Lead Bookseller

Barnes & Noble•Lafayette, LA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

A Lead Bookseller is an integral member of a Barnes & Noble bookstore’s bookselling team who provides hands-on leadership, guides booksellers, maintains compelling merchandise presentations, and helps oversee efficient salesfloor operations. The role involves creating a welcoming and supportive environment for colleagues, addressing questions and concerns, and setting a positive example for the team. Lead Booksellers are expected to maintain reliable and punctual attendance, respond flexibly to store scheduling needs, help fill scheduling gaps when able, and support colleagues and customers with a positive, proactive approach. Stores are open from early mornings to late evenings every day, including weekends and most holidays. The Lead Bookseller must master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble bookseller and coach others in their use. This includes BookMaster and other store tools, merchandising and visual presentation, register operations and Membership conversations, receiving and shelving deliveries, locating inventory, supporting the café team during busy periods, and following loss-prevention and safety procedures. The role also includes sharing extensive book and product knowledge, making recommendations, supporting sales initiatives, maintaining sections and backstock, and helping the team deliver strong customer service. The position involves prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The employee may work in other stores to support the wider Cluster when able and needed. Employees are expected to comply with company policies and procedures.

Requirements

Reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Flexibility and responsiveness to store scheduling needs; willingness to fill scheduling gaps when able.
A positive, proactive, hardworking, and reliable approach to work, with the ability to lead by example.
A supportive and considerate approach to colleagues and a consistent willingness to help customers.
Aptitude and willingness to learn new skills, acquire knowledge, apply it appropriately, and guide and support others.
Curiosity, initiative, and ambition to develop a bookselling career.
Ability to serve as a resource for booksellers and baristas and address or escalate concerns.
Ability to prioritize resources and team support to keep a shift on track.
Ability to master operational competencies, use BookMaster and other store tools, and coach others in their use.
Merchandising and visual presentation skills, including maintaining sections, displays, fixtures, replenishment, and cleanliness standards.
Ability to coach register operations, Membership conversations, speed, and accuracy.
Ability to support receiving, unpacking, and shelving deliveries efficiently and accurately.
Knowledge of store layout and inventory, with the ability to locate books and other products accurately.
Ability to support café operations during busy periods while maintaining café standards.
Ability to follow loss-prevention procedures, identify theft, and de-escalate challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
Extensive knowledge of books across varied subjects and categories, including fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books.
Knowledge of ETG, SHC, Media, and Newsstand sections and backstock.
Ability to perform prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
Ability to work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster.

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on leadership and support to booksellers and baristas, address and resolve concerns, and raise issues to leadership.
Maintain a visible leadership presence on the salesfloor and help keep shifts on track by appropriately prioritizing resources and bookseller support.
Model best practices using BookMaster and other store tools and processes, and coach the team in their effective use.
Coach the team in creating and maintaining book and Specialty merchandise presentations, setting fixtures, replenishing products, and meeting cleanliness and presentation standards.
Maintain leadership presence at registers and coach booksellers on Membership conversations, register speed, and accuracy.
Guide and support booksellers in receiving and unpacking deliveries, anticipating issues, and ensuring efficient and accurate shelving.
Maintain expert knowledge of store layout and inventory, locate products accurately, and coach others to do the same.
Coordinate and model cross-functional support for the café team during busy periods while maintaining café standards.
Coach the team on loss-prevention procedures and help maintain a safe and secure bookstore, including spotting theft and de-escalating challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
Use book knowledge across fiction, nonfiction, and children’s categories to provide informed customer service and encourage booksellers to broaden their expertise.
Lead the team in maintaining store sections and presenting books attractively, and coach effective recommendations across varied sections.
Drive sales of key titles through enthusiastic, customer-focused hand-selling.
Support sales objectives such as Monthly Picks, Book of the Year, Membership, and pre-orders by sharing information with customers and colleagues.
Use knowledge of ETG, SHC, Media, and Newsstand to maintain sections and backstock, assist customers, and guide the team.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance, set a consistent leadership example, and fill scheduling gaps when able.
Support colleagues and customers with a positive, helpful approach and show initiative in learning and developing bookselling skills.
Work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster.
Comply with company policies and procedures.