ReTails Associate

Vancouver, WA, USA|

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Part-time

Compensation

Hourly

Range $17.16 - $19.47

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Life and Disability Insurance

Paid Time Off

Employee Discounts

Public service loan forgiveness program

Job Description

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington (HSSW) is a well-established and highly respected animal welfare organization serving the Southwest Washington region since 1897. With over a century of experience and an annual operating budget of 15 million dollars, HSSW is the largest and most innovative organization dedicated to animal welfare in the area. Operating shelter campuses in both Vancouver and Longview, Washington, the organization helps more than 10,000 animals each year by providing top-quality care, medical services, and compassion that these animals deserve. Beyond shelter operations, HSSW employs a community-based approach that aims to keep pets and people together through several innovative initiatives. These include the Nierenberg Community Veterinary Clinic, the Sandra Richardson Miller Mobile Veterinary Clinic, and the Swigert Family Behavior & Training Center, along with programs that supply free pet food and other essential resources. These efforts collectively serve over 18,000 owned animals annually by expanding affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter services, training, and support.

HSSW also owns and operates the ReTails Thrift Store, a highly successful retail operation recognized as the Best Thrift Store in Clark County for eight years running. The proceeds from this store provide vital funding to support the mission of the Humane Society. The ReTails Associate position offers opportunities for full-time and part-time employment and is classified as a nonexempt role under FLSA. The role is vital for maintaining the daily operations of the store and involves a wide range of responsibilities from receiving, processing, and pricing donated goods to providing excellent customer service on the sales floor and operating the cash register.

As a ReTails Associate, you will be part of a high-energy and innovative culture where your passion for animals and people can truly make a difference. The position requires strong communication skills and a positive attitude in a team-oriented environment. Your efforts will help sustain the store’s success and, more importantly, directly support HSSW’s mission by funding care and services for animals in need. This role offers an hourly pay range from $17.16 to $19.47 based on level and experience, with level 1 starting at $17.16-$17.82, level 2 at $17.82-$18.36, and level 3 at $18.36-$19.47 per hour.

HSSW fosters a culture centered on a vision where everyone loves and cares for animals, a mission focused on rescue, return, restore, rehome, and reconnect one animal at a time, and values built on compassion, collaboration, excellence, service, and integrity. Employees are encouraged to be team players, exhibit adaptability, and pursue continuous personal and professional development. The organization prides itself on an inclusive, service-oriented atmosphere where meeting and exceeding production goals with a sense of urgency and efficiency is highly valued. This position offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental and vision coverage, retirement plans with matching contributions, an Employee Assistance Program, paid time off, and various employee discounts. Working at HSSW means joining not just a workplace but a compassionate community committed to shaping the future of animal welfare in Southwest Washington.

Job Requirements

Ability to see, distinguish color, hear, speak, bend, lift, and move up to 35 pounds on a regular basis
Stand on one's feet with appropriate breaks for an entire shift, often in a stationary position
Operate pallet jack and/or forklift safely as trained with required certification
Manipulate tagging and pricing guns in a repetitive manner
Ability to reach into the bottom of a Gaylord box
Able to go up and down stairs
Tolerant of changes in temperature and humidity
Exposure to animals and high noise levels, exposure to zoonotic diseases, animal bites and scratches, cleaning chemicals and allergens
This job requires the ability to perform other job-related duties as assigned
Must be able to work in an at-will employment relationship

Job Qualifications

Interest, enthusiasm, and affinity for working in retail sales and assisting people
Demonstrates an attitude of being in service to all stakeholders, using good judgment, maintaining a positive outlook, and ideally, a sense of humor
Works well in teams and demonstrates an attitude and commitment to collaboration
Committed to achieving excellence individually and as a part of the team
Ability to read, understand, comprehend, and follow instructions and SOPs
Flexible working schedule including days, evenings and weekends or long shifts if needed
Goal oriented with a sense of urgency striving for efficiency that consistently meets production goals
Organized with the ability to maintain a neat, clean, and organized workspace that is safe, easy and enjoyable to work in
Self-motivated with a desire to become more proficient and efficient in meeting and exceeding daily production goals
General knowledge of the value of household items is a plus

Job Duties

Provide excellent customer service, aiding customers within your scope of abilities and asking for back-up as needed
Answer phones and make store announcements in a professional and courteous manner
Maintain work areas and store appearance in a neat, clean, and organized condition at all times
Follow all safety procedures and report all safety hazards and accidents immediately to supervisor
Take immediate action to address any safety concerns or noncompliance of safety rules that could put an employee, volunteer, workforce partner, client, animal, or the organization at risk
Able to work independently within assigned department
Ring up sales transactions and maintain cash register with integrity and accuracy
Assist with customer service calls, keep the sales floor clean and safe
Greet customers with full attention and a smile
Conduct transactions with efficiency, accuracy and focus on adherence to policies
Maintain elevated level of customer service
request back up help in timely manner
Receive donations in a courteous and professional manner from our valued donors
Provide excellent, friendly customer service to all donors
Provide tax receipts to donors and assist in completion as requested
Ensure all donated goods are properly sorted, priced, and staged for sale in a timely manner
Work with a sense of urgency to consistently meet production goals while ensuring quality
Assist with customer service calls on the sales floor, price already sorted items and stock the sales floor
Sort items by subcategory and/or price
Clean items and affix price labels
Stock items on sales floor
Warmly greet and treat all customers and donors with respect, fostering an exceptional experience of radical hospitality
Customer service includes product carry-outs, answering questions and assisting customers with pricing and inventory questions
Maintain a safe, clean work and shopping environment
Report opportunities to better serve the customer
Cross-trained including at least two production departments, one production department and cashiering duties or production/cashier and donations
Accurately and efficiently ring customers, answer questions, process returns and assist with training and directing workforce partners and volunteers in their duties on the sales floor
Accurately and efficiently manage the assigned department flow, possess the ability to price incoming items along with sorting and stocking
Make independent decisions regarding incoming department donations
Support and assist with directing workforce partners and volunteers in their production duties
Perform additional training/certification such as forklift, donations truck
Perform keyholder duties including opening/closing of the store, access to store alarm, access to the store safe, opening/closing of the cash registers, other duties as assigned
Serve as first-line trainer for store associates, workforce partners and volunteers