About BookBar

​BookBar is an independent bookshop, wine bar, events and social space, which brings people together through books. BookBar celebrates the social side of reading by bringing people together through books. BookBar is a vibrant and innovative brand, always seeking new ways to make books appealing to the general public. This is an exciting opportunity for a committed, personable, team-driven, community-minded bookseller with management experience and skills, a love of books, a vibrant personality, excellent organisation, and an eye for detail, to be part of building a bookish social hub in London.

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Duties and responsibilities

• Overseeing the daily operations of the bookshop and wine/coffee bar including:

  • Managing BookBar’s team and helping to create a positive, enthusiastic, kind and inclusive workplace culture alongside the founder.

  • Managing and sharing the weekly shift rota.

  • Overseeing regular returns and stock takes.

  • Overseeing the administration of BookBar’s monthly subscription programme and BookBar’s monthly Book Club.

  • Managing shop displays and implementing marketing strategies such as Book and Wine of the Month in the shop.

  • Managing stock control, including placing daily replenishment stock orders for books, and wine, coffee, stationery, cleaning supplies etc, where necessary and ensuring that stock is properly received, rotated, and out of date stock is monitored.

  • Overseeing staff training.

  • Ensuring all policies and best practices are being adhered to by the team and maintaining the high standards of customer service, hygiene and practices expected.

  • Overseeing shop hygiene and safety standards and policies. Keeping all company paperwork and safety responsibilities up-to-date and ensuring that both front and back areas of the shop are kept clean, tidy and organised by all members of the team.

  • Overseeing the BookBar enquiries email and ensuring queries are answered promptly, politely and in a manner that reflects the BookBar brand values.

• Customer service duties including:

  • Maintaining the community-focused ethos of the space, maintaining strong relationships with existing customers, business owners, and members of local community and building relationships with new customers and members of the community.

  • Serving customers at the till

  • Recommending books

  • Making and serving coffee, wine and other refreshments to customers

• Daily bookshop administration including:

  • Booking in new stock, putting new orders onto the system and processing returns.

  • Tidying shelves and displays, regular cleaning of glasses, tables and bar area throughout the day, including end of day cleaning routine.

  • Answering customer enquiries in person and by website, phone, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and email.

  • Picking, wrapping and posting online customer orders.

• Keeping up to date with current titles and recommending books to customers.

• Helping to host and promote regular events, book clubs and book launches.

• Any other duties that involve the day to day smooth running and development of the shop.

• Working closely with the BookBar founder to ensure the smooth operation of the business to grow and develop it.

Essential skills

• Experience in bookshop, retail or hospitality management.

• Experience in and knowledge of the book industry and current trends and new titles, as well as a general understanding of key backlist titles.

• An enthusiastic, personable, approachable, positive, friendly, helpful and social personality, in line with the BookBar brand.

• A love of people and strong customer service skill, including the ability to make decisions relating to the management of the business, the team and customers responsibly.

• A team-driven approach.

• Strong team management skills.

• Strong organisational and administrative skills.

• Strong standards of hygiene and safety.

• Creativity in considering new and exciting ways to sell books, and a desire to be part of an innovative brand.

• Ability to combine busy shop floor work with operational and administrative tasks.

• Must be able to work evenings and weekends, in line with BookBar’s operational hours.​
  

Hours

40 hours a week (including one hour lunch break) - will require regular weekend and evening shifts.

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Pay

​£38,000-40,000 per annum, including 28 days paid annual leave (inclusive of Bank Holidays), depending on experience. Benefits include staff discount on all BookBar products excluding subscription services.

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Location

Will be required to work from BookBar, 166 Blackstock Road, London, N5 1HA, with some external events across London.​​​