Book Director/Bookseller & Events Lead

Full-Time | Salaried

Yer Mom’s Books & Wines is looking for a highly organized, community-oriented Book Director to help lead the literary heart of the business while supporting hospitality, events, and the overall guest experience.

This is not a traditional bookstore role. The ideal candidate is equal parts bookseller, curator, event producer, host, and community connector — someone who is comfortable recommending books one moment, coordinating an author event the next, and stepping in to support the floor when the place gets lively.

This is a full-time salaried position with benefits and opportunities for long-term growth within the company.

About Yer Mom’s

Yer Mom’s Bookstore & Wine Cafe is a hybrid bookstore, wine bar, café, and community gathering space located in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood.

We’re building a true third place — somewhere people return because it feels welcoming, engaging, and connected to the community.

Our concept blends curated books, approachable wine, casual café offerings, and thoughtful programming into one experience. On any given day, that might mean a book club gathering, an author event, a working lunch, an after-work glass of wine, or someone discovering a book they didn’t know they needed.

We believe bookstores should feel social, approachable, and alive. Hospitality matters here just as much as literary culture. Yer Mom’s is intentionally a little unconventional — equal parts bookstore, neighborhood hangout, and cultural gathering place.

We’re building a team that cares about creating memorable experiences, supporting the community, and helping establish something people genuinely want to return to.

Louisville is where we begin — but not where we intend to stop. Yer Mom’s is envisioned as the first expression of a broader third-place platform designed for thoughtfully selected markets across the U.S. — rooted in the belief that communities still need welcoming places to gather, connect, discover, and linger.

Which is why this role matters.

What You’ll Do

Bookseller Leadership & Inventory Operations

• Oversee day-to-day bookstore operations and the overall bookseller experience

• Curate attractive, discovery-driven book displays, featured collections, and seasonal merchandising

• Manage book inventory strategy including ordering, replenishment, returns, special orders, and sales performance

• Serve as the primary point of contact for publishers, distributors, and sales representatives

• Coordinate new release planning, event-related inventory, subscription/book club selections, and featured promotions

• Maintain a thoughtful, organized, and commercially effective bookstore floor

• Assist guests with personalized recommendations, gift selections, and literary discovery

Events & Literary Programming

• Lead coordination of author events, readings, signings, workshops, and community programming

• Serve as the primary liaison for authors, publishers, publicists, and event partners

• Manage event logistics including scheduling, inventory planning, seating flow, vendor coordination, and execution

• Help develop recurring programming that drives engagement, community participation, and repeat traffic

• Support partnerships with local organizations, schools, nonprofits, and literacy-focused initiatives

Hospitality & Floor Leadership

• Support overall guest experience across the bookstore, wine bar, café, and event spaces

• Step in during busy service periods to assist with guest flow, wine service, café support, or floor operations as needed

• Help foster a warm, welcoming “third place” environment where guests feel comfortable lingering and returning

• Build relationships with regular customers, members, local authors, and community partners

Brand & Community Engagement

• Contribute ideas for memberships, promotions, merchandising, seasonal campaigns, and guest engagement

• Help represent the Yer Mom’s brand voice, personality, and community presence

• Support community outreach, partnerships, and collaborative programming opportunities

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s Degree in English, Creative Writing, Communications or related field a plus

• Passion for books, literary culture, hospitality, and community-building

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Excellent organizational and project management abilities

• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced hybrid retail and hospitality environment

• Experience in bookstores, hospitality, publishing, events, retail, or related fields preferred

• Familiarity with indie bookstore operations, publishers, Ingram, Edelweiss, or book buying is strongly preferred

• Wine knowledge or willingness to learn

• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and event-driven hours as needed

• Self-starter mentality with strong attention to detail, follow-through, and ownership

Compensation & Benefits

• Full-time salaried position

• Health and benefits package

• Paid time off

• Employee discounts on books, wine, café offerings, and merchandise

• Opportunities for advancement as Yer Mom’s grows

• Creative, collaborative, entrepreneurial work environment

• Access to author events, tastings, and special programming

Ideal For Someone Who…

Loves books, but doesn’t want to sit quietly behind a checkout counter all day. Someone who gets equally excited about discovering a debut memoir, building a killer event calendar, helping a customer find the perfect gift, coordinating with publishers, and occasionally jumping in wherever needed when the place gets lively.

You’re organized without being rigid, people-oriented without being performative, and comfortable wearing multiple hats in a space where no two days will look exactly alike.

You probably love independent bookstores, appreciate thoughtful hospitality, enjoy community-building, and understand that the magic is often in the details — remembering a regular’s favorite order, knowing which new release to hand someone, or helping turn a Tuesday author event into a packed room.

If you like the idea of helping build a neighborhood institution that feels equal parts bookstore, gathering place, and cultural hub, you’ll probably fit right in.

A Few Practical Details

Physical Demands & Work Environment

Yer Mom’s Bookstore & Wine Cafe is a lively, hospitality-forward environment where no two days look exactly the same. As a hybrid bookstore, wine café, and community gathering space, our team members wear a lot of hats—and that’s part of the fun.

The essential functions of this role may include:

• Standing and moving throughout the space for extended periods

• Lifting and carrying books, wine, inventory, café supplies, and event materials (up to 25 pounds regularly and up to 40 pounds occasionally, depending on the role)

• Bending, reaching, kneeling, stooping, and occasional ladder use for stocking or merchandising

• Assisting with receiving deliveries, restocking, event setup and breakdown, and maintaining an exceptional guest experience

• Using point-of-sale systems, tablets, phones, and other standard workplace tools

• Working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with changing priorities and frequent guest interaction

• Availability for evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events, as needed for the position

Yer Mom’s Bookstore & Wine Cafe is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the role.

A Quick Note About the Wine

Yes—we’re a bookstore and a wine café.

Because certain positions involve the sale or service of alcoholic beverages, candidates for those roles must be legally eligible to serve alcohol in Kentucky.

Equal Opportunity

Yer Mom’s Bookstore & Wine Cafe is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where great people can do meaningful work and help build something special for the community. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Interested? Email us with your experience and resume by clicking the button below.