Merchandise Manager

Barnes & Noble is an innovator in publishing, retail, and digital media, including our award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content. We welcome creative, dedicated, and service-oriented team members who are passionate about being an integral part of our dynamic community and helping it thrive.

Whether your expertise is in retail, merchandising, publishing, marketing, technology, or finance, we have a place for you at Barnes & Noble.

As a Merchandise Manager, you oversee merchandise presentation and ensure that all daily operations are consistent with our bookselling culture, world-class customer service focus, digital initiatives, and operating and merchandising standards. You support the store by helping booksellers deliver our four core service principles to drive sales. You assist with interviews, training, and the evaluation of booksellers. You are responsible for the entire store and staff when fulfilling the role of manager on duty (MOD).

Essential Functions:

• Optimize merchandise presentation and customize merchandise selection; train and direct booksellers on merchandise guidelines.
• Drive sales by delivering the four core service principles: put the book in the customer's hand, offer to order, offer the Member program, and fast cashiering.
• Understand and execute Integrated Store Operations (ISO) standards.
• Coach and communicate with the store team about all our products and services, enthusiastically model selling behavior, share technical knowledge, and provide recommendations about ways to connect our customers with the right solutions or products.
• Prevent shrink by training and enforcing proper loss prevention procedures for cashiering, book loans, and any other product entering or exiting the building; partner with the receiving manager on any inventory or return issues.
• Resolve customer complaints in accordance with all operational guidelines, surfacing issues to the store manager when necessary.
• Review applications, perform interviews, and recommend candidates to the store manager.
• Coach and counsel booksellers on performance issues and take appropriate corrective action in partnership with the store manager.
• Prepare and deliver performance reviews to booksellers in partnership with the store manager.
• Act with integrity and trust, promoting our bookselling culture and core values.
• Maintain a calm demeanor and manage issues professionally and according to store operating, and company standards, setting a positive example.
• Act as the MOD, to open and close the store; oversee general store operations; prioritize and assign tasks based on bookseller skills, availability, and current store needs; communicate daily assignments to booksellers and follow up throughout the shift; identify additional recovery needs; ensure proper cash handling and cash office standards of performance; react immediately to employee, customer, or store issues, appropriately partnering with store management; maintain facility's conditions and take immediate action to correct any issue with building maintenance, safety, or emergency .

Requirements/Qualifications:

• You identify opportunities to drive sales using your analytical skills and knowledge of the competition.
• You communicate clearly and direct others to execute the workload.
• You relate easily to others, building rapport and collaborative relationships.
• You are an effective listener and enjoy working with people.
• You remain calm under pressure and act as a settling influence when interacting with customers and the store team.
• You are able to learn under and cope with changing conditions and find solutions to issues in any situation.
• You are organized and manage your time efficiently, which results in consistent productivity and customer focus.
• You comply at all times with the Standards, Policies, and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics set out in the Bookseller Handbook.
• You should have at least two years of experience, preferably in retail, as a manager. You should have strong written and verbal communication skills.
• You are expected to work a majority of your time on the selling floor, which requires physical activity, including maneuvering around the store, prolonged standing, repetitive bending, climbing, and lifting.
• Our stores are open daily, requiring early morning, evening, weekend, and holiday availability.

Barnes & Noble is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, females, veterans, and disabled individuals, as well as other protected groups