Store Manager

STORE MANAGER

Work with a purpose as part of a team empowering people to change their lives.

Join a team dedicated to helping every person—participants, volunteers, donors, and staff—realize the fullness of who it is God created us to be as we fight poverty with dignity.

About Salt & Light (S&L)

We are a non-denominational Christian nonprofit not affiliated with any one church, rather, working with many different individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations in fulfilling our mission and vision.

Our doors first opened January 2004 in Champaign, IL as we began handing out food and clothing to local families. Very quickly we became the largest “emergency food program” in Champaign County, and a leader in the community for providing access to basic resources. In addition to the weekly assistance provided through the food pantry and clothing closet, we partnered with area churches and businesses in large events designed to help families with school supplies in the fall, meals at Thanksgiving, and gifts at Christmas.

We later added financial education classes and a computer lab, both of which represented not just the addition of new programs but signaled the desire to move away from just providing things, to offering opportunities for people to grow. 

After wrestling with the theologies and ideologies found in the book When Helping Hurts, we felt led to design a more developmental approach to meeting basic needs. Our new model created opportunities for individuals to acquire the resources they needed through use of the skills, gifts, and abilities God had given them. Instead of being handed a preselected bag of groceries, our participants now shopped with store credit they earned through volunteering. The store we now operate in Urbana is open to the entire community and generates revenue to support the store credit participants earn in addition to our other programs and services.

About the Position

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Store Manager helps to fulfill our mission and vision by working closely with the Executive Director, other senior leadership, Managers, Team Members, and volunteers to facilitate the retail operations of S&L. This includes establishing a safe, spiritually healthy environment that serves everyone—volunteers, donors, and staff—by creating opportunities for everyone to grow both individually and collectively.

Our Store Manager is someone who 1) loves Jesus, 2) loves people, and 3) is a highly motivated self-starter comfortable being part of a team. You can think strategically across multiple priorities and initiatives, is a resourceful problem-solver, and detail oriented.

Alignment with Salt & Light’s Statement of Beliefs and a pastoral reference is required for consideration.

Responsibilities

It is the primary responsibility of the Store Manager to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for every employee, volunteer, customer, and donor that reflects the grace and truth of Jesus.

Staff

• Serve as the hiring lead for all Department Managers and Assistant Managers
• In cooperation with HR, oversee the training of all managers, team members, and volunteers
• Ensure all departments are fully staffed and equipped with needed supplies
• Work directly with HR to address corrective actions
• Coach staff and volunteers on the importance of healthy, positive relationships with one another, our customers, and partner organizations and how to appropriately maintain them

Receiving & Processing

• Work closely with the Receiving & Processing Department Manager to
  • Ensure all donors receive excellent customer service
  • Maintain a clean and safe donation drop-off site at both locations
  • Manage the flow of incoming donations, backstock, and storage
  • Manage the sorting and pricing of donations through our different streams
  • Maintain a clean and safe work environment at both locations
  • Manage the recycling operations
  • Collect and submit production data from both locations

Sales Floor

• Work closely with the Sales Floor Department Manager to
  • Ensure the sales floor is appropriately stocked, clean, and organized
  • Ensure we provide excellent customer service
  • Cashiers follow proper cash handling procedures with a high degree of accuracy
  • Collect and submit sales data

Grocery

• Work closely with the Retail Administration Manager to
  • Ensure the grocery department is appropriately stocked, clean, and organized
  • Manage operating margins to maintain organizational goals
  • Constantly evaluate product selection

Qualifications

• Alignment with our “Statement of Beliefs” and commitment to our Mission & Vision
• Excellent interpersonal skills – ability to work well with a diverse group of staff and volunteers
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to think strategically across multiple priorities and initiatives
• Self-starter and solution focused

Education

• High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree in business or retail management preferred

Experience

• 3–7 years in retail operations with at least 2 years in an Assistant Store Manager or Department Manager role
• Track record of managing multiple direct reports and delivering performance improvement
• Experience with P&L or budget responsibility at the department or shift level

Operational Skills

• Labor scheduling and cost management
• Inventory management: shrink programs, cycle counting, receiving controls
• Visual merchandising standards and planogram execution
• Loss prevention fundamentals: exception reporting, incident documentation, case management

People Management Skills

• Hiring — assessing candidates under time pressure with limited information
• Onboarding and training — building an effective new-hire program within company frameworks
• Performance management — delivering honest feedback, building improvement plans, and making termination decisions when needed
• Development — identifying and advancing high-potential associates

Technology

• Retail POS systems at a supervisory level (managing exceptions, overrides, end-of-day)
• Scheduling software
• Inventory management platforms
• Performance dashboards and reporting tools

Why You Should Apply

• You want to be a part of something bigger than yourself
• You want to make a difference in the lives of others and the community you are a part of
• Opportunities for both personal and professional growth
• Healthy, flexible, and relationally focused work environment

Statement of Beliefs

Gospel: We believe the good news that God sent his son Jesus, who lived, died, rose and ascended to heaven for the salvation and redemption of creation (1 Cor 15:1-5; Rom 1:1-5; Gal 4:4-7).

God: We believe in one God, the creator of all things, who is completely perfect. God eternally exists in three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20; 1 Peter 1:2)

Father: We believe in God the father, the maker of Heaven and earth, all things visible and invisible (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; 1 Cor 8:5-6; Col 1:15-20)

Jesus/Son: We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary. He was both fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross and was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven to the right hand of God, and is coming again as King and Judge. Jesus Christ is the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sin and His life on earth serves as the model for the Christian life. (John 1:1-5; 3:16; Luke 1:34-35; 1Timothy 2:5-6; Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 1:15-20)

Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Lord, the giver of life, who sustains and sanctifies the Church. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus by indwelling believers to convict, guide, regenerate, instruct, and empower for godly living. (John 16:7-14)

The Bible: We believe the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings. They reveal God’s will, identity, and mission and stand as the central authority over our lives, our faith, and the direction of our ministry. (2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 5:18; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

Humanity: We believe every person is created by God in the image of God and are loved by God. Therefore, all people have great worth. We also believe every person has sinned and in need of a savior. We believe the work of Jesus through his sacrifice and resurrection are humanity’s only hope for justification and future resurrection from the dead. All who have faith in Jesus and become followers of him are in-dwelled by the Holy Spirit and become children of God. (John 3:16; Romans 3:21-26; 8:15-18; Ephesians 2:8-10)

Mission: We believe Jesus has commissioned all his followers to make the gospel, the good news of our salvation by his work, known to the world and to raise up more disciples of Jesus. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Any questions related to our Statement of Beliefs should be directed to the executive Director, Nathan Montgomery (nathan@saltandlightministry.org)