Bookshop Manager

Overview

Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center and Camps is seeking a resourceful, creative, adaptable, and customer-focused team member to serve as Bookshop Manager. The Manager will lead the daily operation of our retail stores, supervise employees and tasks, work directly with customers, and play an instrumental role in carrying out the ministry mission of Mount Hermon. Inventory management, cash handling, customer service, team building and problem solving are essential skills that will be used on a daily basis. 

The Bookshop Manager is a Ministerial position. Ministerial staff render their work, stewardship, relationships and behavior as evidence of being followers of Jesus Christ while embracing and affirming Mount Hermon Association, Inc.’s (“MHA”) Christian mission, vision, beliefs, culture code and standards of conduct. They are responsible for defining, cultivating and leading MHA’s Christian community, conference programs and retreats. All staff are expected to join gatherings, which includes prayer, worship, and Bible-centered teaching. 

Position Objectives:

The Bookshop Manager is responsible for providing excellent customer service, leadership, planning, business operations oversight and staff development for all aspects of MHA's retail including the Bookshop, Ponderosa Lodge and summer pop-up stores to ensure missional objectives are reached, financial commitments are maintained, and continuously excellent customer service is delivered in a manner consistent with MHA's mission, vision and values. 

Key Job Accountabilities:

• Direct and manage the merchandise mix, purchasing, inventory and return function to ensure adequate retail stock and inviting product mix.
• Maintain the Bookshop and auxiliary retail spaces as inviting, attractive, orderly, and clean so that customers enjoy spending time there.
• Hire, train, supervise and evaluate part-time and summer staff encouraging their development, customer service and retail skills.
• Coordinate operations with several other departments including marketing, food retail, and guest services to optimize the guest experience.
• Resolve customer service issues in a professional and timely manner to guarantee customer service experience is excellent.
• Oversee the continual use, improvement and implementation of inventory and point of sale systems and act as a resource to the rest of the organization in training regarding point of sale.
• Initiate and implement major improvement projects including, but not limited to, physical improvements, communication efforts and operational process improvements.
• Oversee relationships with various contractors and vendors to ensure products and projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Miscellaneous special projects as assigned by the VP.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Direct supervisory responsibility includes the authority to hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward or discipline subordinate employees or effectively recommend such actions.  This position has direct supervisory responsibilities for these positions:

• Bookshop Assistant Manager
• Bookshop Customer Service Lead
• Bookshop Customer Service Associate
• Summer Staff

Qualifications

Education/Certifications/Licenses:

• Minimum two years of college.

Work Experience:

• Minimum two years of experience leading teams.
• Minimum one year of previous retail or customer service experience.
• Two years of bookshop retail experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal, organizational, problem solving and communication skills are essential.
• Ability to work alone or with others, take initiative and able to work well under pressure are required.
• General accounting, inventory management, and POS/Inventory software skills experience are required.
• Ability to motivate, encourage, develop and minister to staff.
• Must be highly detailed.
• Skilled in the use of computer programs, Word, Excel and general experience with to ensure competency with the inventory and retail systems.

Physical Demands: 

• Requires standing for long periods, squatting, twisting and lifting/carrying up to 25 lbs. for a maximum of 20 feet.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, nights, and holidays to support store hours, conferences, and events.
• Adherence to the basic principles as expressed in MHA’s Mission, Vision, Values and Commitment statements.
• Adherence to company dress code and professional standards for personal grooming and appearance.
• Must agree to and comply with MHA’s employee driving guidelines for MHA-owned vehicles and use of personal vehicles for business purposes
• Satisfactory completion of background investigation as well as ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

*This job description reflects essential functions of this position. It does not restrict management’s right to reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.