Summary

The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association is looking for a talented professional to oversee our organizational processes and operations to ensure productivity and quality for our staff, board, and our membership at large. The Operations Manager builds a strong, collaborative foundation of operations that allows for the successful functioning of our organization. The position reports to the Executive Director.

About Us

MIBA is a trade organization that produces programs that help independent bookstores and booksellers grow their knowledge base and their bottom line. We facilitate an ongoing forum for our bookstore members to connect with our industry members (publishers, wholesalers, distributors, sales reps, and others allied to the book industry) to strengthen the indie bookstore sales channel. Visit our websites www.MidwestBooksellers.org and www.HeartlandFallForum.org to learn more.

Essential functions

Systems engineer

• Track program engagement, financial activity, and membership data over time in a way that is visual, easy to use, and effectively shares actionable data with staff and board, helping us become a more data-driven organization
• Lead the successful application and functioning of Novi, our AMS (Association Management Software), including membership joining and renewal, custom reports, board and committee onboarding, accounting, e-commerce, website updates, job board, news feed, calendar, event archive, etc.
• Lead staff in the collaborative execution of our forthcoming membership directory
• Manage software integrations between platforms such as Novi, Zapier, Jotform, and Airtable, creating pathways for the successful functioning of all our programs driven by data-entry from our members
• Engage in routine contact management and clean-up and create the tools necessary to support the organization’s industry member sales strategy

Financial management

• Manage accounts payable, including vendor relationships and bills
• Manage accounts receivable, including invoice creation and pursuing aged invoices
• Work with the ED and our accountant to learn our financial structure in order to engage with it more extensively over time

Membership support

• Maintain membership data and produce reports to monitor/support member satisfaction and engagement; create and manage annual membership satisfaction survey
• Set up attendee and exhibitor registration and systems needed to produce successful events
• Manage the room block, room selection, and food and beverage orders for our in-person events

Admin

• Build a robust and consistent program reporting system; produce stats-driven reports for board meetings
• Assist ED in maintaining a system that supports a well-functioning board, including efficient governance documents, onboarding of new board members, sending reimbursements, etc
• Track titles on the weekly bestseller list and create quarterly and year-end bestseller reports
• Ensure merchandise is stocked and ordering/fulfillment system is functioning well

Desired qualifications

• The ideal candidate will be grounded the operations of independent bookstores as well as the industry’s challenges and opportunities
• This role requires solid data management skills and financial acumen
• Tech-savviness and the enthusiasm to learn new platforms is mandatory. This position will work with Airtable, Quickbooks, Flipsnack, Zapier, Jotform, Microsoft Office, Google (Drive, Forms, Gmail, and Maps), Constant Contact, and Novi AMS, and more
• Versatile, driven, and skilled at producing high-quality work independently
• Fastidious attention to detail
• A natural capacity for providing friendly, fast customer service and creating lasting relationships
• The ability to learn quickly and take charge of projects holistically

How to apply

• Upload your application via this URL and include the following as one print-ready PDF: your cover letter, your resume, and three references (name, company, title, and email address)

Job Details

• Closing date: April 1, 2024
• Classification: Full-time and exempt

• Location: Applicants can be located in any one of our member states (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula)
• Salary and benefits: Starting range begins at $45,000 plus a healthcare stipend of $400/month; phone/internet stipend of $80/month; 120 hours of PTO, 10 paid holidays, plus the office is closed between December 25 and January 1
• A laptop will be provided with additional tech needs considered on an as-needed basis
• Pre-approved work-related travel is reimbursed
• Reports to: Executive Director
• Availability: Must be available to work evenings and weekends on an as-needed basis