Assistant Store Manager

Barnes & Noble•Chico, CA

25d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Store Manager (ASM) helps ensure the smooth running of a Barnes & Noble bookstore through leadership and deployment of the store team. The ASM is responsible for motivating the team to deliver expected results and maintaining high standards across bookstore operations, presentation, customer service, sales, safety, and scheduling. The role supports both the bookselling and café teams and helps create a positive, welcoming environment for customers and employees. The ASM develops leadership skills while guiding the team toward strong, consistent performance. They own key responsibilities, support employee development, hold team members accountable fairly, communicate company messages, and inspire engagement through integrity and personal credibility. The ASM runs the store effectively in the Store Manager’s absence and continues developing their own skills by listening to and applying feedback. The role involves physical activity, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The employee may also work in other stores when needed to support the wider Cluster.

Requirements

Ability to lead, motivate, and support a store team.
Ability to maintain consistent operational, merchandising, customer-service, sales, health, safety, and loss-prevention standards.
Ability to communicate clearly and consistently with employees and company resources.
Ability to act with integrity, fairness, kindness, and respect, including when holding team members accountable.
Ability to remain resilient and consistent under pressure while pursuing goals and objectives.
Ability to perform physical activity including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
Willingness and ability to work in other stores when needed to support the wider Cluster.

Responsibilities

Lead and deploy the store team to support smooth day-to-day operations and achieve expected results.
Maintain bookstore basics, store presentation, operational standards, stockroom organization, backstock, and timely receipt and shelving of deliveries.
Guide commercial presentation and execution across the Front of Store and table displays, highlighting key titles and promotions.
Maintain appropriate section details and stock levels in collaboration with the Inventory Cluster Support team.
Ensure the Children’s Department is well presented, appropriately stocked, commercially effective, and welcoming.
Oversee Specialty visual merchandising, replenishment, and presentation of Gift, Front of Store, Toys & Games, and other non-book sections.
Support café standards and partnership with the café team, and promote Membership and book picks.
Ensure the Front of Store is covered and the team offers customers attentive, natural, and unintrusive assistance.
Support friendly, knowledgeable, and professional service at registers and encourage effective promotion of Membership, Monthly Picks, and other store services.
Promote Our Monthly Picks and evaluate whether bookseller behaviors are embedded and demonstrated effectively.
Prioritize health, safety, and loss prevention standards, including de-escalation, active-threat response, Code Adam, and emergency procedures.
Execute store rosters in line with budget and collaborate with Rota Cluster Support and, when needed, Recruiter Cluster Support.
Support team development, working with the Store Manager, People Cluster Support, and/or Recruiter Cluster Support as appropriate.
Hold the store team accountable for role-appropriate standards and address performance opportunities promptly and fairly.
Support employees with kindness, fairness, and respect and foster a positive working environment.
Communicate company messages clearly and consistently and share relevant feedback and questions with Cluster or Home Office resources.
Run the store in the Store Manager’s absence and support the team or other Cluster stores when needed.
Pursue personal development, seek and apply feedback, and build skills to support colleagues and the wider Cluster.
Comply with company policies and procedures.

Benefits

Employee discount
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Sick pay
Paid time off, including paid maternity and parental leave (for eligible scheduled hours)
Company-paid holidays (for eligible scheduled hours)
401(k) with company match (for eligible scheduled hours)
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits (for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week)
Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts (for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week)
Disability benefits (for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week)
Life insurance (for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week)
Transit benefits (for eligible scheduled hours)
Tuition reimbursement (for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week)