Kepler's Part-Time Bookseller (Menlo Park, CA) (menlo park)

Employment type: Part-time, 6-18 hrs/week Compensation: New Booksellers - $20-22 per hour | Student Booksellers - $17.50 per hour Availability Requirements: Must be able to work opening and closing shifts as well as one weekend day per week. Must be able to work up to 40 hours per week over the holiday season (December 1 - January 1). About the Position As a bookseller, you will work on the retail store floor to help customers find and purchase great books, share information about our programs and events with customers, manage store sections, and make buying recommendations. You may also have the opportunity to create interesting and topical displays and handle a variety of back-office activities including receiving and returns, and light cleaning. Kepler's is a creative and innovative place to work, and if you're committed to books and bookselling, we want to talk to you. You can see profiles of our current staff on our website at https://www.keplers.com/staff_picks. Applicants who are not available to work during December will not be considered. In addition, you will be eligible for PTO (paid time off), staff discounts on books and merchandise sold at Kepler's, as well as our new 401k program. We prefer promoting from within and successful candidates will have opportunities for positions with broader roles and responsibilities within Kepler's team. Ideal candidates will have: - A passion for talking with people about books, and a proclivity for reading across genres - An outgoing personality and excellent customer service skills - Organizational skills and attention to detail - Efficient and resourceful time management skills - Strong communication skills - The ability to proactively self-direct - The ability to lift heavy boxes of books In addition, these qualifications are preferred but not required: - Commitment to a long-term career in bookselling and/or social enterprises - Previous experience working in a bookstore or library - Bachelor's or advanced degree in Literature, Education or related field - Experience working with IBID-IE inventory system for books To Apply Please send a current resume (including relevant job experience), cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to jobs@keplers.com. Your cover letter should include your thoughts on the following: a) Explain why you want to work in a bookstore. b) Write about a book you read and enjoyed recently, what type of customers this book might appeal to, and how you would talk about this book with customers. c) Kepler’s continues to be guided by our founder's mission to open minds, deepen literacy, and promote critical thinking. Please spend some time reviewing the About Us section on our website at www.keplers.com and tell us why this mission resonates with you. d) Please include the hours you are currently available to work, as well as your ideal schedule. Incomplete applications will not be considered for an interview. About Kepler’s Kepler's has been the intellectual and cultural hub of Menlo Park and the greater Peninsula community for almost 70 years. Kepler's is known for its outstanding literary events, knowledgeable staff, broad selection of books and magazines, and deep ties to the community including local schools and non-profit organizations. Kepler's is the first bookselling institution in the US to pioneer an innovative hybrid business model that includes a community-financed bookstore, and a non-profit organization that produces a rich roster of literary events with leading intellectuals and writers. This new approach to creating sustainable bookstores has won numerous accolades and received wide coverage in the media including Stanford Social Innovation Review, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly. In the last few years, our non-profit, Kepler’s Literary Foundation, has produced well attended premier events with Bernie Sanders, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Shelby Van Pelt, Ezra Klein, Viet Thanh Nguyen, John Green, Heather Cox Richardson, Roxane Gay, and many others. Kepler's is a social enterprise with a mission to provide public education and cultural enrichment for our community and meaningful work and living wages for our staff. Kepler's is located next door to the popular Café Borrone and is conveniently accessible by Caltrain and the public bus system.