ThriftAbilities Thrift Skills Trainer/Assistant Manager

Coming Soon:  A First of Its Kind SVDP Thrift Experience

Thriftabilities will be a groundbreaking new thrift store, the first neuroinclusive retail environment in the St. Vincent de Paul - Cincinnati family.  Created as a place of belinging, Thriftabilities is intentiaonally designed to support and celebrate employees on the autism spectrum through thoughtful workspace design,m sensory-friendly features, and structured routines that help every team member thrive.  

While centered on the needs of our talented neurodivergent employees, Thriftabilities will offer the same great thrifting experience our neighbors love: quality goods, affordable prices, and a welcoming environment rooted in community.  

By shopping or donating at Thriftabilities, you help create meaningful employment opportunities, honor the stregths of neurodiverse individuals, and support SVDP's mission of serving neighbors in need.  

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About St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati (SVDP) has served residents of Greater Cincinnati for more than 150 years by helping meet basic needs, including food, medicine, and homelessness prevention, through its outreach center in the West End and fifty-six parish-based volunteer Conferences (chapters). SVDP provides holistic direct assistance and systemic change services while treating neighbors in need with dignity and compassion. At St. Vincent de Paul, diversity is a fact and inclusion is an act. Every person is valued and made to feel that they belong.

Position Summary

The Skills Trainer/Assistant Store Manager supports the Store Manager in leading safe, efficient daily operations and assumes responsibility for the store when the Store Manager is absent. This hands-on role works alongside employees, customers, donors, and volunteers; organizes priorities; and helps ensure consistent customer service, merchandise flow, cash controls, and policy compliance. A central responsibility is leading and working effectively with a workforce that may include a significant number of neurodivergent employees. The Assistant Store Manager provides structured skills training, clear expectations, practical demonstrations, respectful coaching, and individualized workplace support while maintaining confidentiality and consistent performance standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with opening and closing the store, organizing daily priorities, assigning work, and confirming tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• Lead employees during assigned shifts and oversee store operations when the Store Manager is absent; escalate significant staffing, safety, customer, or operational concerns promptly.
• Provide job-skills training through clear verbal and written instructions, step-by-step demonstrations, checklists, guided practice, repetition, and timely feedback.
• Support neurodivergent employees by communicating concretely, checking understanding, allowing appropriate processing time, reducing unnecessary ambiguity, and using consistent routines whenever practical.
• Recognize individual learning and communication differences without making assumptions; partner with the Store Manager and Human Resources on approved accommodations and workplace supports.
• Coach employees respectfully, reinforce effective performance, document training and follow-up, and address concerns consistently under established policy.
• Deliver mission-centered service to customers, donors, volunteers, neighbors, and coworkers; respond professionally to questions, complaints, and changing needs.
• Support donation intake and merchandise production, including safe receipt, sorting, pricing, preparation, rotation, display, and movement of donated goods.
• Operate point-of-sale systems; support cash handling, refunds, reconciliation, deposits, and transaction controls in accordance with established procedures.
• Maintain clean, organized, accessible, and customer-ready sales, stock, work, and exterior donation areas.
• Follow and reinforce safety, security, loss-prevention, emergency, confidentiality, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet store needs and advance SVDP’s mission.

Leadership and Skills-Training Expectations

• Model dignity, patience, fairness, and respect while maintaining clear job-related expectations for every employee.
• Break complex assignments into manageable steps; identify the skill to be learned, explain and demonstrate it, observe practice, correct safely, and confirm independent performance.
• Use plain language, visual aids, written prompts, schedules, checklists, and predictable follow-up when these tools improve understanding and performance.
• Give feedback that is specific, timely, factual, and focused on observable work; recognize progress and successful use of learned skills.
• Adjust the training method when an employee is not yet successful while keeping essential functions, quality, productivity, service, and safety standards clear.
• Promote self-advocacy by inviting employees to ask questions, restate instructions, and identify supports that help them perform their work.
• Protect private medical and accommodation information and share it only through appropriate management or Human Resources channels.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least one year of supervisory, team-lead, training, mentoring, retail, customer-service, or comparable experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to organize work, manage competing priorities, follow procedures, and hold employees accountable respectfully.
• Demonstrated experience or readiness to lead and work with neurodivergent individuals using inclusive, strengths-based supervision and structured skills-training practices.
• Ability to learn individual communication and training needs, provide clear directions, observe performance, and adapt instruction without lowering essential standards.
• Clear and respectful verbal and written communication; practical problem-solving skills; and ability to remain calm during unexpected situations.
• Ability to read, understand, apply, and explain policies, checklists, schedules, reports, and written instructions.
• Basic proficiency with point-of-sale systems, computers, email, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel or similar applications.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in employee, customer, donor, and business matters.

Schedule and Work Environment

This is a full-time, non-exempt position scheduled for 40 hours per week. Availability may be required on weekdays, evenings, weekends, and some holidays based on store needs. Work is performed primarily in a retail and donation-processing environment and may occasionally include outdoor work in varying weather conditions. The employee must shift among leadership, training, customer service, production, and administrative responsibilities throughout the workday.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the position. The employee must be able to stand and walk for extended periods; bend, reach, stoop, and move throughout the store; and regularly handle, move, lift, and carry donated goods and merchandise. Specific lifting expectations and any required equipment or assistance will be communicated by management. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

SVDP is committed to equal employment opportunity and to maintaining a respectful, accessible, and inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are based on legitimate business needs and job-related qualifications, consistent with applicable law. SVDP provides reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities and for other needs protected by law. Applicants or employees who require accommodation should contact management or Human Resources.

General Statement

This job description summarizes the primary responsibilities and qualifications of the position and is not an exhaustive list. Duties may be changed or assigned at any time, with or without notice, based on organizational needs and consistent with applicable law. Nothing in this description creates a contract of employment or alters the at-will employment relationship.