Invitation Bookshop

The Assistant Store Manager is responsible for overseeing and supporting all front-facing, day-to-day operations of Invitation Bookshop.

Weekend and evening shifts are required.

Primary responsibilities

• Schedule, direct, and supervise staff in the performance of all bookstore day-to-day operations, including website maintenance and online orders

• Maintain staff communication platform and task management system, including ensuring completion and delegation of day-to-day operational needs

• Resolve customer service issues in accordance with store standards and expectations

• Participate in interviews and hiring; act as the primary point of contact for new and ongoing bookseller training and education

• Complete or supervise store opening and closing procedures

• Work with the Managing Director, merchandiser(s), and/or inventory coordinator to adjust displays and inventory to ensure merchandise is appropriately available and visually engaging

• Coordinate with other leadership team members to plan in-store displays that align with store initiatives, celebrations, and promotions; oversee merchandising and promotional changes

• Support with the development and maintenance of store policies and procedures and ensure that all in-store documentation is up-to-date and accessible

• Identify gaps or problems in customer service or store operations and work to troubleshoot solutions with other members of the leadership team

• Ensure that all supplies remain stocked and notify the appropriate buyer when restock is needed

• Maintain store cleanliness and appearance

Bookselling Leadership
In addition to demonstrating proficiency in bookselling tasks, all managers will:

• Participate in regular leadership team meetings

• Provide training for booksellers, as well as ongoing and corrective training, as needed

• Maintain awareness of store and staff needs and proactively ensure needs are addressed

• In coordination with leadership team, supervise and provide feedback to booksellers as needed, including giving input for goal-setting conferences and corrective evaluations

• Be flexible in providing support to all members of the Invitation Bookshop team

Required experience and qualifications

• A minimum of two years retail experience, preferably in bookselling

• Strong organizational skills, including computer skills, data entry, and project management

• Excellent verbal and written communication, including effective public speaking and presentation skills

• Previous leadership or supervisory experience

• Ability to maintain polite and professional manner in person and in writing, especially in high-stress or confrontational situations

• Ability to think creatively, respond to a rapidly changing environment, and pay attention to details

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, garner support, and motivate a team

• Excellent record of attendance and reliability in previous employment

• Ability to manage time and meet deadlines with limited direct supervision

Desirable experience and qualifications

• Documented training in conflict management, particularly as it applies to customer service roles

• Demonstrated experience applying principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion to a broad range of business initiatives

• Working knowledge of the bookselling industry, including bestsellers, new releases, and diverse authorship

• Experience with Bookmanager or other bookstore-specific point-of-sale software

• Experience with Notion or other project management software

For a complete job posting please visit our employment page.

Invitation Bookshop was founded on three core beliefs:

• We believe in the dignity of all people and their right to see themselves in literature.  
• We believe thriving small businesses are essential to a healthy community. 
• We believe that literacy is a human right, a key component of equity, and a fundamental part of being an engaged citizen.

We are a locally-owned bookshop serving Gig Harbor and the surrounding communities since 2020. We carry a curated selection of new books for all ages in a variety of both fiction and nonfiction genres, alongside puzzles, cards, stationery, and other goods for bookish folks.

Our name comes from the poem "Invitation," the first poem in Shel Silverstein’s collection Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Invitation Bookshop is an inclusive, welcoming, community-focused space. We are committed to supporting our community, including its most vulnerable members. We will not share any customer information with any outside agency. We will oppose censorship in all its forms. We will advocate for accessibility. We will always ask ourselves how to reduce harm.