We’re Hiring!
Bookstore Manager
AUGUST 2024: Rough Draft is hiring a Bookstore Manager to oversee and run all things book-related at our retail store and bar/coffee shop. This is a wide-ranging, senior management position that encompasses all aspects of retail operation and customer service. The Bookstore Manager will be the face of our book shop, and a representative of our values as a business and as a community space. You will interact with guests on a daily basis; provide our team with training and critical feedback; oversee our book inventory and merchandising; be our ambassador to authors, publishers, and other outside entities; keep our shop stocked and tidy; and pitch in wherever needed. Your goal is to make our shop the best possible, in terms of hospitality and selection.
Salary: $60,000 - $75,000, depending on experience
Benefits: Paid Time Off (2 weeks a year); 401K with employer match
Hours: Full-time, in-shop, with a mix of weekdays and weekends required. Off-site and evening hours will be required occasionally for special events.
Job duties will include:
Bookselling: A significant part of every week as Bookstore Manager should be spent out on the sales floor or at the “book desk,” fielding customer inquiries. You should be passionate about books, well versed in different genres, and comfortable making recommendations to all kinds of readers.
Bookbuying: You will manage and execute a semi-weekly ordering schedule via Ingram and PubEasy, using sales data to inform book restocking needs; responding to and fulfilling customer special order requests; and monitoring the news and book trends for new inventory additions. You will also build and maintain relationships with publisher reps, attend seasonal sales calls/meetings, and place seasonal publishing catalog orders via Edelweiss.
Stocking and merchandising: You will be responsible for the general upkeep of the book shelves and display tables in the shop, working to ensure that books are easy to find, in the right places, and, whenever possible, presented in an eye-catching, visually appealing way. You will brainstorm and create book displays, rotating them weekly, monthly, or seasonally. And along with your small team of assistants, you will receive books and stock the shelves on a daily basis, always paying close attention to detail and accuracy.
Staff training: While you will be the go-to person for book info at Rough Draft, we want our entire staff to have some general knowledge about our biggest sellers, the different sections of the shop, and how to answer basic inventory questions. The bookstore manager will engage in regular training sessions with the entire team, updating them on important changes and things to know about what’s currently on the shelves. You will also help build and directly supervise a small team (two to three part-timers) of booksellers, receivers, and office assistants who will assist with many of the day-to-day tasks of running a bookstore.
Event management: Rough Draft hosts regular events, and the bookstore manager will help to plan and execute any event that has to do with books – ideally two to three a month, on average. These may include author meet-and-greet/book signings, larger-scale readings or conversations, online pre-order campaigns, food demos by cookbook authors, and more. This job requires someone who can occasionally shift their schedule to execute evening or off-day events, nail down logistics with authors and publicists, write marketing and social media copy (and use Canva to create graphics) for promotion, set up basic audio equipment and staging, and serve as the emcee, making both the featured guests and attendees feel welcome.
Overstock organization and returns: In addition to books on the sales floor, you will also manage the overflow of books that don’t fit on the shelves – maintaining and constantly updating a large collection of duplicates and overstock books in the storage room. You will work with your team to improve and standardize our returns process for books that haven’t sold, ensuring that we always have room for fresh, new books to make it out on the shelves.
Community relationships: You will take over and strengthen existing relationships with local community organizations, including our partnership with the Beacon Prison Books Project and B2B accounts with several local libraries. Another goal for this position is to create new relationships with schools, and partnerships such as book fairs, teachers’ nights, and summer reading lists.
Miscellaneous: Along with ownership and other staff, you will contribute to an online events calendar, a weekly e-newsletter, social media posts, a regular rotation of shelf-talker book reviews by staff and customers, and rotating book lists on our affiliate site, bookshop.org.
You are:
A seasoned retail and customer-service pro with significant experience in the field of inventory management – preferably having worked in a bookstore or similar environment.
Passionate about literature, with a wide variety of book knowledge.
Outgoing and welcoming, always striving to make guests feel at home.
Organized, self-motivated, and a strong leader and communicator.
Meticulous, with the ability to self-edit – especially when it comes to spelling, grammar, and factual details in written communications.
Not averse to physical labor. You will regularly be on your feet and lifting heavy boxes.
Tech-savvy, social media–literate, and quick to learn various software programs used for inventory, ordering, e-commerce, and data analysis.
Able to remain patient and professional while working in the shop on hectic days; dealing with demanding guests; managing deadlines; and navigating other stressful situations.
Someone who will work collaboratively with colleagues and enjoys being part of a close-knit team.
Flexible and willing to adapt to the systems we have in place (like the fact that we use Square for inventory – gasp!), but ready to suggest improvements as well.
Eager to embrace the unique advantages and challenges of a combo business like ours, and the diverse clientele who walk through our doors every day.
Someone who shares Rough Draft’s commitment to inclusiveness, equity, and accessibility, both in and out of the shop. This is a public-facing job, and your representation of our business and our team will not stop when you leave work.
Rough Draft is an equal opportunity employer and does not tolerate discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, religion, or sexuality.
To apply for this position, please email your résumé and cover letter to roughdraftbar@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!