Inventory Manager

Powell's Burnside location in Downtown Portland has an opening for a full-time Inventory Manager position.

Inventory Managers are critical to the store’s day-to-day operations. Inventory Managers work alongside managers with different responsibilities to support staff and facilitate daily tasks and projects. They participate in the general management of staff, and also directly supervise 15-20 employees, overseeing the functions that support moving gifts and book product into and out of the store. Those functions include shelving, pulling internet orders, transfer receiving, returns, cycle counting, database maintenance, and other related projects.

Each Inventory Manager also has a portfolio of tasks and projects they oversee on a storewide level, such as cycle counting, scheduling, transfers, events, and display work.

The successful candidate will join a management team that works together to provide supervision for all store functions, with an emphasis on customer service. Inventory Managers also spend a portion of their time as Managers on Duty, supporting operations and staff throughout the store. During those shifts they work with a team of managers who are responsible for responding to customer service calls, supervising all staff on the sales floor, loss prevention, safety, and security.

Powell’s Books is known worldwide as a premier independent bookstore and an icon in the Portland community. We’re committed to fostering a culture and environment of inclusion, empowerment, and respect – a place where everyone can show up fully as themselves and do their best work every day.

Powell’s offers an extensive benefits package including:

• Generous healthcare plan (medical, vision, and dental)
• 401(k) savings plan
• Education benefit
• Childcare subsidy
• Substantial employee discount that is also available to your significant other, children, parents, and siblings

Pay: $23.08 per hour, or more, depending on experience.

Schedule: The schedule will include both weekend days and shifts that start as early as 10am and end as late as 9:30pm.

Closing Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2026

Position Title: Inventory Manager

Location: Burnside

Group: X5-B

Date: 3/2024

This position is part of the management team at our flagship City of Books location on Burnside St. in downtown Portland. This is a high volume, fast paced environment with a store team of over 100 employees. The Inventory Manager coordinates all product moving into and out of the store and supervises a large team. Responsibilities include setting team goals, assigning work, providing ongoing performance feedback and coaching to staff, and meeting inventory management standards and expectations.

This position requires a significant amount of time spent on the floor fulfilling department functions, or as a Manager on Duty supporting store operations and staff throughout the store. Contributes to the development of a culture that emphasizes exceptional customer service, continuous operational improvement and high performance of all staff and management team members. Challenges and inspires their team to fulfill the Company vision, mission, and values on a daily basis.

Major decisions are reviewed/approved in advance by the Inventory and Logistics Manager and/or the Senior Inventory Manager.

Reports to the Inventory and Logistics Manager or the Senior Inventory Manager.

• Supervises, prioritizes, and assigns daily tasks and projects for generalists including shelving, pulling books, transfers, returns, markdowns, database maintenance and cycle counting. Works as a top performing member of the team in terms of skill set, pace setting and overall quality of work. Acts as a resource to staff regarding inventory procedures.
• Communicat…