Salon Assistant

Salon Assistant

Location: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, NY (near the A and C)

Reports to: Owner and lead stylist

Compensation: $18–22/hr plus tips

Schedule: Part-time to full-time, in-salon

About the role

SOFT is a hair wellness boutique built entirely around textured hair and plant-based care. As a Salon Assistant, you're the foundation of the guest experience and the engine of a smooth service day. This is a hands-on learning role: you'll build real fluency in our systems, science, and product lines through a structured program, working side by side with our lead stylist(s). For newer stylists and those growing into the chair, this is the path in.

What you'll do:

• Prep and reset stations. Keep tools, product, and every station clean, stocked, and service-ready before, during, and after each guest.
• Shampoo, condition, and treat. Perform shampoos, conditioning, and treatment application using our plant-based lines, with the tension and technique the work demands.
• Support senior services. Assist through color, smoothing, and blowout services, handing off cleanly and anticipating what's needed next.
• Learn the science. Absorb our product protocols and the chemistry behind them, hands-on and on the clock.
• Hold the space. Keep the salon clean, stocked, and running smoothly, and help create the warm, unhurried experience guests return for.
• Care for the guest. Greet, settle, and tend to guests so every visit feels personal from the first minute.

What we're looking for

• Licensed. You hold a valid New York cosmetology license or are on a clear path to it.
• Texture-fluent. You're comfortable working with textured hair and eager to go deeper.
• Hungry to learn. You light up talking about hair and walk in itching to try what you just learned. Curiosity about the science is a real plus.
• Coachable in the moment. You take correction well and adjust on the spot, not defensively.
• Dependable. You show up, follow through, and can be counted on. This matters more to us than polish.
• Warm and team-minded. You're genuinely good with people and glad to support the whole team, not just your own chair.

Why work here

• Paid to grow, not to hustle. Hourly plus tips, never commission. Your income doesn't ride on upselling or fighting for chair time.
• Real training. A paid technical trial/training followed by a structured official training program. You always know what you're working toward.
• A true team. Guests come for SOFT and stay for the collective. We rise together, cooperation over competition.
• Room to rise. We promote from within. This is a path to the chair, not a dead end.
• Soul and science. Certified biodynamic lines, real technical depth, and days that sound like Erykah Badu and Sade.

How to apply

Send your resume and a few words about yourself.