Thrift Store Manager

Thrift Store Manager

Reports to: Director of Financial Development                                                  Last Modified 01/26

Role Overview:
Help Create Life Change Through Second Chances 

At New Horizons Thrift Stores, our cause is to help create life change through second chances, one purchase, one life at a time. Our purpose is to provide our neighbors with a joyful thrifting experience through friendly service, high-quality finds, and fair pricing.

New Horizons Thrift Stores are a ministry of New Horizons Ministries. Our thrift stores exist to support life transformation, dignity, and restoration through meaningful work, hospitality, and stewardship.

The Thrift Store Manager is responsible for the overall leadership and performance of a New Horizons Thrift Store. The primary responsibility of this role is to carry out the purpose of New Horizons Thrift Stores by providing a joyful thrifting experience through friendly service, high-quality finds, and fair pricing.

This role leads and develops the store team within established organizational programs, policies, and guidelines, ensures excellent guest and donor experiences, and is accountable for sales, payroll, and operational results.

The Thrift Store Manager sets expectations, implements established systems, and holds leaders and team members accountable to standards that support both the mission and the business.

In addition to operational leadership, the Thrift Store Manager serves as a ministry team member of New Horizons Ministries and plays an active role in shaping and sustaining a Christ-centered, values-driven culture within the store.

Why Work at New Horizons Thrift Stores

This role offers the opportunity to lead a mission-driven retail operation where strong business practices, people-centered leadership, and Christ-centered ministry come together to create meaningful impact in the community.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

People Leadership

• Hire, onboard, train, and develop team members using established hiring, onboarding, training, and performance frameworks
• Coach performance and conduct regular feedback conversations in alignment with HR and employee handbook guidelines
• Address performance issues through corrective action and documentation when needed, following approved processes
• Make decisions related to promotion, role changes, and separation in partnership with HR and leadership guidelines
• Provide clear leadership and accountability to Assistant Managers and Department Leads

Hospitality and Guest Experience

• Ensure a welcoming, hospitable experience for guests and donors
• Model and reinforce friendly service and engagement standards
• Handle escalated customer concerns professionally and with care
• Ensure donors are greeted and supported at donation drop-off
• Maintain strong guest relationships that encourage repeat visits

Sales Leadership and Store Performance

The Thrift Store Manager owns the sales outcomes and sales culture of the store and is accountable for:

• Overall sales performance and trend analysis
• Daily and weekly sales pacing and momentum
• Labor allocation decisions that support sales and guest flow
• Floor readiness across all departments
• Department-level tradeoffs between production, merchandising, and selling
• Understanding and explaining why sales are performing as they are
• The Thrift Store Manager is expected to:
  • Ensure the conditions that drive sales are consistently in place, including full shelves, friendly service, and fair pricing
  • Set clear sales and guest experience expectations for leaders and team members
  • Coach Assistant Managers and Department Leads to execute sales priorities
  • Make real-time adjustments to protect the guest experience and sales momentum
  • Ensure the store is positioned to succeed each day through staffing, presentation, and flow

Financial and Business Performance

• Achieve sales and revenue goals within established pricing, promotion, and operating guidelines
• Manage payroll budgets and labor utilization in alignment with approved staffing models
• Build schedules aligned to staffing needs and budget expectations
• Monitor performance trends and implement adjustments within defined programs and expectations
• Oversee the purchase of resale food and drink items within approved vendor, budget, and margin guidelines
• Ensure margin goals are met for resale food and drink offerings

Operations, Safety, and Security

• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and employee handbook standards
• Maintain store safety, security, and access control according to established protocols
• Oversee opening and closing procedures as defined by company standards
• Ensure cash handling, deposits, and financial controls are followed
• Address incidents, emergencies, or policy issues appropriately using established escalation processes

Store Standards and Merchandising Oversight

• Ensure the store is clean, organized, and shoppable according to company standards
• Hold leaders accountable for product presentation and department standards within established merchandising guidelines
• Support consistent merchandising practices across the store

Ministry Leadership and Culture Building

• Serve as an active ministry team member of New Horizons Ministries
• Participate in staff spiritual development opportunities, including prayer, training, and ministry-wide gatherings
• Lead or support team devotions and moments of spiritual reflection as appropriate within the store
• Model Christ-centered leadership, humility, integrity, and grace in daily interactions
• Help build and sustain a culture that reflects the mission, values, and redemptive purpose of New Horizons Ministries
• Support a workplace environment where dignity, growth, accountability, and second chances are lived out consistently

Workplace Environment

Physical Conditions

• Work is performed indoors or outdoors in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Exposure to dust, cleaning supplies, changing temperatures, and used goods is common.

