Assistant Book Buyer or Receiver

Overview

Your resume will only be considered if accompanied by an articulate cover letter. Bookends & Beginnings in Chicago’s North Shore university town of Evanston seeks full-time booksellers with 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.

The ideal candidate will have prior experience with receiving within a retail setting.

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

• Prior experience receiving in a retail setting, experience receiving within a bookstore setting a plus.
• 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