Thrift Store eCommerce Specialist

Thrift Store eCommerce Specialist

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: The Thrift Store eCommerce platform was created in April 2020. The intent of Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is to organically grow this platform to increase revenue streams to support APA!’s life-saving mission. 

The Thrift Store eCommerce Specialist 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 eCommerce Specialist 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 eCommerce Specialist 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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• 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
• Collect merchandise from Thrift stores to sell online
• Manage our marketplace sites on eBay, Instagram, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, and others as appropriate
• Thoroughly inspect merchandise for defects and to determine provenance and/or authenticity in some cases
• Perform in-depth research of items to assess value of merchandise and to aid in writing product description before posting online. In-depth research can consist of communicating with knowledgeable professionals of the product intended for sale (i.e., museums, musicians, silversmiths, etc.)
• Input data to create professional, appealing, and accurate product listings on online marketplaces, including images/photographs, content, and settings 
• Package and ship merchandise in the most cost effective manner to the customers. This includes procuring recycled shipping materials from the corporate office.
• Respond to customer and internal requests in a polite, timely and professional manner. Escalate any issues to the Thrift Operations Manager when appropriate.
• Coordinate with Director of Retail Operations to create strategies to meet monthly/quarterly/annual revenue goals 
• Provide training to volunteers assisting in eCommerce
• Maintain an organized workspace 
• May be asked to participate in off-site sales events with advanced notice
• Prepare eCommerce sales report on a monthly basis for distribution to Management 
• Document and maintain procedural documentation for eCommerce activities and training 

CANDIDATE PROFILE:

• Promotes APA!’s Core Values and embodies a Culture of Philanthropy in all interactions
• Has the ability to drive goals and milestones while valuing and maintaining strong attention to detail
• Self-motivated individual who possesses excellent time management and organizational skills
• Is comfortable in a dynamic, fast-moving environment
• Effective communication skills both written and verbal
• A desire to contribute positively to team dynamic
• Takes ownership of the eCommerce platform and consistently promotes a culture of continuous improvement 

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:

• Extremely proficient computer skills, including Google Suite products
• Excellent customer service and conflict resolution skills
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Demonstrated ability to develop and document processes and procedures
• 1-2 years experience in eCommerce, eMerchandising or a retail environment
• 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 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
• Must be able to climb stairs as eCommerce office is located on second floor and no elevator is available
• 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: 

• eCommerce office is located on the second floor (accessible only by stairs) at the Burnet Thrift Store, 5801 Burnet Road, Austin, TX
• Uses own transportation for travel and transport around the local area
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs

TIME COMMITMENT: 

• This is a part-time, nonexempt position with up to 29 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: The Thrift Store eCommerce Specialist is the sole position in the Thrift Store eCommerce department. The Specialist works closely with the Thrift Store Managers, Thrift Store Staff, and Thrift Store Volunteers to collect merchandise for sale on the eCommerce platform. The Specialist reports to the Director of Retail Operations. 

LOCATION(S): 

• Burnet Thrift 5801 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78756
• Oltorf Thrift 1409 West Oltorf Street Austin, TX 78704
• 51st Thrift 5102 Clarkson Ave Austin, TX 78751
• Round Rock Thrift 913 N IH-35, Round Rock, TX, 78664
• Pflugerville Thrift 15803 Windermere Dr. Ste 603, Pflugerville, TX 78660
• May travel to offsite 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.