Are you passionate about the transformative power of books? Do you thrive in a dynamic, virtual environment where your work directly impacts the lifelong learning journeys of people around the globe? If so, we invite you to join our small but mighty remote team, dedicated to fostering a love for reading and learning in diverse communities.

In this role, you’ll manage dozens of virtual book clubs that connect like-minded individuals who share interests in a wide range of topics—from professional development and social justice to modern fiction, classic literature, and personal growth. Each day, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with people from all walks of life, helping to cultivate meaningful discussions and deep connections around the books that inspire, challenge, and enlighten us. If you’re someone who absolutely loves books, has a knack for bringing people together, and is eager to support engagement in online learning communities, this position could be your next perfect career move. Join us in our mission to enrich lives through the power of reading and community, all from the comfort of your home office.

About PBC Guru

PBC Guru is a company based in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. We bring the idea of a traditional in-person book club into the 21st century by combining technology and human facilitation to create meaningful online communities around books. Our book clubs are virtual, asynchronous, and scalable, meaning that hundreds of people can participate from anywhere in the world at whatever time is convenient for them.

We believe that regularly reading books is the single best way to improve people’s thinking, advance their careers, and create a shared language among groups. We manage numerous different types of book clubs, including professionally focused groups for companies and national associations and general interest groups for university alumni associations and public libraries. We have a strong commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity, and strongly encourage candidates to apply who will enrich a culturally inclusive environment. You can learn more about us at www.pbc.guru.

Book Club Program and Community Manager Responsibilities

The Book Club Community Manager is responsible for managing all of the details of keeping an online book club experience engaging while also managing the client relationships of each book club sponsor. Starting salary is $53,000 per year based on experience with room for further increases based on performance. Specific responsibilities include:

Community Management (40%)

Manage up to 75 online book club community forums, including DEI/social justice-focused communities, professional development-focused communities, health and STEM-focused communities, and general lifelong learning communities globally
Send regular emails to participants, post discussion questions, recommend books for groups to vote on, and participate actively in book club discussions
Reply to member requests and incorporate feedback to improve the book club program continuously
Participate in online discussion groups to encourage interaction and dialogue
Moderate discussion groups to check that members are following community guidelines
Manage the onboarding of new book club community groups through all marketing and initial launch phases
Research potential book options for various types of book club communities
Continuously improve the book club experience by growing community membership, driving engagement, and promoting meaningful member-to-member interactions
Engage in a technical workflow to maintain organization and structure for all communities

Client Relationships Management (25%)

Manage client relationships to ensure that each book club program is meeting their organization’s objectives
Assist in onboarding new book club community clients through all marketing and initial launch phases
Regularly meet with client contacts via GoogleMeet, Zoom, or Conference Calls to discuss program success and areas for improvement
Minimize client churn (i.e. maximizing client service renewals)

Content Development (20%)

Read books at least 10 hours a week (both fiction and nonfiction)
Write, develop, edit, and proof content for a diverse array of selected book club titles and associated marketing copy
Create new offerings aimed at increasing community member engagement

Internal Processes (10%)

Leverage and improve upon scalable success strategies that drive member loyalty, thereby increasing client renewal and expansion.
Monitor and analyze metrics on the health of each book club community to identify, ideate, and evaluate growth opportunities.
Implement actionable strategies based on experiment findings.
Regularly report program analytics and success metrics to clients.
Provide guidance on improving existing features, and act as a client advocate with a focus on improving the buyer experience.

Event Coordination & Hosting (5%)

Outreach and coordination with publisher contacts to secure authors for livestream author talk events for our book club programs
Livestream Author Talk host and moderator with bestselling authors

Book Club Program and Community Manager Requirements

United States resident
Bachelor's Degree (combination of liberal arts and business preferred)
Experience with management of online programming OR equivalent education/experience
Must be an organized, self-starter who is adept at task prioritization, time management, and is comfortable working independently from home
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with an understanding of different approaches and best practices
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
Demonstrated knowledge of business operations through previous work experience or internships
Keen attention to detail
Adaptability and strong problem-solving skills
Excellent active listening skills
Ability to build rapport and collaborate with others within the company and externally
Demonstrated interest and experience managing digital online communities (e.g. online discussion forums, social media discussion groups, etc.)
Ability to collect and analyze data, spot trends, evaluate and recommend tools to enhance a thriving community engagement strategy
Tech-savvy initiative-taker with a demonstrated capacity to work on projects with minimum supervision, understand objectives, and produce top-quality deliverables
Commitment to collective learning, program design, and iterative learning
Passion for reading many different kinds of books and connecting with people in discussion about them

Why Work for PBC Guru

Completely virtual team so you can work from anywhere
Awesome company culture
4 weeks PTO per year (required to take at least two weeks a year)
Retirement savings with 4% company matching
Flexible working hours
Health insurance
Free books

How to Apply

If you are confident that your skills and experience meet the criteria below and you think you would be a good fit for the role, please scroll down to view the URL link to the application. We will only consider applications submitted at the link below.

The job application requires a resume, cover letter, three references, and answers to six short answer questions. You can continue to view all of the questions, but we recommend not starting your application until you have the required pieces or sufficient time to complete them because you cannot save an unfinished application.

Applications will be accepted until August 30, 2024 but interviews and hires will be on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. Click or copy/paste the following link to submit your application: https://forms.gle/8mmoxJZYA6y85c9aA

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Book Club Program and Community Manager