Donation Center Operations Leader

Position Summary: This role plays a key leadership role in ensuring smooth and high-performing back-of-house operations. This role ensures efficient and safe intake, processing, sorting, and pricing of donated goods while maintaining high quality standards and strong donor relationships. The Donations Center Leader directly supervises the donations processing team and works in close collaboration with the retail management at all locations to ensure a seamless inventory flow to the sales floors. This position plays a critical role in supporting LISTEN’s mission by maximizing the value of donated goods and fostering a respectful, mission-driven workplace.

Responsibilities

Donations Operations & Inventory Flow

• Oversee the daily intake, sorting, and processing of donations, ensuring alignment with organizational standards for quality, pricing, and safety.
• Develop and maintain systems for sorting items for sale, recycling, storage, or waste, minimizing landfill impact and maximizing revenue potential.
• Coordinate timely and organized movement of merchandise from the donations center to the retail floor in collaboration with the Retail Operations Leader.
• Monitor donation flow and storage capacity to ensure efficient use of space and staff resources.

Customer Experience & Visual Merchandising

• Model and reinforce high standards for service, responsiveness, and store presentation.
• Supervise and support retail staff in implementing effective merchandising plans that promote product visibility, seasonal themes, and inventory rotation.
• Ensure product flow from donation intake to the sales floor is timely, well-organized, and aligned with pricing standards.

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Provide daily supervision, training, and coaching for Donations Associates and volunteers working in the donations center.
• Works closely with the Warehouse and Facilities team to ensure inventory is being picked up and delivered on-time with safe and effective handling practices.
• Oversee staff scheduling, participate in hiring decisions, and complete performance evaluations and feedback.
• Foster a respectful, safety-conscious, and productive work environment that supports individual development and team success.
• Facilitate onboarding and ongoing training related to sorting, lifting safety, product evaluation, and inventory movement.

Cross-Department Collaboration & Mission Alignment

• Work closely with the retail management and senior staff to align inventory movement, pricing practices, and merchandising priorities.
• Collaborate with the Sr. Manager, Retail and other LISTEN teams to ensure donations operations support broader programmatic and community service goals.
• Promote LISTEN’s mission by ensuring donated goods are processed efficiently and respectfully to meet community needs.

Safety, Facility Oversight & Compliance

• Maintain a clean, well-organized, and hazard-free donations area, ensuring compliance with safety standards and protocols.
• Ensure staff and volunteers follow safety procedures for lifting, sorting, and handling goods, and report any incidents or maintenance concerns promptly.
• Manage recycling and disposal processes in accordance with local regulations and sustainability goals.

Donor Relations & Community Impact

• Provide a welcoming, helpful, and mission-centered experience for donors; ensure all donations are acknowledged with gratitude and proper documentation.
• Educate donors and the public about acceptable items, LISTEN’s mission, and the impact of their contributions.
• Handle escalated donor concerns with professionalism and diplomacy, ensuring a positive reflection of the organization.
• Support seasonal donation drives and community engagement efforts related to in-kind support.

Other Duties

• Attend staff meetings and training sessions.
• Support agency-wide events, campaigns, and initiatives as assigned.
• Perform other duties as required to support thrift store success and LISTEN’s mission.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional coursework or certifications in logistics, operations, or nonprofit management preferred.
• 3 years of experience in warehouse, inventory, or donation center operations, with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory or team leadership role.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to plan, delegate, and coordinate in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of product handling, inventory flow, and quality assessment of used goods.
• Ability to lead a diverse team and work collaboratively with peers in a values-driven setting.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Experience working with or supervising volunteers strongly preferred.
• Comfort with basic technology and systems for scheduling, inventory, or logistics.
• Physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for extended periods, and work in environments that may include dust or fluctuating temperatures.
• Availability to work a rotating schedule, including some weekends.

LISTEN Community Services is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment opportunities. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact (603) 448-4553.

LISTEN Community Services is unable to sponsor work visas. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.

LISTEN Community Services, founded in 1972, is one of the Upper Valley region's most comprehensive social service organizations. LISTEN provides services and support to meet the critical needs of Upper Valley individuals and families in 26 area communities. At LISTEN we are passionate about helping families and individuals secure the resources that they need to be safe, fed, and housed.

www.listencs.org