Bookends & Beginnings Assistant Book Buyer or Receiver

Bookends & Beginnings in Chicago’s North Shore university town of Evanston seeks full-time booksellers with book buying or receiving experience. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working as a general bookseller but will also have the depth of knowledge and expertise of working with bookstore inventory and a bookstore pos system. We also look for a friendly customer-service demeanor and a positive, entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset. This staffer will perform specialized tasks (found below) while performing daily bookseller duties.

About the store: Opened in June 2014, Bookends & Beginnings has established itself as a major presence in Chicago’s independent bookstore community. Our flagship store at 1620 Orrington Ave, carries new books stationery, and gifts. We recently opened a used-only store called Middles down the street. We regularly hold both in-person and virtual author events and frequently partner with organizations in Evanston and the greater Chicago area.

Bookends & Beginnings is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create a kind, safe, and welcoming space where everyone is treated equally, fairly, and thoughtfully, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. We value the diversity of identities and experiences our staffers bring to our store because they enrich the selection of books we carry and the conversations that we conduct. We expect that everyone - booksellers and customers alike - uphold these standards online and in our shared physical space.

Assistant Book Buyer or Receiver

The Assistant Book Buyer has primary responsibility for ordering and maintaining the store’s backlist book inventory. The position requires an evolving mastery of detailed information about the terms and delivery times for a broad array of suppliers including wholesalers, corporate publishers, and small and independent publishing houses. The Assistant Book Buyer will also work on the sales floor in order to provide customer service as needed and to maintain familiarity with the store and its customers, and which titles are selling. This is not an entry-level bookstore position. The ideal candidate will have prior experience with ordering books and with one of the major bookstore POS systems, preferably Anthology.

Daily Activities for the Assistant Book Buyer:

• Creating a daily distributor order based on customer special orders and other inventory needs
• Creating, reviewing, and placing publisher purchase orders in order to maintain desired inventory levels of backlist and current best selling stock
• Maintaining database of sales rep contacts and staying current on special terms when they are offered
• Training and working as a bookseller for regular shifts to maintain familiarity with the store and our customers

Daily Activities for the Receiver:

• Receiving books from publisher, making sure books are in good condition
• Claiming damages from publishers in a timely manner
• Shipping returns back to publisher on a regular basis
• Training and working as a bookseller for regular shifts to maintain familiarity with the store and our customers

General Requirements:

• Prior experience ordering backlist at a bookstore
• Prior experience receiving in a bookstore setting
• Love of books and love of talking about books
• Positive attitude: Friendly, approachable, professional, collaborative, oriented toward problem-solving and brainstorming.
• Ability to master the POS system and other programs we depend on to keep the store functioning.· Ability to lift 40 lbs. boxes.
• Willingness to commit to a regular permanent work schedule (i.e. we cannot accommodate seasonally changing student schedules and vacations)
• Availability to work at least one weekend day.
• Availability to work some later hours, for events and on a regular basis during the part of the year when the store stays open later.
• A high level of organization,
• A high level of interpersonal skill and the ability to collaborate well with others.
• A creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial approach to problem solving

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $18.00 per hour

Expected hours: 32 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift

Work Location: In person