Assistant Store Manager (Asm)

Sea Howl Bookshop is a small, independent bookstore located in downtown Orleans on Cape Cod. We pride ourselves on our unique selection and carry over 5,000 titles covering all genres, with special attention to independent and scholarly presses, politically, socially and environmentally conscious titles, and underrepresented authors. We also carry a small selection of used books, along with puzzles, greeting cards, stationery, journals, art prints and other paper goods.

We are looking for a new staff member to operate the store 3-5 full days per week with seasonal variation (roughly 20-35 hours per week). This staff member will work largely independently, communicating and collaborating with the owner-managers and part-time staff on a regular basis.

We would like to start training someone part-time starting in March or April, and have that person be able to work independently by July 1, with hours increasing to full time (for the summer/fall season) starting in August.

This position is paid hourly, or we may consider a salaried position for the right person. This position does not include benefits.

Responsibilities:

• Open and manage the store 3-5 days/week from 10am-5pm (days of the week to be determined); coordinate store coverage with other employees
• Greet and interact with customers, providing personalized book recommendations and excellent customer service, and completing merchandise (or sales) transactions and provide gift wrapping service as requested
• Operate the cash register (point of sale system) and store computer to accept payments, place orders, make change adhering to safe cash handling procedures including balancing cash drawer and preparing bank deposits
• Place special orders received in store, by phone or via our webstore; notify customers when special orders arrive
• Fulfill special orders and ship items as needed
• Receive, label and shelve incoming inventory and break down boxes
• Maintain store inventory in order to create a welcoming environment in which to browse, allowing books to be found with ease
• Keep store and storefront clean and inviting
• Coordinate and attend/staff occasional offsite author events
• Communicate and assist with scheduling of other (part-time) staff members

In collaboration with/under direction of store owners:

• Rotate displays of new and featured books for holidays/seasons
• Update and rotate displays of sidelines (greeting cards, journals, etc)
• Create social media posts (1-2 per week)
• Run reports to identify returns, pull and package books for shipment on a quarterly basis

Qualities we are looking for:

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Must be an avid reader with strong literary sensibilities, familiarity with a range of genres, and interest in learning about new books
• A background in bookselling and bookstores or in the publishing industry is preferred, however operational experience in small business retail will also be considered
• A self-starting, hardworking individual, willing to get their hands dirty in all aspects of the business
• A people person with excellent conversational skills and interest in learning about customers and helping them find the perfect book
• Strong computer skills, a high comfort level with technology and social media, and ability to learn new software programs quickly
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong desire to learn, innovate, and solve problems creatively
• Able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, with customers, store owners, other employees, and other local business owners as needed
• Interested in the role of a bookstore/small business in the larger community
• Able to stand for most of the day interacting with customers, shelving books and tidying store
• Able to occasionally lift/move heavy boxes and break down empty boxes
• Seasonal flexibility, with ability to adjust hours based on the season. We expect summer, fall, and winter up to the holidays would require 5 days per week (and potentially longer days at the height of the summer to help with receiving after hours), then scale back to 3 days January through May
• Able to work occasional events in store or offsite, during or after store hours (transportation by car may be required)

Experience:

• At least 1 year of customer service experience required
• Bookstore experience strongly desired but not required
• Experience using a point of sale system for retail transactions
• Experience with Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Excel) required
• Proficiency with creating social media postings required

Next steps:

If we think you are a good fit for the position we will reach out to you for an interview. Thank you!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $18.00 - $24.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20 – 35 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule

Experience level:

• 1 year
• 2 years

Shift:

• Day shift

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Application Question(s):

• What are the most recent fiction and non-fiction books you've read?

Ability to Relocate:

• Orleans, MA 02653: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person