We are HIRING! NEW Bookshop Manager (Maternity Cover) role

29 January, 2026

Bookshop Manager (Maternity Cover)  

Ever dreamt of running a very special bookshop? Heywood Hill is London’s literary lighthouse. We are on the hunt for an exceptional person who is looking for a very fulfilling year. 

This maternity cover role is a rare opportunity to help shape the operations and development of one of London’s leading bookshops during an exciting year for Heywood Hill, its ninetieth year in business. The successful candidate will need to be a people person and a proven manager, with experience of running a retail, hospitality or subscription enterprise; leading a customer-facing team in a fast-paced environment; and of getting the most out of contact with customers and suppliers. This fixed term role is referred to below simply as the Bookshop Manager (BM). This is a full time in-person role based at our Mayfair shop.

It is a fun and lively place to work. Reporting to a small management team, the BM is responsible for: setting the tone of life in the bookshop on and off the shopfloor; maintaining high standards of customer service; managing a team of booksellers (including a deputy); and overseeing the day-to-day bookselling of new books at Heywood Hill (HH). Importantly, the BM’s responsibilities also cover the fulfilment of A Year In Books, our popular, international subscription service. 2026 is our 90th Anniversary year and the BM will have a key role in the delivery of some exciting special projects within our world of writers, readers and publishers. 

Along with senior colleagues the BM will foster a creative, focused and collaborative atmosphere. Working at a high capacity you should expect to juggle a variety of responsibilities calmly, effectively, and with good cheer.

Details 

Location: Heywood Hill, 10 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HH 

Workplace Type: On-site 

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30am-6pm

Holiday: 23 days per year pro-rata plus public and bank holidays 

Salary: £35,000 

Start Date: Late Spring 2026 

Finish Date: up to Late Spring 2027

Heywood Hill is an equal opportunities employer.

Main Duties

• Oversee and control the smooth running of operations in the bookshop, including sales and fulfilment, both on the shopfloor and for subscriptions
• Lead on the financial performance of the new books side of HH
• Monitor sales, stock, replenishment, returns and damages closely
• Maximise margins from our suppliers
• Maintain high standards of visual merchandising and organisation in the shop and online
• Lead a team of booksellers, enabling them to complete their daily tasks
• Identify and seize opportunities to increase sales, and build trust and rapport with existing and potential high value clients

Roles & Responsibilities

• Manage a team of booksellers in a dynamic environment, regularly setting and implementing priorities
• Engage with customers and clients, and help to identify high value customers
• Set high standards of customer service and communication
• Oversee bookselling processes and operations
• Ensure subscribers’ books are selected, ordered, processed and delivered on time, each month
• Assist the development of marketing strategies

You would be expected to muck in whenever and wherever needed within the business.

To apply please send your CV and a short cover letter to recruitment@heywoodhill.com. Please put MANAGER in the subject line of your email.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 15 February 2026. 

To see the advertisement in The Bookseller, click here.