Assistant Merchandise Manager – Media

Barnes & Noble, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Discount

EAP

Sick Pay

Paid Time Off including Paid Maternity

Parental Leave

Company Paid Holidays

401(k) with Company Match

Comprehensive Health Benefits

Transit

Tuition Reimbursement

Disability Benefits

Life Insurance

Job summary

Barnes & Noble is seeking an Assistant Merchandise Manager – Media to support product purchasing, assortment curation, item maintenance, and execution of sales, promotional and inventory plans for stores and BN.com.

The role handles item setup, distribution, promotional inventory, pricing, vendor funds recovery, and collaboration with departments to ensure on-shelf product availability.

Qualifications

• Awareness of media markets.
• Strong team player with ability to multi-task.
• Ability to identify opportunities, craft solutions and execute corrective procedures.
• Clear and effective verbal and written communicator.
• Proven ability to perform well under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Self-directed exhibiting tact and diplomacy in all interactions.

Responsibilities

• Support stores in all needs and requests related to media products.
• Support Media team in store event and vendor meeting scheduling.
• Assist in the management and execution of sales and inventory plans for stores and online, including title selection and curation, new release and promotional allocation and inventory replenishment.
• Assist in item maintenance and review of vendor supplied item data.
• Assist in managing store product levels to achieve category assortment strategies and inventory goals.
• Assist in soliciting and recovery of rebates and monitoring accruals by vendor.
• Assist in the acquisition of assets from vendors for merchandising materials creation.
• Maintain professional relationships with vendors.
• Participate in the development of store merchandising guides and educational materials.

Skills

media markets awareness

team player

opportunity identification

communication (verbal & written)

work under pressure

self-directed

Power BI

Tools

Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Location

NY-New York (Union Square)

Classification

Full-Time

Job Summary

Barnes & Noble is the leading book retailer in the United States, with roots dating back to 1873 and a long history of growth through innovation and expansion. Today, under CEO James Daunt and private ownership by Elliott Advisors, Barnes & Noble operates approximately 700 bookstores nationwide, serves over 700 communities across all 50 states, and maintains a robust digital presence through BN.com, NOOK® eBooks and audiobooks, and educational resources such as SparkNotes. The company also includes complementary retail brands such as Paper Source, Books Inc., Tattered Cover, and B. Dalton, further strengthening its market reach. Following a period of revitalization, Barnes & Noble is experiencing strong momentum, with plans to open approximately 60 new stores in 2026, underscoring renewed confidence in physical retail and local bookselling. Combining expansive store networks, curated selections, enhanced in-store experiences, and growing omnichannel capabilities, Barnes & Noble remains the #1 bookseller in the U.S. and a trusted, evolving partner within the publishing and retail ecosystem.

Job Summary

Following a period of revitalization, Barnes & Noble is experiencing strong momentum, with plans to open approximately 60 new stores in 2026, underscoring renewed confidence in physical retail and local bookselling. Combining expansive store networks, curated selections, enhanced in-store experiences, and growing omnichannel capabilities, Barnes & Noble remains the #1 bookseller in the U.S. and a trusted, evolving partner within the publishing and retail ecosystem.

The Assistant Merchandise Manager – Media is responsible for assisting in product purchasing, assortment curation, item maintenance, and in executing sales, promotional and inventory plans for stores and BN.com. This position executes tasks related to item set up and distribution, promotional inventory, pricing and store level execution, recovery of vendor marketing funds, vendor order follow through, and store inventory monitoring.

Position Responsibilities

• Support stores in all needs and requests related to media products.
• Support Media team in store event and vendor meeting scheduling.
• Assist in the management and execution of sales and inventory plans for stores and online, including title selection and curation, new release and promotional allocation and inventory replenishment.
• Assist in item maintenance and review of vendor supplied item data.
• Assist in managing store product levels to achieve category assortment strategies and inventory goals.
• Assist in soliciting of and recovery of rebates and monitoring accruals by vendor.
• Assist in the acquisition of assets from vendors for the creation of merchandising materials.
• Maintains a professional, productive, efficient and timely relationship with vendors.
• Participate in the development of store merchandising guides and educational materials to assist stores in training and in executing category merchandising and assortment strategies.
• Communicate and partner with the appropriate departments, including DC Operations, Vendor Compliance, IT, and Store Operations to provide information and to problem solve as needed to insure consistent on-shelf product availability.
• Communicate effectively with stores and store management to provide an understanding of upcoming event plans, to recap event results, and to supply category product and sales updates.
• Communicate and partner with Commercial Strategy, Creative, and Social Media to garner needed support for upcoming releases and promotions.

Position Requirements

• Awareness of media markets.
• Strong team player with ability to multi-task
• Able to identify opportunities, craft solutions and execute corrective procedures.
• Clear and effective verbal and written communicator.
• Perform well under pressure and deadlines.
• Self-directed exhibiting tact and diplomacy in all interactions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Power BI, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Position Qualifications

• Previous experience in external or internal educational, informational or event communication.

An employee in this position can expect a starting rate of $66,300 annually, depending on experience, seniority, geographic locations, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits for those scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week

Employee Discount, EAP and Sick Pay.

Benefits for those scheduled to work between 20 and 29.99 hours per week

Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, Transit and 401(k) with Company Match.

Benefits for those scheduled to work 30 hours or more

Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay and Paid Time Off including paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, 401(k) with Company Match, Comprehensive Health Benefits (Medical, Dental and Vision), Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, Healthcare Spending Account, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Transit, and Tuition Reimbursement.

All benefits provided are in accordance with the terms of the current plan and may be subject to future change. Benefits may vary depending on location/state regulations. More information can be received by the recruiter or Human Resources.