Physical Demands

• Frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, lifting, and repetitive movements
• Ability to lift and move up to 25 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally, either alone or with assistance

Work Schedule

This is a full-time leadership position. Thrift Store Managers typically work one of two primary shifts:

Morning shift: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Late shift: 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM

Thrift Store Managers are generally scheduled for one primary shift pattern, with flexibility to adjust as needed based on business needs, staffing coverage, training, or special circumstances.

Evening and Saturday work is required. The store operates 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday, and is closed on Sundays.

As a leadership role, the Thrift Store Manager’s schedule may vary to ensure appropriate leadership presence and operational support.

Desired Skills & Qualifications:
Qualifications

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable making decisions and holding others accountable
• Alignment with the mission, values, and Christian faith foundation of New Horizons Ministries
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include mornings, evenings, and weekends, and the day of or day after holidays (stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day, and Good Friday), based upon store and business needs

Basic Skills

• Active Learning- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Active Listening- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Learning Strategies- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Mathematics- Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Monitoring- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading Comprehension- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Speaking- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Social Skills

• Coordination- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Instructing- Teaching others how to do something.
• Negotiation- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Persuasion- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Service Orientation- Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Technical Skills

• Quality Control Analysis- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Systems Skills

• Judgment and Decision Making- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Resource Management Skills

• Management of Financial Resources- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
• Management of Material Resources- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
• Management of Personnel Resources- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Time Management- Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Desktop Computer Skills

• Spreadsheets- Using a computer application to enter, manipulate, and format text and numerical data; insert, delete, and manipulate cells, rows, and columns; and create and save worksheets, charts, and graphs.
• Presentations- Using a computer application to create, manipulate, edit, and show virtual slide presentations.
• Internet- Navigating the Internet to find information, including the ability to open and configure standard browsers; use searches, hypertext references, and transfer protocols; and send and retrieve electronic mail (e-mail).
• Navigation- Using scroll bars, a mouse, and dialog boxes to work within the computer's operating system. Being able to access and switch between applications and files of interest.
• Word Processing- Using a computer application to type text, insert pictures, format, edit, print, save, and retrieve word processing documents.
• Databases- Using a computer application to manage large amounts of information, including creating and editing simple databases, inputting data, retrieving specific records, and creating reports to communicate the information.

Leadership Skills

• Lead Tasks- The ability to lead out with projects/tasks and consistently finish what they start.
• Lead People- Taking leadership seriously and leading by example. Effectively able to coordinate people for assignments. Strong people leadership and coaching skills.
• Lead Culture- The ability to effectively make decisions that are a catalyst for change and process cultural impact and growth opportunities.

Experience/Training Required:
Formal education is not required. Relevant experience in retail, customer service, operations, or people leadership is helpful but not required. Successful candidates demonstrate a strong learning posture, openness to coaching, and the ability to operate within established systems and expectations.

Compensation:
Salary

This is an exempt full-time position. Overtime pay rate does not apply for time worked over 40 hours per week.
Paid Medical Leave, MEC, and Life Insurance is included, optional health benefits include Vision, Dental, and HDHP. Paid vacation begins to accrue immediately after hire.
Compensation will be paid once a month on the 5^th of each month.

Additional information:

We encourage all staff to participate in community life, and volunteer opportunities may occasionally arise outside the scope of regular job responsibilities. Any participation in these activities is welcomed but considered voluntary and unpaid.

Employee Acknowledgement:

By signing below, I acknowledge that I understand the expectations, responsibilities, and requirements of the Thrift Store Manager position. I understand that this job description may be reviewed and updated as needed by New Horizons Thrift Stores leadership.
 

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