $24.00 an hour

To Apply: Please send your resume and cover letter, quoting Retail Thrift & Donations Coordinator in the subject line, to [email protected]. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Thank you for your interest in joining Aunt Leah’s Independent Life Skills Society!

We encourage qualified people of all gender expressions and identities, sexual orientations, visible minorities, Indigenous persons, and persons with disabilities to apply if you are interested in supporting our mission and mandate and like what we have to offer.