Bookstore Manager

Purpose

To manage the activities of inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Manages customer service, order-fulfillment and accounts receivable, title selection and purchasing, accounts payable, bookstore display, maintenance and upkeep of bookstore software, bookstore web development and upkeep, monthly and quarterly reports, income and expense projections and annual budget, participates in marketing UUA and Skinner House titles, and creates procedures and related activities to insure the smooth and successful operation of the UUA Bookstore.
2. Hires and supervises Bookstore staff, including ADP timesheet approvals and time off requests.
3. Oversees the warehousing, shipping, and physical inventory activities of offsite warehouse and trade distributor, including reconciliation to the General Ledger, and troubleshooting as needed.
4. Represents the UUA Bookstore to the UU community, to UUA staff and affiliated organizations, and to the public at large. In this capacity, handles staff and customer suggestions, inquiries, and complaints, and contributes to the positive public image of inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Store.
5. In coordination with the supervisor, oversees Bookstore activities related to inventory reporting, shipping and receiving, purchasing, and accounts payable.
6. In coordination with the supervisor and the Marketing Associate, creates marketing plans for new books from the department, in addition to planning the annual catalog and other promotional pieces, planning and placing ads for outside and inside publications, and planning weekly email blasts.
7. Plans, supervises, and participates in the Bookstore sales booth at the UUA’s annual General Assembly, including hiring temporary staff.
8. Assists the supervisor and Publishing Director in evaluating sales, preparing an annual budget and quarterly forecasts, and a yearly mission budget for the Bookstore.
9. Performs additional duties as requested by the supervisor, the Publishing Director, the Executive Vice President, or the President.

Qualifications

This is a Grade 12 position (expected hiring range $51,200-$64,700 depending on experience). Note that qualifications may be met as a result of lived experience, volunteer work, professional experience, and/or formal or informal training. Our ideal applicant will have significant bookstore experience including retail bookstore management, strong customer service focus, marketing and promotion experience, and must be highly-organized, detail oriented, and self-motivated. Candidates must be able to demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as proficiency with spreadsheets, basic accounting practices, and data analysis. Advanced proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word) is required. The ability to travel to one annual weeklong conference event each June—the UUA’s General Assembly—is a must. The candidate must be based in the greater Boston, MA area as inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop has a bricks and mortar store in Boston as well as an online store.* Work or lived experience with communities of color or indigenous peoples is of particular value. Eagerness to work in an organization in which the dismantling of white supremacy is a high priority.

* IMPORTANT: During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston offices of the UUA remain closed, and as such, this will be a work-from-home position until our offices and the inSpirit bookstore reopen.

How to Apply

People with disabilities, people of color, Indigenous people, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply. The UUA is committed to developing a diverse and talented staff team. If you are excited about this role, but are unsure whether you meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage you to inquire and/or apply. Send cover letter and résumé—indicating “Bookstore Manager” in the subject line—via e‑mail to careers@uua.org, via fax to (617) 948-6467, or to Human Resources, UUA, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210. E‑mail submissions preferred.

About the UUA

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive religious denomination headquartered in Boston’s waterfront Fort Point Innovation District with offices in Washington, DC and at the United Nations in New York City. Our faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations brings to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice. Our normal workweek is 35 hours, we pay 80% contribution towards health insurance premiums, 11% towards retirement (after one year), and have generous paid time-off policies. We are a great place to work and we value diversity. The UUA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to the full inclusion of all. As part of this commitment, the UUA will ensure that applicants and staff with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (617) 948-4648 or humanresources@uua.org. For more information on the UUA, visit us online at UUA.org and uuworld.org.

Support for the Mission and Values of the Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive and historic religious denomination. While it is not generally required or expected that an applicant/employee identify as a Unitarian Universalist (UU) or be a member of a UU congregation in order to work at the UUA, all UUA staff members are expected to perform their job duties in accordance with the UUA’s values, principles and mission. In particular the following points, drawn from the Seven UU Principles, are of particular importance for the UUA’s work environment and staff culture:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every human being: We affirm the need for a human-centered workplace that allows our diverse staff to flourish. We also understand that our wider culture and society oppresses and denies human dignity, and we seek to counter the effects of that oppression in our hiring and workplace culture so that each person feels whole and valued.
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations, and the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all: We speak openly and publicly of our support for social and political issues, including LGBTQ equity, racial justice, climate justice, gender equity, and reproductive justice.
• The interdependent web of existence: We recognize that the liberation of all people is interwoven, and we work to counter patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, environmental exploitation, and other interrelated systems of marginalization.