Lead Bookseller - FT

Barnes & Noble•Northville, MI

About The Position

A Lead Bookseller is an integral member of Barnes & Noble’s bookselling team and serves as a hands-on leader on the salesfloor. The role supports a welcoming store environment, guides booksellers, maintains compelling merchandise presentations, and helps ensure the efficient operation of the salesfloor. The Lead Bookseller is a resource for booksellers and baristas, responds to concerns, and raises issues to store leadership. The role requires mastering bookseller operations and coaching the team in tools and processes, merchandising, register and Membership conversations, receiving and shelving deliveries, inventory and store layout, café support, and loss prevention. As experience grows, the Lead Bookseller develops extensive book and product knowledge and uses it to serve customers, support recommendations and sales objectives, and help maintain store sections and backstock. The role may involve supporting other stores in the wider Cluster when able and needed, and requires compliance with company policies and procedures.

Requirements

Demonstrated reliability and punctuality for scheduled shifts.
Flexibility to fill scheduling gaps when able; stores are open early mornings to late evenings every day, including weekends and most holidays.
Positive, proactive, supportive, and customer-focused approach to work.
Willingness and aptitude to learn new skills and knowledge and to guide and support others.
Curiosity, initiative, and ambition to develop a bookselling career.
Ability to master operational competencies and use BookMaster and other store tools and processes.
Strong merchandising and visual merchandising skills.
Ability to coach register operations, Membership conversations, delivery receiving and shelving, and loss prevention procedures.
Knowledge of books and varied subject areas, including fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books; developing expertise in ETG, SHC, Media, and Newsstand.
Ability to perform prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.

Responsibilities

Set a positive example through reliable attendance, punctuality, flexibility, initiative, and supportive conduct toward colleagues and customers.
Act as a resource for booksellers and baristas, address and resolve concerns, and raise issues to leadership.
Prioritize store resources and bookseller support to keep shifts on track.
Use BookMaster and other tools and processes effectively, model best practices, and coach others in their use.
Coach the team in creating and maintaining book and specialty merchandise presentations, fixtures, replenishment, cleanliness, and presentation standards.
Maintain a visible leadership presence at registers and coach booksellers on Membership conversations, register speed, and accuracy.
Guide booksellers in receiving and unpacking deliveries, anticipating issues, and ensuring efficient and accurate shelving.
Use knowledge of store layout and inventory to locate books and other products 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 in loss prevention procedures and help maintain a safe and secure bookstore, including recognizing theft and de-escalating challenging situations.
Use book knowledge across fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and other categories to serve customers and encourage booksellers to broaden their expertise.
Lead the team in maintaining sections and presenting books attractively, and coach booksellers in providing recommendations.
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.
Comply with company policies and procedures.
Perform physical work including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
Support other stores in the wider Cluster when able and needed.