Full-Time Bookstore Manager position open!
We're looking for a professional bookseller: someone who has chosen bookstores as their career and wants to grow with an independent store. Sandmeyer's Bookstore has been a cherished Printers Row establishment since 1982, known for its wide selection of books and friendly customer service. We're seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable Bookstore Manager to join our team.
This is a full-time, salaried leadership role with 32 regularly scheduled hours a week, starting at $54,000 per year. Bookmanager experience is strongly preferred.
We welcome applicants from outside Chicago. First interviews are held by video, and relocation assistance is available for the right candidate. Finalists are invited for an in-store visit, and we cover travel costs.
What You'll Do
You'll be one of two managers who share responsibility for the smooth operation of the store. Both managers can handle every part of the job, and we divide day-to-day ownership based on each person's strengths. You will be key in sustaining the inviting and friendly atmosphere that makes this a great neighborhood bookstore.
Your days will center on the craft of bookselling. You'll review each day's sales and place orders, receive new stock into Bookmanager, and work with the management team on seasonal frontlist catalog ordering for your areas of expertise. You'll keep special orders, returns, and missing-book cards moving, so our shelves stay full, our Bookmanager data stays clean, and customers get the books they ask for.
You'll also help lead our team of part-time booksellers, from building the monthly schedule to supporting our social media lead. Each week you and the team will freshen the new release table, rotate the window and front shelves, and update our sidewalk easel sign. You'll help bring together our monthly newsletter and book club sessions, and pitch in during the Printers Row Lit Fest. And on the floor, you'll do what professional booksellers do best: handsell, order for customers, and problem-solve to keep them coming back.
Who We're Looking For
- At least three years of store management experience, ideally in a bookstore
- Bookmanager experience (strongly preferred)
- Extensive book knowledge in all genres, frontlist and backlist
- Experience with buying and frontlist ordering
- A slightly obsessive love of a clean, tidy, well-organized store and workspace
- Proven leadership and a penchant for excellent customer service
- Comfort with Google Workspace
- The physical capacity to lift a 40-lb box of books and stand for extended periods
- Bonus points for experience in visual merchandising and supporting social media on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
What's in It for You?
This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to make a career as a bookseller, with the benefits of paid time off, sick days, and regular hours. You will work 32 regularly scheduled hours a week (four 8-hour days, including one weekend day), plus occasional additional shifts when staff are on vacation and during the Printers Row Lit Fest and the Christmas holidays. We're looking forward to working with someone who is collaborative, innovative, and dependable.
- Starting salary of $53,00-$57,000 depending on experience
- Three weeks of paid vacation and five sick days
- A negotiable health stipend (we are currently shopping for a health care policy)
- Negotiable relocation costs for candidates moving to Chicago
How to Apply:
If you are a professional bookseller with a penchant for excellent, friendly customer service, and the ability to work collaboratively with a team, we invite you to apply.
Send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] with “Full-Time Bookseller Position” in the subject line. In your cover letter, please tell us where you see your bookselling career in five years.