College Store Specialist

Western Nebraska Community College; Scottsbluff (NE); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Western Nebraska Community College is seeking a College Store Specialist to support Buddy’s Books & Bistro operations, delivering friendly service to students, staff, and community members. You will assist the College Store Manager with deposits, POS tasks, and inventory, while helping train student workers and serve as acting manager when needed.

This role balances bookstore duties with Bistro oversight, coordinates merchandising, and ensures a safe, clean customer-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Three years of increasingly responsible retail and/or food service experience required.
• ServSafe certification required, or ability to obtain within established timelines.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid driver’s license and driving record suitable for vehicle insurance coverage.

Responsibilities

• Assist the College Store Manager with daily bookstore operations, including opening/closing procedures, POS tasks, and deposits preparation.
• Support scheduling, training, and mentorship of student staff and temporary workers.
• Serve as acting manager in the absence of the College Store Manager, ensuring continuity of service.
• Collaborate with WNCC Marketing to maintain store’s social media presence and website content.
• Coordinate Bistro operations planning, food sales, and customer service while supporting bookstore needs as required.
• Monitor product levels and participate in inventory, merchandising, and stocking activities.

Skills

Customer service

Interpersonal skills

Team mentorship

Multitasking

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

POS system

Social media updates

Website content management

Job description

The College Store Specialist supports the daily operations of Buddy’s Books & Bistro, contributing to a welcoming and service-oriented environment for students, employees, and community members. This position assists the College Store Manager with bookstore processes, food service functions, inventory upkeep, and customer service. The Specialist also helps train and mentor student workers and serves as acting manager during absences. The role requires flexibility, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to coordinate duties across both retail and bistro operations.

This position is well-suited for individuals who enjoy customer service in a fast-paced retail environment and are comfortable balancing sales, inventory, and food service responsibilities. Previous retail, cash-handling, or customer-facing experience is beneficial but not required.

Essential job duties include periodically moving and stocking merchandise and supplies. This may involve lifting and carrying boxes of textbooks weighing up to 50 pounds during peak bookstore periods, as well as regularly handling inventory such as beverage cases and other merchandise weighing approximately 20 pounds. The position also requires extended periods of standing and walking, particularly while providing service in the Bistro and bookstore.

Regular work hours are generally Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Fridays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. As an essential function of the position, employees must also be available to work occasional evening and weekend hours to support athletic events and other campus activities. Evening shifts may extend to approximately 9:00–9:30 p.m. on an as-needed basis during the months of September through March. These schedules are communicated well in advance, and alternative coverage may be arranged when operationally feasible.

Job descriptions are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees and are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

• Assist the College Store Manager with daily bookstore operations, including opening/closing procedures, point-of-sale functions, and preparation of deposits for the Business Office.
• Support the scheduling, training, and mentorship of student staff and temporary workers.
• Serve as acting manager in the absence of the College Store Manager, ensuring continuity of service and operational stability.
• In collaboration with WNCC Marketing, maintain and update the store’s social media presence and website content.
• Assist with the planning, coordination, and oversight of Bistro operations, including food sales and customer service, while also supporting bookstore needs as required.
• Monitor product levels and participate in inventory, merchandising, and stocking activities.
• Promote a safe, clean, and customer-centered environment within both the bookstore and Bistro.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:

• Equivalent to the completion of an associate’s degree required.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.

Experience:

• Three years of increasingly responsible retail and/or food service operations experience required.
• Experience engaging positively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and supporting a multifunctional team preferred.
• Experience in a higher-education, bookstore, or café/bistro environment preferred.

License or Certificate:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record that does not exclude the driver from coverage under WNCC’s vehicle insurance required.
• ServSafe certification required, or ability to obtain certification within established timelines.

Physical Demands: Frequent standing and walking; occasional sitting; lifting and carrying up to 25 pounds; reaching, bending, stooping, and handling retail or food-service items; operating point-of-sale equipment; occasional use of ladders or step stools.

Work Environment: Retail and food-service environment with regular in-person contact; moderate noise levels; exposure to cleaning products and standard kitchen equipment; frequent interaction with customers, students, and staff.