Regional Job Postings

Association members can email jobs@mountainsplains.org to submit a job listing for free. 

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA), a regional not-for-profit trade association, seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial-minded leader to serve as its next Executive Director.  The right candidate will be passionate about books and bookstores, have a solid familiarity with the region and the book industry, and have the strategic and administrative acumen needed to help the organization thrive in the future.

SIBA is a not-for-profit trade association of independent booksellers and others who are an integral part of the booksellers’ success – authors, publishers, vendors and publicists. SIBA’s membership includes 158 core members who are independent, “brick and mortar” bookstores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The organization is governed by a five-member Board of Directors with each Director serving a three-year term.  SIBA is deeply committed to upholding the principles of the Carver Policy Governance Model which makes a clear distinction between the policy-making role of the Board and the implementation role of the Executive Director. The staff, which is currently composed of two full-time positions and one contractual employee, operates virtually with each staff member working remotely. The annual operating budget is approximately $500,000. Wanda Jewell, the incumbent, is retiring after a thirty-year tenure as Executive Director.

Current programs are designed to provide skills, informational resources, and tools to enhance booksellers’ success and visibility. They include the annual Discovery Show and SIBA in the Springtime – high energy networking and educational events which draw hundreds of booksellers, authors, publishers, and vendors. Special awards, social media, and marketing tools are designed to increase sales and public awareness of indie bookstores. Also, SIBA’s Peer Review Trust acts as an archive of best practices for bookstores and offers peer review assessments for stores who feel they would benefit from some outside assistance. Priorities for SIBA’s next Executive Director are to continue strong governance practices, enhance strategic capabilities, promote organizational sustainability, build advocacy and partnerships, strengthen communication, improve programmatic and operational focus, seek opportunities to improve diversity and inclusion, and pursue ways technology can enhance SIBA’s overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Additional details about the position and qualifications sought are available https://sibaweb.com/701-executive-director-position-profile.

Organizational information can be found on SIBA’s website – www.sibaweb.com.

Inquiries about the position and the search process should be addressed to: EDjob@sibaweb.com.

SIBA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates.

posted 11/5/19

• Working with the Chief Support Officer to meet the relevant needs of all stakeholders: customers, employees, investors, community, vendors and the government.
• Supporting the heads of store departments in their efforts to develop selling and programming efforts with a mind towards ensuring profitability.
• Acting as the senior leader of the management team to develop, implement, and train on standards, process, and protocols
• Operational responsibilities include:
• Creating and adhering to sales, payroll, and operational budgets.
• Overseeing purchasing, inventory management, IT, events, programs and customer service.
• Cultivating and developing a leadership team dedicated to working towards stated objectives.
• Overseeing facility management and planning for capital spending as necessary (maintenance, repairs, lease terms, etc.).
• Approving operational procedures, policies, and standards.
• Additional responsibilities in conjunction with the Chief Support Officer include:
• Working with CPAs to complete monthly and annual financial reporting, tax reporting, and management of sales and property taxes.
• Managing cash flow and allocating funds to company priorities.
• Overseeing accounts payable and receivable.
• Overseeing human resources and developing employee salary structures, bonus incentive programs, and performance reviews for staff.
• Authorizing/obtaining authorization for and signing all contracts.
• Serving as primary contact for partners in large-scale offsite bookselling events like Texas Book Festival, SXSW, and women’s conferences.
• Serving as a project manager for any necessary long-term projects (i.e., software implementations, marketing initiatives, etc.) to ensure that stakeholders in those projects complete their work in a timely manner.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with industry and community stakeholders.
• Serving as or designating a primary contact for all outside communications and the media.
• Identifying/cultivating partnerships with businesses/organizations in support of company goals.
• Serving as, or designating a representative at trade organizations.
• Modeling world-class bookselling.

• Have a minimum of five years’ experience in bookstore management with preference given to whole store management and experience with managing large-scale offsite bookselling events.
• Have strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Be up to date on the latest trends and challenges in independent bookselling and brick and mortar retailing.

posted 9/14/19