Part-Time Assistant Manager - Level 2

Hot Topic; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 26,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

Hot Topic in Champaign, Illinois is looking for a Part-Time Assistant Manager – Level 2 to help lead the store. This role supports the Store Manager in achieving sales goals, recruiting, and team development.

The ideal candidate has at least 1-2 years in retail management and is passionate about music and pop culture. Responsibilities include creating customer engagement, leading a high-performing team, and operational management.

This position offers a dynamic retail environment where adaptability and strong leadership skills are key to success.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of retail store management experience.
• Skills in communication, recruiting, and operations.
• Ability to handle a fast-changing retail environment.

Responsibilities

• Support Store Manager in achieving sales goals.
• Recruit and develop a collaborative team.
• Engage customers through promotions and social media.

Skills

Retail Management Experience

Communication Skills

Recruiting

Operations

Time Management

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

At Hot Topic, we’re passionate about a few things: music, pop culture, and creating the most amazing in-store experience for our customers and employees.

We’re on the search for a Part-Time Assistant Manager – Level 2 that will help lead the loudest store in the mall. You’ll support the Store Manager in achieving store objectives with regards to hitting sales targets, recruiting, and development. You’re Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker rolled into one; you can handle anything that comes your way while driving sales and building lifelong relationships with our customers.

What You'll Do

• Support your Store Manager in achieving the sales plan and/or comp sales goals. It’s not all about the Benjamins, but then it kind of is
• Help recruit, develop, and retain a super collaborative, passionate team to run your store alongside you
• You’re the store’s #1 fan – you’ll create buzz and customer engagement through promotion of new products, use social media platforms, and additional benefits such as BOPIS and curbside pickup
• Provide leadership around running an operationally sound business; you’ll bring the right balance of ops, delegation/autonomy, and customer‑first selling practices
• Keep watch (like the Night’s Watch) on shrink/loss prevention, payroll hours, and associate schedules
• Collaboratively communicate with retail leadership and HQ partners on trends & customer feedback
• Run sales reports and use data to help guide your strategy to hit sales targets
• You’ll merchandise the store in a compelling way, leveraging planograms as a guide, while launching all promos on time. In short, you’ll deliver the goods!
• Every Frodo needs a Fellowship! In partnership with your Store Manager, you’ll develop your team of loyal associates that are high‑performing and customer‑focused

What You'll Need

• At least 1-2 years of retail store management experience. If you love music and pop culture, you're in the right place!
• You’ve led teams to success and want to experience more of it. You’ll have skills to pay the bills: communication, recruiting, operations (payroll, reporting, scheduling, merchandising), and be a developer of your peeps
• You have Avenger‑like skills: communication, time management, professionalism, operations, and a drive to develop your peeps
• A high school diploma or GED equivalent. If you have a degree, even better
• Roll with the punches. Retail is a fast‑changing industry and you like catching curveballs thrown your way
• The usual retail stuff (with or without reasonable accommodation): able to navigate your way around the store, merchandise product utilizing approved store equipment, and pack and unpack boxes of awesome merch that may weigh up to 50 pounds

Please note the pay range for this position starts as listed in the job posting, but other factors such as an individual’s education, location, meeting the minimum job requirements for the role, training and experience, will determine the final salary for potential new hires.