Shift Supervisor (Keyholder)

Part-Time Shift Supervisor / Keyholder Long Dark House | Old Town Alexandria, VA Full-Time | Approximately 35–40 hours/week Pay: $21–$23/hour, based on experience Long Dark House is an independent bookstore in Old Town Alexandria specializing in horror, science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, dark academia, folklore, graphic novels, and other strange stories. We’re looking for a Part- Time Shift Supervisor / Keyholder to become part of the operational backbone of our growing store. This is a hands‑on leadership position for someone who is comfortable independently running the store, supporting and coaching booksellers, keeping daily operations moving, and jumping between customer service, books, inventory, administrative work, and the unexpected things that come with running a busy independent bookstore. WHAT YOU'LL DO Lead the Store Independently open and close the bookstore Serve as the leader on duty when the owner or manager is not present Provide warm, knowledgeable customer service Handle customer concerns and make reasonable in‑the‑moment decisions Maintain a welcoming, organized, safe, and guest‑ready environment Complete opening, closing, and shift turnover responsibilities Support + Coach the Team Provide day‑to‑day direction to booksellers Help train new employees on store procedures and systems Coach and redirect team members when needed Delegate tasks and follow up to ensure completion Help create consistency between shifts Communicate important operational issues to leadership Inventory + Bookselling Receive and process incoming book and non-book inventory Verify pricing, barcodes, and product information Help organize, shelve, face‑out, and maintain merchandise Assist with inventory counts and discrepancies Develop strong familiarity with our collection Make thoughtful book recommendations and help customers discover something unexpected Administrative + Operational Support Complete assigned administrative tasks during shifts Maintain shift reports and document important store activity Track special customer requests, author/visitor notes, inventory issues, and follow‑ups Support basic POS and operational troubleshooting Help maintain store standards, checklists, and procedures SCHEDULE + AVAILABILITY This is a PT-time retail leadership position , and flexibility is important. Applicants must be willing and able to work a combination of: Opening and closing shifts Full weekends when needed Evenings Holidays Special events and high‑traffic periods The Shift Supervisor must be comfortable opening or closing and operating the store independently when scheduled. Our regular store hours are Tues­day–Sunday, 10 AM–8 PM , with additional time scheduled before opening and after closing as needed. YOU MIGHT BE A GREAT FIT IF YOU... Have previous retail, hospitality, bookstore, or customer‑facing leadership experience Are dependable and comfortable making decisions independently Can lead without needing to micromanage Communicate clearly and respectfully Enjoy coaching and helping others become stronger at their jobs Are organized and can move between customer‑facing and administrative work Notice what needs to be done and take initiative Are comfortable learning new technology and POS/inventory systems Can remain calm and thoughtful during busy periods Genuinely enjoy books and helping people discover them Appreciate horror, sci‑fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, or strange stories—even if you don’t know every corner of our collection yet PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS This is an active retail position. Team members should be able to spend extended periods standing and moving throughout the store, regularly shelve books, bend/reach as needed, and safely move boxes of books and merchandise with or without reasonable accommodation. ABOUT LONG DARK HOUSE We’re still a young bookstore, which means we’re building systems while we’re also building community. The right person for this role should be excited by that. You won’t walk into a giant corporate operations manual where every possible situation has already been answered. You’ll help us strengthen our routines, improve our processes, and create a bookstore that can be part of Alexandria for a very long time. Our values are simple: Welcome People Into the Strange. Make Room at the Table. Create a Little Magic. Community Over Transaction. We’re looking for someone who can help bring those values to life while also helping us run a thoughtful, organized, and sustainable business. Long Dark House Old Town Alexandria, Virginia Strange stories live here. #J-18808-Ljbffr