Operations Intern

Job Description

Job Title

Operations Intern - Spring 2027

About the Job

Books-A-Million is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and operates a family of brands that includes Books-A-Million, 2nd & Charles, Joe Muggs, and Yogurt Mountain. Our Operations team provides operational support for our stores: we are the gatekeepers for all tasks given to stores, including when and how they are communicated, and we manage the resources stores rely on, including policy and procedure documents, reporting, and the allocation of operational budgets such as salary and supplies. This part-time internship (maximum 20 hours per week) is on-site at our Birmingham Industrial location and runs January 25 - April 23, 2027. The intern will help launch our new Store Social Coordinator program across 180+ Books-A-Million and 50 2nd & Charles stores.

• Position: Operations Intern - Spring 2027
• Department: Operations
• Location: Birmingham, AL - Industrial (on-site)
• Position Type: Part-time internship, maximum 20 hours per week
• Pay: $17 per hour

Role Summary

The Operations Intern will own the design, build, and pilot of the Store Social Coordinator Enablement Toolkit: the training, templates, and practical tools that store associates, Store Managers, and District Managers will use to run store-level social media. Each store has designated an associate to post to Instagram and TikTok, maintain its Google Business Profile, and engage with the local community in 10-25 minutes per day, without added labor hours. The standards exist; this role closes the gap between standards and consistent, on-brand execution so the program can launch chain-wide with controlled brand and Loss Prevention risk and a real impact on local traffic and comp sales. The intern will work closely with Operations, Communications, and corporate Marketing in a cross-functional, retail-focused environment.

Role Responsibilities

Discovery & Research

• Audit current store social activity across approximately 20 existing store accounts and summarize gaps, strong examples, and risks.
• Visit local Books-A-Million and 2nd & Charles stores and interview Store Managers, District Managers, and associates already posting.
• Benchmark local social accounts of peer retailers.
• Meet with Marketing, Loss Prevention, HR, Communications, and Merchandising to understand brand standards, Strict on Sale guidelines, and publisher restrictions.

Training & Toolkit Development

• Build a training curriculum blueprint with learning objectives for coordinators, Store Managers, and District Managers.
• Create a one-page Coordinator Quick-Start Guide and weekly content calendar and log templates.
• Develop a 12-week Content Pillar Idea Bank and Caption Starter Library in Books-A-Million and 2nd & Charles voice, including Yogurt Mountain content for stores with a Yogurt Mountain.
• Write an Engagement Response Playbook for comments, DMs, and Google reviews.
• Build an escalation decision tree with practice scenarios and a knowledge check.
• Produce a photo and video best practices guide and a Loss Prevention do/don't card.
• Create a Google Business Profile weekly checklist, an AI caption prompt guide, and a Sprout Social reporting how-to.
• Develop a Store Manager/District Manager store-visit audit checklist.

Pilot, Rollout & Collaboration

• Pilot the toolkit with 6-8 stores: train pilot coordinators, monitor posting cadence, time on task, and brand and Loss Prevention compliance, and collect feedback.
• Revise materials based on pilot results and package the final Toolkit v1.0 in PageOne.
• Coordinate with corporate Marketing on all brand content and use only approved brand assets (this role does not post to live store accounts or create brand graphics).
• Deliver a final presentation to Operations leadership with a chain-wide rollout and sustainment plan.
• Other duties as assigned.

Role Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate or graduate student.
• Hands-on fluency with Instagram, TikTok, and Google Business Profile.
• Clear, concise writing for training materials and job aids.
• Visual layout skills in Canva or similar tools.
• Basic short-form video filming and editing.
• Strong project organization and comfort interviewing stakeholders.
• Basic familiarity with AI tools and comfort learning more.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Major in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Instructional Design, or Business.
• Experience managing social accounts for an organization, club, or small business.
• Retail experience.

Work Environment & Expectations

• Program Length: January 25 - April 23, 2027.
• Schedule: Part-time, maximum 20 hours per week, on-site at the Birmingham Industrial location.
• Travel: Occasional local travel for store visits.
• Mentorship: Weekly 1:1s with the VP of Operations and weekly mentor sessions with the Director of Communications.
• Capstone: Midpoint readout in Week 6 and a final presentation to Operations leadership in Week 12, including a rollout and sustainment plan.

The Perks

At Books-A-Million, we believe in taking care of our team members, including our interns. As part of the team, you'll enjoy:

• Employee Discounts: Get discounts on books and other products across our stores.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Books-A-Million is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. We celebrate and embrace differences, and we strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their background or personal characteristics. We are dedicated to creating a culture of respect, equity, and opportunity for all employees, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.