Career Opportunities

The Bookstore Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University invite applicants for the full-time, benefit eligible position of Course Materials Buyer. 

This Course Materials Buyer is responsible for all aspects of the course materials process and trade book buying for CSB and SJU.  In the Course Materials department, this position is integral in making sure that CSB and SJU have the right materials as requested from the instructor, in the right quantity, at the right time. This position will work directly with campus partners, students, and faculty to successfully execute our textbook timeline each term. They will also have access to store safe, security alarms, and store keys.

Institutional Inclusion Visioning Statement

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University believe that an excellent liberal arts education requires an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and that everyone deserves to feel safe and morally valued. To that end, we will challenge our own practices and systems. Our commitment to an inclusive environment will be incorporated into all decision-making processes. We dedicate ourselves to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. For further information regarding CSB and SJU, visit http://www.csbsju.edu/about.

CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program. 
 

Responsibilities

Course Materials

• Responsible for buying, inventory control, returns, buy backs, Direct Access program, copyright clearance and course packets. Maintains working knowledge of Bookstore practices. Uses knowledge base to make responsible judgement calls on the sales floor on a situational basis.
• Responsible for keeping the stores current with the technological advances taking place in the publishing industry and the stores textbook processes.  Requires a complete working knowledge of the text management system to include all applications and process required to maximize the system potential.   
• Work closely with faculty on textbook adoptions, issues, and problem resolution.
• Assist in the development of marketing plans for two major buy backs, on-line text fulfillment, and special programs.   

Trade Books

• Responsible for buying and managing inventories for trade books, including product selection, reordering of stock, markdowns and returns to ensure the desired inventory levels are maintained.  
• Coordinates the scheduling, set-ups, marketing and selling both in-store and off-site book and author events. 
• Responsible for special order process for trade books, ensuring timely order placement and delivery.

Accounting

• Reconciles daily cash, charge sales and deposits. Assist with the coordination for cash needs for buybacks and returns.  Person must acquire a good understanding of the point-of-sale systems and perform the necessary actions to ensure system integrity.
• Maintain and reconcile accounts payable for areas of responsibility. 

Customer Service

• Greet customers on the sales floor and offer assistance, creating a welcoming and friendly environment.  
• Provide service desk assistance, floor coverage and back-up register coverage as needed, effectively utilizing the Prism point-of-sale system.  
• Maintain a neat, clean, and safe work environment in all work areas and on sales floor.                                                                                                                     

General Duties

• Assist with training of student employees in the book department. 
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by the Director or Assistant Director.  Be willing to alter workflow and work priorities to assist the organization when asked.  
• Support innovation, creativity and ideas to improve or enhance processes, functions and increase productivity in the Bookstore.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all departments to provide cross-functional support with a variety of Bookstore projects or in other areas, as directed.
• Open and close the store, has alarm, safe access, and store keys. Step in for Director or Assistant Director when they are unavailable to help troubleshoot point if sale issues and direct student employees.  

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field preferred. Post-secondary education with equivalent work experience required.
• Two or more years of retail or business experience required. Experience in a book related work environment or college store preferred.  
• Ability to build partnerships both in-store and on-campus.  Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal relations skills.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to multi-task, meet tight deadlines and work well under pressure.
• Strong attention to detail. Ability to understand large amounts of data and understanding the processing of that data.
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to positively interact with faculty/staff, students, customers, vendors, and other visitors.
• Proficiency in use of computer applications, primarily but not limited to Microsoft Office. Demonstrated knowledge of ecommerce processes, ordering, receiving, and point of sale systems, etc. 
• Ability to work varied hours, evening and weekends as needed. Regular schedule is Monday through Friday, daytime hours. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to perform essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodations. Including lifting and/or carrying up to 40lbs, bending, reaching, walking, and standing for extended periods of time.

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About College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB), a liberal arts college for women, and Saint John's University (SJU), a liberal arts college for men, are located in the central lakes area of Minnesota, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of pristine forests, prairies, and lakes. The campuses are minutes away from St. Cloud, an increasingly diverse regional center with a population of over 100,000, and 70 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some CSB/SJU faculty and staff choose to reside locally, while others commute from the Twin Cities. Both St. Cloud and the Twin Cities offer a wide range of fine arts, cultural, dining, recreational, and sporting opportunities. CSB and SJU are Catholic colleges in the Benedictine tradition enlivened by values of community, hospitality, stewardship, and justice. The schools are dedicated to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. Students, staff and faculty from many diverse belief systems and backgrounds collectively bring a rich dimension to the academic, cultural, and religious experience at CSB/SJU. We welcome faculty who devote themselves with passion and integrity to their disciplines and to a transformative ed...ucation of their students. With a total enrollment of approximately 3600 students, faculty members develop relationships with students in small classroom settings and have opportunities to work closely with students on research projects, experiential learning experiences, and study abroad programs. Recent initiatives to create a dynamic general education curriculum and to develop plans for a new teaching and learning center demonstrate strong institutional support for faculty development. CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program.

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