The Bookstore & Café Co-Manager is the in-house champion and local leader responsible for the overall operation of the Bookstore & Café. Our ideal Bookstore & Cafe Co-Manager is – first and foremost – an ambassador for Housing Works, prioritizing customer service over all other tasks. You must know, embody, and actively communicate our Mission Statement, be active in the local community, and work to create an environment and culture that is reflective of the Housing Works Community Values. The Bookstore & Café Manager must possess an entrepreneurial spirit with a talent for using existing resources to maximize revenue and profit. In this role, you will lead the training and development of the team, empower employees to work together to reach organizational goals and objectives, and serve as their number one cheerleader and coach

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the creation of daily/monthly work plans to ensure that revenue, profit, and operational goals of the Bookstore & Cafe are met, utilizing staffing & resources appropriately.
• Encourage teamwork and foster creativity. Recognize talent and help to develop individuals for advancement within the organization.
• Prepare fresh food & drinks daily, paying special attention to event schedule
• Develop and seasonally update menu
• Assist and work cooperatively with private & public events to include set-up, breakdown, and cleaning as necessary
• Work collaboratively with other departments, including but not limited to Housing Works Thrift Shops, Development, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources and Ready for Work Program
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending training meetings/sessions and through independent study.
• Be a Housing Works Ambassador by knowing and communicating the Mission Statement, outreaching to the community, and participating in a minimum of four direct actions per year aimed at ending the twin crises of homelessness and HIV/AIDS.
• Perform all other duties as directed by supervisor and/or executive management
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending training meetings/sessions and through independent study.
• Be a Housing Works Ambassador by knowing and communicating the Mission Statement, outreaching to the community, and participating in a minimum of four direct actions per year aimed at ending the twin crises of homelessness and HIV/AIDS.
• Perform all other duties as directed by supervisor and/or executive management

Job Requirements:

• High School diploma or the equivalent; Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Commitment to excellent customer service
• Food service and/or bar management experience required
• Culinary training preferred
• NYC Food Protection Certificate required
• Barista experience required
• Minimum of 3 years prior retail or hospitality management experience or equivalent experience in managing a team
• Working knowledge of the second-hand market to include the breadth of products offered in the Bookstore
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Some Human Resource principles
• Flexibility in schedule; weekends and holidays are required; may be required to work over 40 hours a week as necessary with prior approval from Director of Stores or VP of Thrift Retail
• Non-exempt employees are paid overtime at the rate of 1.5 times their hourly rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a given workweek. It is required that prior to working overtime, all non-exempt employees must have written authorization from the Director of Stores or VP of Retail & Marketing.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, kneel, and bend for long periods of time
• Frequently required to lift a minimum of 40 pounds.
• Frequently communicates (exchanges information, converse with, express oneself) with subordinates, vendors, supervisors, and community at large
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, articulations and instruction of policy and procedure. Coach staff in accordance with organizational policy and best practices.
• Occasionally exchange information in communication with individuals who are agitated, confrontational or difficult patrons from a variety of socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds
• Occasionally required to traverse public transportation to attend meetings and/or participate in presentations and training seminars
• Occasionally required to work at a computer approximately 20% of the time, 80% of the time will be interacting with staff and customers, this position may not be performed remotely The following additional competencies are viewed as important to success in this position:
• Self-starting, self-motivating mindset
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written), interpersonal and team-oriented skills
• Ability to make decisions under pressure, flexibility to course correct as necessary
• Ability to de-escalate, resolve, and prevent conflict

Housing Works requires employees working in our Health Services division to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for a legal accommodation. If you need an accommodation for any reason, including related to this job requirement, please contact Human Resources.

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at recruitment@housingworks.org

Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org

Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services.

Benefits:
We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and text books.

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.