Job Description

General Manager - Great Barrington, MA

This posting is for a position at a bookstore in Great Barrington, Massachussetts, not our Lakeville store. The store will be changing hands this summer and we need a world-class GM to run this location, which will be our third store. The job would start around July 1. 

The General Manager oversees all aspects of the independent, neighborhood bookstore operations, in-store and online. This is a leadership role with the ability to build and maintain a strong team, strong work environment and strong customer service and sales foundation. This position manages the store’s day-to-day operations. This position reports directly to the owner and oversees all store staff. The General Manager should possess strong multi-tasking skills, excellent oral communication skills and the ability to perform consistently, even under pressure.

The General Manager works with the owner to ensure a lively welcoming store that reflects the diverse needs of the customers and neighborhood. The General Manager will manage daily operations of the store, including customer service, inventory, event oversight, and more. The ideal candidate will be able to effectively communicate with team members, manage a local team, and oversee daily in-store operations. Additionally, this individual will be responsible for overseeing staff scheduling, coordinating staff meetings, creating and implementing new procedures and policies, and effectively navigating any challenges that arise in the store. Deep book knowledge and strong communication skills are essential.

This is a full-time, 40hr/week position.

 Specific Responsibilities

• Day-to-day store operations
• Oversight of staff and all operations, including customer service, merchandising, and stock management
• Create a welcoming environment with constantly rotating displays reflective of current themes and issues
• Oversight of receiving, inventory management, shipping and returns
• Preparation of documents for remote access by owner
• Create weekly staff schedules
• Process online orders for shipment
• Ensure safety of our staff and customers

 Overall store operations

• Together with owner, ensure computer hardware and software is up-to-date.
• Work directly with POS support personnel to keep POS system current, troubleshoot problems, and to ensure 100% up-time.
• Assist with store merchandising to maximize sales potential of key titles.
• Create and maintain shelf talkers.
• Organize, order and create displays and sections for thematic, locally themed, and/or locally outperforming titles, categories and products as appropriate to maximize sales.
• Ensure completion of all administrative responsibilities of book related system tasks, such as receiving, returns, inventory, local associate access & training, in a timely and accurate basis.

 Marketing and events

• Assist owner with store website and content
• Oversight of marketing program, including Instagram, Facebook, and other social media postings ensuring daily postings, weekly videos, etc. 
• Oversight of events program, including book clubs, author signings, release events, and storytimes
• Work with local and other authors to create a robust author event agenda

 Staff

• Responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, on-boarding, and training a team of booksellers and baristas, ensuring understanding and compliance to standards, organizational goals and direction
• Create weekly staffing schedules for the bookselling team, making recommendations to owner & decisions as appropriate for scheduling and staffing levels to ensure operational & financial success
• Work with owner to ensure proper staffing level and oversee recruiting, hiring and retention
• Guide staff to maximum development and performance through training and performance evaluations

 Community

• Participate in & encourage a bookselling culture locally – share book information & recommendations with booksellers & customers, write & solicit shelf-talkers, encourage employee discount or lending library, train handselling & book specific customer service, etc.
• Together with owners and staff, create and maintain relationships with important community organizations
• Allocate staff resources to ensure a successful schools program with emphasis on buying programs for classrooms and libraries, as well as efforts to develop young readers

 Experience, Skills & Qualifications

• Curiosity: will actively and impulsively seek to understand, know more, solve problems
• Community Oriented: will look to foster camaraderie within a team and with the store’s customers through honesty and positively connecting with people on an individual level
• Excellent communicator: the ability to communicate clearly, kindly, and confidently with team members and customers
• Facilitator: solutions-oriented with the ability to identify and solve bottlenecks to achieve desired outcome and interpret and anticipate the needs of others
• Connector: will focus on figuring out how to better understand people and situations around them with a commitment to diversity, teamwork, and collaboration
• Experience in book industry purchasing with preference for someone with knowledge of international and translated works
• Demonstrable expertise in book buying, gift buying, and merchandising
• Knowledge of bookstore POS and inventory management systems
• Enthusiastic reader
• Staff leadership with demonstrated values of kindness, humor and inclusivity 
• Flexibility in schedule; weekends and holidays are required

Requirements:

• A positive attitude and strong team building skills
• A strong work ethic and consistent attendance
• Exceptional people and communication skills
• Great organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to initiate and implement ideas
• A professional approach, easy going manner, and demonstrated initiative
• Extraordinary customer service skills, committed to exceeding customers' expectations
• A love of books and the indie spirit of business.
• Commitment to excellent customer service and knowledge of the contemporary reading landscape
• Retail management experience
• Familiarity with POS system a plus
• Flexibility in schedule; weekends and holidays are required
• Robust negotiating skills
• A strong business acumen, ideally with experience in an ecommerce environment
• Excellent communication skills
• A professional attitude in dealing with confidential and commercially sensitive information
• Acute attention to detail
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office knowledge
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines

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