Jobs

The MIT Press welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those communities underrepresented in scholarly publishing.

Open Positions:

Bookseller

A Bookseller at the MIT Press Bookstore will perform varied and sometimes complex customer service, sales, merchandising, and clerical duties in a fast-paced and self-motivated book retail environment situated on the MIT campus.

The MIT Press Bookstore is the bookselling arm of the MIT Press.  Since 1980, it has served the MIT community and beyond as a bookstore featuring professional and academic titles from the MIT Press and other publishers, as well as general interest titles and a full children’s section.  The MIT Press Bookstore also maintains a retail website: mitpressbookstore.mit.edu. 

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Customer Service

  • Greet and assist customers in finding and purchasing books in person, over the phone, and through email, maintaining a professional, helpful, and positive attitude in all service situations. 
  • Assist campus and local visitors in locating resources at MIT and in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Monitor and fulfill orders placed through the store website, including shipping orders using USPS, FedEx, and UPS.
  • Perform cashier duties and demonstrate proficient use of the store’s point-of-sale system. 
  • Follow all store sales policies, including those regarding handling of cash, and credit card data security.
  • Develop knowledge of MIT Press publications and related subject areas.
  • Assist with opening and closing the bookstore.
  • Represent the bookstore at off-site retail events, including events happening outside regular business hours, and be comfortable doing so independently.  

Merchandising and Maintenence

  • Present a neat, attractive sales floor, including accurately shelving books in their designated sections, maintaining and creating book displays, organizing overstock, and cleaning fixtures.
  • Use daily sales reports and the store inventory system to reorder and receive merchandise. 
  • Accurately receive products from an invoice into the store inventory system.
  • Enter bibliographic data for new and forthcoming titles into the inventory database.
  • Filing.
  • Pull books from sections and pack them for return, then ship them via USPS, FedEx, and UPS.
  • Tally and record daily sales and prepare bank deposits.
  • Make campus and other local deliveries.
  • Learn the layout and landmarks of the MIT/Kendall Square area.

Qualifications and Skills

Education: A high school diploma or its equivalent is required.

Experience: A minimum of one year working in a bookstore or other retail environment.

Skills:

  • Organizational and communication skills and attention to detail.  
  • Working knowledge of Windows, Excel, Outlook or another email program. 
  • The ability work both independently and, in a team-oriented environment.
  • Must be able to deal with confidential information and situations using discretion. 
  • Ability to stand for extended periods of time, regularly and repeatedly lift up to 40 lbs., climb ladders, bend, crouch, and kneel. 
  • Must have flexible scheduling and be available to work evenings and weekends.  The current MIT Press Bookstore hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am until 6:00 pm; hours are subject to change as business dictates.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:

  • Familiarity with the Institute and MIT Press publications is helpful, as is an active interest in scholarly or nonfiction publishing. 
  • A basic understanding of the Press’s scholarly disciplines (e.g., science, technology, linguistics, computer science, design) is useful. 

Apply Online

10/6/2025

The MIT Press is an equal opportunity employer.

To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.

Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.

Please apply for these positions with a cover letter, on the MIT Careers Site using the job cart portal.

The MIT Press is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and offers a hybrid work environment.