PART-TIME HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATE

Company Overview

The Downtown Rescue Mission is a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to serving individuals experiencing homelessness across northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. For over 30 years, we have transformed lives by providing compassionate, Christ-centered services to those in need.

Position Overview

The Downtown Rescue Mission is seeking a motivated and dependable Part-Time Housewares Associate to join our thrift store team. The Housewares Associate is responsible for processing, pricing, stocking, organizing, and maintaining housewares merchandise while providing excellent customer service.

This position plays an important role in creating a clean, organized, and welcoming shopping environment. The ideal candidate is energetic, dependable, detail-oriented, and able to work well with customers, volunteers, and team members while supporting the Christian mission and values of the Downtown Rescue Mission.

Responsibilities

• Receive, sort, inspect, clean, price, and prepare donated housewares merchandise for sale.
• Stock shelves and displays with housewares merchandise, ensuring items are properly organized and attractively displayed.
• Maintain accurate merchandise organization and inventory according to store procedures.
• Assist customers with product questions and provide friendly, helpful customer service.
• Demonstrate knowledge of housewares merchandise and assist customers in locating products.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized sales floor, stockroom, and work area.
• Regularly straighten, organize, and replenish merchandise throughout the day.
• Identify damaged, broken, incomplete, or unsellable merchandise and follow proper procedures for removing those items.
• Assist with receiving, loading, unloading, and moving donated merchandise using safe lifting and handling practices.
• Operate appropriate material-handling equipment, such as pallet jacks and RF scanners, when trained and authorized.
• Assist with inventory counts and other inventory-control procedures.
• Follow proper pricing and merchandising standards.
• Work cooperatively with store management, employees, volunteers, and other team members.
• Follow all safety procedures and Downtown Rescue Mission policies and procedures.
• Assist other areas of the store as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Store Manager.

Skills and Qualifications

• Previous retail, thrift store, warehouse, housewares, or customer service experience preferred.
• Knowledge of retail merchandising, product placement, and inventory control preferred.
• Experience operating a pallet jack, RF scanner, or other material-handling equipment is a plus.
• Forklift experience is preferred but not required.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Basic math skills for pricing, counting merchandise, and inventory control.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities are a plus.
• Dependable, punctual, and willing to follow established procedures.
• Ability to interact respectfully and professionally with customers, donors, volunteers, and coworkers.
• Commitment to supporting the Christ-centered mission and values of the Downtown Rescue Mission.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, push, pull, and lift as required.
• Ability to repeatedly handle and move merchandise.
• Ability to safely lift and carry merchandise and boxes.
• Ability to perform physical duties associated with stocking, organizing, loading, and unloading merchandise.
• Ability to follow proper lifting and safety procedures.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Christian Workplace Expectations

Employees of the Downtown Rescue Mission are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Mission's Christian values. Employees should demonstrate compassion, integrity, respect, teamwork, honesty, and a willingness to serve others.

The Downtown Rescue Mission believes that work is more than a job—it is a calling. Every employee contributes to the Mission's purpose of serving people in need through compassionate, Christ-centered services.

Join us in making a meaningful impact while developing your skills in a dynamic environment!

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Downtown Rescue Mission is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, job requirements, and organizational needs.

Expected hours: No more than 28.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Employee discount
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person

Salary : $27,754 - $36,378