Porter Square Books

We’re an equal opportunity employer and welcome all applicants regardless of ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Porter Square Books is hiring a full-time (35 hours/week) Children’s Floor Manager for our Cambridge location. This position would be most efficient if it overlaps with our Children’s buyer which would be mornings M-F.

The Children’s Floor Manager is an integral part of overseeing the store presence of the Children's’ department.

A strong candidate for the position will have experience with bookselling, management, and a good understanding of Children’s Literature.

This job does have a physical demand. The Children’s Floor Manager will need to lift heavy boxes occasionally, bend down and reach high places, and be on your feet for long periods of time.

Other skills and abilities we’re looking for include:

• Attention to detail (especially for displays and misplaced books)

• Self-directed approach to tasks (you will work closely with the Children’s Buyer and there will be management and support, but most of the work will be done independently)

• An interest in children’s literature (since you will be actively recommending and handselling them to customers and need to be familiar enough to display specific titles throughout the year)

A typical workday might include:

• Ordering, receiving, and pricing sidelines (children’s merchandise as well as games and stickers) 

• Merchandising (bringing stock onto the floor with a focus on tidy, visually appealing arrangements without sacrificing browsability)

• Maintaining sidelines overstock and backstock

• Daily restocking, straightening, and tending to the Children’s section

• Collaborating with the Children’s Buyer to create an inviting, well stocked, inclusive environment

• Overseeing Bargain Books and Staff Picks

• Moving outgoing shipments to loading dock

Manager-Specific Tasks:

• Assigning tasks to booksellers during your shift (usually 2-3 booksellers at a time)

• Attend biweekly manager meetings

• Brainstorm ways of improving the business with management team

The starting rate for the Children’s Floor Manager position is $20 per hour. After an introductory period, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to convert to a salaried role.

Benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, sick and vacation time, as well as a path to store ownership through Porter Square Books’ unique governance structure.

Porter Square Books Foundation was created in 2014 with a mission of fostering a love of reading and of books, particularly among children and families in our local communities whose access to them may be limited by economic or cultural factors.  Our primary means of achieving this goal has been through facilitating interactions between children and authors, and by donating books to children and families.