Rutgers New Brunswick Department Manager

Barnes & Noble College is a retail partner for nearly 800 colleges and universities nationwide, offering a unique retail environment focused on delivering essential educational content, tools, and merchandise within dynamic campus settings. Our teams interact directly with students, faculty, administration, alumni, and the general public to provide outstanding customer service for selling or renting books, general merchandise, and academic products and services.

About the role

The Department Manager is a resourceful, driven, and customer-focused team member responsible for overseeing department and store operations to ensure outstanding service to the academic community. This role involves maintaining, merchandising, and ensuring operational soundness within assigned areas of responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Support all store operations and departments in partnership with the management team, providing direct oversight of one or more departments or operational functions.
• Act as the Manager-on-Duty, maintaining knowledge of all store departments to provide daily support, direction, and guidance to customers and team members while ensuring compliance with operational standards.
• Utilize analytical skills and campus knowledge to manage day-to-day operations and make informed decisions.
• Assign work and provide focused direction to team members to manage and accomplish multiple projects, ensuring proper execution of workloads.
• Maintain a presence on the sales floor to greet customers, answer questions, and assist with purchases of textbooks, merchandise, or services.
• Maintain an appealing sales floor by tagging, shelving, arranging, cleaning, and organizing products or spaces.
• Assist with processing sales transactions involving cash, credit, or financial aid payments as needed.
• Full-time positions require availability to work at least 30 hours weekly, year-round, with schedules that may vary to meet store needs.

Physical Demands

• Frequent movement within the store to access various departments, areas, and/or products.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods.
• Frequent lifting.
• Occasional reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a retail setting as a manager or buyer preferred, or graduation from the Best Seller Program.
• High school diploma or GED required.
• Outstanding customer service skills to match customers with products that meet their needs.
• Basic reading, writing, and accounting skills.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Pay

Full-time Department Manager pay range: $21.50 – $26.90/hour (New Jersey stores).

Benefits

• Daily Pay earned wage access for all store employees.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability.
• Eligibility to participate in a 401k plan (after completing 1,000 hours worked in a 12-month period).
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and flex days).
• Commuter benefits.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Employee discount.

COVID-19 Considerations

• Stores comply with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements regarding social distancing and sanitizing.
• Positions may require confirmation of vaccination in accordance with individual campus requirements.
• Use of face masks throughout the day and while on campus may be expected or required.