Floating Assistant Manager (Bookstore)

Compensation Range: $19/hr - $22/hr commensurate with experience 

Benefits: 
We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and text books. 

Overview: 

The Bookstore & Café Assistant Manager is one of the leaders responsible for the overall operation of the Bookstore & Café. Our ideal Assistant Manager is - first and foremost - an ambassador for Housing Works, prioritizing customer service over all other tasks. You must know, embody and actively communicate our Mission Statement, be active in the local community, and work to create an environment and culture that is reflective of the Housing Works Community Values.

The Assistant Manager must possess an entrepreneurial spirit with a talent for using existing resources to maximize revenue and profit. In this role, you will work alongside the Bookstore & Cafe Manager to lead the training and development of the team, empower employees to work together to reach organizational goals and objectives, and serve as their number one cheerleader and coach.

Responsibilities: 

Primary:

• Develop strategic and operational objectives for self and others to ensure work is completed efficiently. Adjust plan accordingly and celebrate success with the team.
• Responsible for revenue generation through multiple channels including but not limited to retail & café sales.
• Partner with the Bookstore & Café Manager for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, on-boarding, and training of employees and volunteers, ensuring understanding and compliance to standards, organizational goals and direction; including conducting progressive counseling as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with all Housing Works policies and procedures and ensuring that all organizational deadlines and directives are met.
• Understand and fully implement Housing Works’ customer service program, showcasing exemplary customer/donor service, including but not limited to greeting, saying thank you, explaining policies clearly and politely to the satisfaction of the customer, and by prioritizing assisting customers/donors over all other tasks.
• Ability to adapt to the changing needs of the business and to successfully execute new initiatives.
• Maintain food/supply inventory accordingly, manage vendor relationships
• Ensure all areas meet Department of Health codes

Secondary:

• Encourage teamwork and foster creativity. Recognize talent and help to develop individuals for advancement within the organization.
• Prepare fresh food & drinks daily, paying special attention to event schedule
• Assist and work cooperatively with private & public events to include set-up, breakdown, and cleaning as necessary
• Work collaboratively with other departments, including but not limited to Housing Works Thrift Shops, Development, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources and Ready for Work Program
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending training meetings/sessions and through independent study.
• Be a Housing Works Ambassador by knowing and communicating the Mission Statement, outreaching to the community, and participating in a minimum of four direct actions per year aimed at ending the twin crises of homelessness and HIV/AIDS.
• Perform all other duties as directed by supervisor and/or executive management

  Minimum Requirements:

• High School diploma or the equivalent; Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Some experience leading teams in a retail setting
• Working knowledge of the second-hand market to include the breadth of products offered in the Bookstore.
• Commitment to excellent customer service
• Barista, bar, or food service experience valued; training provided for those new to the field.
• NYC Food Protection Certificate must be obtained within 6 months
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Some Human Resource principles
• Flexibility in schedule; weekends and holidays are required; may be required to work over 40 hours a week as necessary with prior approval from Director of Bookstore or VP of Thrift Retail
  • Non-exempt employees are paid overtime at the rate of 1.5 times their hourly rate for all hours worked, more than 40 in each workweek. It is required that prior to working overtime, all non-exempt employees must have written authorization from the Bookstore Director or VP of Retail & Marketing.

The following additional competencies are viewed as important to success in this position:

• Self-starting, self-motivating mindset
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written), interpersonal and team-oriented skills
• Ability to make decisions under pressure, flexibility to course correct as necessary
• Ability to de-escalate, resolve, and prevent conflict
• Frequently required to stand, walk, kneel, and bend for long periods of time
• Frequently required to lift a minimum of 40 pounds.
• Frequently communicates (exchanges information, converse with, express oneself) with subordinates, vendors, supervisors, and community at large
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, articulations and instruction of policy and procedure. Coach staff in accordance with organizational policy and best practices.
• Occasionally exchange information in communication with individuals who are agitated, confrontational or difficult patrons from a variety of socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds
• Occasionally required to traverse public transportation to attend meetings and/or participate in presentations and training seminars
• Occasionally required to work at a computer approximately 10% of the time, 90% of the time will be interacting with staff and customers, this position may not be performed remotely

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at [email protected] 

Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information, visit  

 
Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services. 

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

Equal Opportunity Employer


This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.