Visitor Engagement and Store Associate

Job Title: Visitor Engagement and Store Associate Department: Visitor Engagement Reports to: Director of Visitor Engagement Position Type: Full-time Position FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Overtime: Eligible Salary: $52,000 Virtual/Remote or In-Office: Onsite, five days a week (Sunday availability preferred) The Center for Jewish History (CJH) serves as the collaborative home of five in-house partner organizations: the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS), the American Sephardi Federation (ASF), the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI), the Yeshiva University Museum (YUM), and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO). Together, their collections encompass over five miles of archival documents in dozens of languages and alphabet systems, more than 500,000 volumes of books, nearly 7 million digital items, and thousands of artworks and objects, spanning 5,000 years of history. Summary The Visitor Engagement and Store Associate acts as a primary ambassador to visitors on the organizational/administrative arm of the Visitor Experience department, supporting inventory management and purchasing for Ruth’s Bookstore, informing visitors about membership opportunities, maintaining front desk operations, policies, and procedures, and ensuring the satisfaction of visitors to the Center, including exhibit visitors, Genealogy Institute and Reading Room researchers, and guests of CJH and Partner staff. This Visitor Engagement and Store Associate will act as a sales associate in Ruth’s Bookstore and oversee all aspects of inventory control to ensure accurate stock levels and seamless operations. This role ensures inventory availability, accuracy within the POS system, and supports retail operations through effective and timely communication with the Director of Visitor Engagement. They coordinate the receiving, processing, and storage of incoming inventory, managing inventory replenishment, packaging materials, and providing administrative support to retail operations. Visitor Engagement responsibilities include, but are not limited to: · Perform regular duties including welcoming and orienting visitors, addressing visitor questions and concerns, notifying employees of guest arrivals, and answering and transferring calls. · Assist Ruth’s Bookstore patrons with product questions and purchases. · Inform visitors about individual membership; sell memberships on site and over the phone. · Help train visitor engagement volunteers in regular duties and procedures. · Submit IT help desk requests as needed. · Keep track of print materials inventory, request additional copies, and replenish them at front desk and info desk. · Maintain organization of VE storage. · Keep track of supply inventory and order new supplies as needed. · Maintain organization of department’s digital files. Store Associate duties responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Maintain filing systems for invoices and vendor information. Process customer and interdepartmental orders and manage store packaging materials. Inventory Management Enter inventory into the POS system (Shopify), ticket, and notify when items are ready for merchandising. Generate sales reports as requested by the VE Director and Center Finance team and senior leadership. Analyze sales reports with the VE Director to determine reorders, identify slow-moving stock, and assess items for future sales clearance. Monitor discrepancies, damages, shrinkage, and vendor returns. Evaluate product sales, including consignment merchandise and prepare invoices monthly to submit to Finance for payment. Work with the CJH President and programming team to align book purchases with upcoming exhibitions and seasonal themes. Conduct inventory reconciliation for purchases and consignment. Qualifications: Excellent communication and customer services skills with visitors and team members. Ability to resolve issues with logic, courtesy, and professionalism. Experience in a retail environment, preferably with Shopify Proficiency in computer applications Ability to remain calm and make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required Knowledge of trends, technologies, and best practices in the retail field Interest in and knowledge of Jewish history and culture preferred Physical Demands : The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perfor