General Manager

Barnes & Noble Education; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 131,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Employee discounts

DailyPay access

Job summary

Barnes & Noble College seeks a General Manager to lead a high-volume campus store or complex retail operation. The role drives financial performance, operations, merchandising, and campus partnerships while developing leaders and delivering engaging student experiences. This senior position requires strategic leadership and a passion for education-driven retail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive retail leadership experience in high-volume operations.
• Proven ability to develop leaders and build engaged teams.
• Experience managing sales, payroll, expenses, inventory, and financial performance.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall success of a high-volume campus store or multi-store operation.
• Develop and execute business strategies to increase sales and profitability.
• Build relationships with campus leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing store managers and teams.
• Analyze financial performance, labor, inventory, and operational metrics for improvements.
• Ensure merchandising standards, inventory control, and customer service execution.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Retail Management

Tools

Retail POS systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Salary Range $80.00 - $95.00 Salary

Position Type Full Time

Description

General Manager

The General Manager provides strategic leadership for a high-volume campus store or complex retail operation, creating exceptional retail experiences that strengthen the campus community. By developing leaders, driving business performance, and fostering lasting partnerships, our General Managers help elevate lives through education.

Education – It’s in Our DNA

Barnes & Noble College is more than a campus bookstore—we're an integral part of the college experience. Our campus stores serve as vibrant hubs of college life and learning, creating retail and learning experiences that engage students, support faculty, and build alumni loyalty. Together, our teams help elevate lives through education.

The General Manager is the senior retail leader responsible for the overall success of a high-volume campus store, multi-store operation, or other complex retail environment. This role provides strategic leadership across all aspects of the business, including financial performance, operations, merchandising, talent development, customer experience, and campus partnerships. The General Manager develops high-performing leaders, builds strong relationships across the campus community, and creates an engaging retail environment that supports the campus experience while delivering sustainable business results.

How You'll Make an Impact

• Lead the overall success of a high-volume campus store, multiple store locations, or a complex retail operation by driving financial performance, operational excellence, and an exceptional customer experience.
• Develop and execute business strategies that increase sales, improve profitability, strengthen customer engagement, and support long-term business growth.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with campus leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and corporate partners to strengthen the store's presence within the campus community.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing managers and store teams through effective hiring, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Analyze financial performance, sales trends, labor, inventory, and operational metrics to identify opportunities, make data-driven decisions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Champion operational excellence by ensuring consistent execution of merchandising standards, inventory management, visual presentation, customer service, and company initiatives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and professional growth while creating an engaging environment for both customers and employees.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, safety standards, loss prevention practices, and all applicable employment laws and regulations while protecting company assets.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive retail leadership experience managing high-volume, multi-unit, or complex retail operations, or successful completion of the Barnes & Noble College Best Seller Program.
• Demonstrated success developing high-performing leaders and building engaged, customer-focused teams.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing sales, payroll, expenses, inventory, and overall financial performance.
• Proven ability to analyze business metrics, identify opportunities, and implement strategies that drive operational excellence and profitable growth.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong decision-making, organizational, and problem-solving abilities with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and retail business systems.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and peak business periods.

Physical Demands:

• Frequent movement throughout the store to access merchandise, assist customers, and support daily operations.
• Routine tasks may involve hanging and/or folding merchandise, stocking shelves, unpacking merchandise received, pulling and packing web orders for customers, pulling and packing merchandise to be returned to vendors, transporting merchandise within the store, assisting with the delivery of course materials to students within the store, completing data entry, or a variety of other physical tasks.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position for periods of time.
• Frequent lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling of merchandise.
• Occasional reaching, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders.
• May be required to perform routine housekeeping duties, including dusting, mopping, vacuuming, window cleaning, and trash removal.

How We Elevate Our Employees

Just as we're committed to supporting students, we're equally committed to supporting our employees. We believe your success is our success, which is why we offer a competitive total rewards package for eligible full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k)-retirement savings plan, life insurance, commuter benefits, paid time off, paid holidays, and more.

Eligible employees may also enjoy:

• DailyPay earned wage access.
• Generous employee discounts, including course materials and textbooks.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

At Barnes & Noble College, we empower everyone. Our mission is to support students, faculty, and schools, serving as a catalyst to meet the evolving needs of the education system and a new generation of students. That starts with fostering an environment for our employees where diversity and individuality is celebrated.

Barnes & Noble College is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff…

Barnes & Noble College provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete an application or participate in the interview process, please contact [e-mail] .