Job Listing
 🔗Store & Salvage Program Manager

  • Full Time
  • Ithaca, NY
  • $25.00-$30.00 USD / Hour
  • Applications have closed
  • Job Summary: The Store & Salvage Program Manager leads all operational, financial, and customer-facing aspects of Significant Elements, a mission-driven store and preservation resource center for salvaged building materials and vintage goods.
  • Job Qualifications:

    Minimum three years of full-time experience in upper-level retail management, or a sales-focused leadership role. Demonstrated strength in customer service, merchandising, and strategic planning surrounding sales and product management.

    Formal education in fields such as business administration, marketing, communications, history, preservation, architecture, or the building trades is a plus but not required. Additional skills in adjacent areas involving restoration, salvage, antiques, or historic materials are also highly valued.

    Logistical requirements include:

    •  A valid NYS driver’s license (or ability to obtain one within two months of hire).
    • Reasonable fluency with Instagram and Facebook.
    • Experience with point-of-sale technology (Square, Stripe, Clover, Elavon, etc.)
    • Basic knowledge of spreadsheets: Excel or Google Sheets.
    • Ability to move materials and bulky objects weighing up to 35 lbs. [with or without reasonable accommodation].
  • How to Apply:

     Who We Are:

    The team at Historic Ithaca is experienced and thoughtful—we approach our work with both passion and levity. Working with historic items and properties is serious: it’s also joyous. We embrace both. Your fellow team is made up of people with various backgrounds, experiences, and interests ranging from the skilled trades, restoration, preservation, art, history, and education.

    We value diversity as well as a flexible, equitable, and comfortable workplace. Our board of directors values the same. We look forward to reviewing your application.

    How to Apply:

    Send a letter of interest and resume to Zachary Lifton, Executive Director, at zachary@historicithaca.org. Attach files (do not link to them) and include your full name in file titles.

    Your letter of interest is your chance to catch our eye and explain who you are in-depth. We’d love to know about you beyond bullet points on your resume: this is your chance to do so. Help us understand why you’re the perfect match for the role.

    Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of Friday, January 2nd, 2026. The position is open until filled. Please reach out with questions regarding the role or application process. zachary@historicithaca.org.

    Historic Ithaca provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

  • Job benefits: Generous paid time off and vacation time; company contribution to health insurance
  • Contact Name: Zachary Lifton
  • Application Email: zachary@historicithaca.org
  • Application URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vHnSxShAco-uQOOKQVX9p30HcD7Wijjt/view

Website Significant Elements at Historic Ithaca

Significant Elements is the region’s premier architectural salvage storefront and donation center, primarily focused on reclaimed and historic items (prior to the mid-20th century). We house multiple floors of inventory including donated and consigned goods ranging from doors to lighting, plumbing to furniture, and a vast selection of vintage hardware, tools, and salvaged building materials. Open since 1991, the store now serves as a community hub and knowledge center regarding historic home rejuvenation and sustainable building practice. Significant Elements is the retail arm of Historic Ithaca, Tompkins County’s preservation advocacy and education nonprofit organization (est. 1966). The store is mission-driven and a core way in which our team at Historic Ithaca connects with the community over our shared passion to protect, reuse, and celebrate the past.

Who We’re Looking For:

You’re an experienced retail leader who thrives on running the whole show—from staff management to financials to creating a welcoming customer experience. You are comfortable and confident behind a register, moving a sofa, or cleaning a mirror—but also in front of a spreadsheet or in a meeting with colleagues regarding programmatic goals.

Significant Elements is in a period of growth and change: you’ll bring a proven ability to elevate a store or program into a new phase, with sharp operational skills and a strategic vision. You’re invested in making the store shine as the best version of itself, and can work as a leader within a team environment in the push to do so.

You may or may not already have advanced knowledge of architectural salvage and historic buildings: we’re happy to help teach you. But you should have a foundational appreciation for old items, a passion for history, and a quick, open mind to learn on the job. You’re curious, meticulous, and able to see beauty beyond a layer of dust or cracked window pane.

Key Responsibilities:

The Store & Salvage Program Manager is a multidimensional role. Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Operations and Inventory Management
  • Financial Oversight
  • Sales, Marketing, and Customer Experience
  • Community Education regarding historic and salvaged goods
  • Leadership and Team Engagement.

View the detailed job description here for more information.

Salary: $25.00-$30.00/Hour depending on experience