Now Hiring: Distribution Associate (Parental Leave Cover) – details here!

Now Hiring: Distribution Associate (Parental Leave Contract)

Perimeter is a specialised bookstore, award-winning publisher, distribution house, and platform for various art publishing endeavours in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 2011, Perimeter stocks a selective range of independently published books, editions, and zines spanning photography, art, theory, text, and the more lateral ends of design and architecture. Perimeter Distribution, the store’s wholesale arm, represents some of the world’s leading independent photography, art, design, and theory publishers. Perimeter Editions, the store’s publishing imprint, has released more than one hundred titles made in collaboration with artists, photographers, designers, writers, and institutions from Australia and around the world. The company currently comprises a small, friendly, hardworking team of six – plus a wider community of collaborators and freelancers – all of whom are dedicated to foregrounding the art of the book.

Perimeter is seeking a friendly, reliable, and highly organised individual to join the team as our DISTRIBUTION ASSOCIATE, working on a 12-month contract (with the potential to extend) while our current Distribution Associate is on parental leave. Working on a full-time basis at our Thornbury HQ – and reporting to the Directors and the Associate Director & Editor – the successful applicant will be responsible for compiling, processing, and packing wholesale orders; inputting information for shipping labels and coordinating shipment logistics; receiving and processing new stock; compiling and preparing materials for new titles from our represented publishers; driving wholesale sales and assisting wholesale customers with enquiries and recommendations; and providing retail support in our Thornbury store as needed.

This busy role also involves assisting the team with some onsite and offsite events and programming, such as book launches, talks, and book fairs. This is a position for a hardworking and efficient individual who displays a genuine interest and willingness to learn about the independent publishing ecosystem, and who possesses an unerring eye for detail and understands the crucial interrelation between small tasks and overall strategy.

Please be aware that this is a relatively active role that requires standing for long periods, lifting boxes up to 25kg, using step ladders, and reasonably repetitive physical tasks such as packing books in cardboard mailers.

Hours:

This is a full-time, temporary contract position, commencing in mid to late September 2026 for a period of twelve months, with the potential to extend after this term. Regular hours of work will be Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm; with one Saturday in the store (11am–5pm) occurring approximately once a month in place of a weekday shift. Extra shifts and hours may occasionally be required for major programmed events and offsite book fairs and launches (for example, the Melbourne Art Book Fair).

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Compiling and processing wholesale orders, including meticulously packing books to avoid damages
  • Invoicing wholesale customers via Xero
  • Creating shipping labels via Australia Post ParcelSend or other courier broker services, using a high attention to detail to ensure all information is correct
  • Driving wholesale sales, including liaising with stores and galleries to answer enquiries about stock availability, recommending titles, and setting up new wholesale accounts
  • Sourcing information and visual materials about new publications from our represented publishers, and uploading titles to our wholesale website (via Shopify)
  • Preparing our seasonal catalogue, showcasing new and forthcoming titles from represented publishers (using Photoshop and InDesign)
  • Unpacking and processing stock deliveries
  • Maintaining stock inventory
  • Ensuring warehouse is tidy, organised, and that books are shelved correctly
  • In-store sales and customer service, assisting customer with finding books and recommending titles

Your professional qualities:

  • A polite and friendly demeanour
  • A meticulous attention to detail
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Experience in customer service or working with the general public
  • An aptitude to follow our systems of operation with care and accuracy
  • The ability to work independently and as part of a small team
  • An enthusiasm to learn in-depth about the books, publishers, and artists we represent
  • Pride in a job well done, even with the more ‘mundane’ tasks
  • A passion for art, photography and design, and a general knowledge of these fields
  • Familiarity with Perimeter and our philosophy
  • The ability to understand how small talks relate to the broader strategy of the business (and vice versa)

Other favourable skills:

  • Basic admin skills, including using Google Docs, Sheets and shared calendars
  • Experience using Shopify or other ecommerce platforms (although not a requirement)
  • Experience in the book or retail industries (although not a requirement)
  • A valid drivers license (although not a requirement)

What we offer:

  • A fun, friendly, and respectful work environment
  • The opportunity to work with and alongside some of the world’s leading publishers and some of Australia’s leading artists
  • Training and ongoing support
  • Staff discounts
  • The opportunity to learn about and engage with the arts through books
  • The opportunity for professional development and growth

To be as upfront as possible, this is not an editorial, design, or publishing role, and experience within the publishing world is not a necessity (although an interest in art, photography and design books is paramount). We’re more interested in your customer service skills, work ethic, and personality!

Remuneration:

$30 per hour, plus super and leave entitlements.

TO APPLY: 

To apply, please send a cover letter detailing your experience and interest in the position, along with your resume, to ash@perimeterbooks.com.

Please include Application: Distribution Associate (Parental Leave Cover) in the subject line and combine all documents into a single PDF file.

Applications close on Friday September 4 and will be reviewed by the Perimeter team in the days following. The position will be active from mid to late September, 2026.