Purchasing Assistant

Overview:
**Term: 18 months**

The Purchasing Assistant provides operational and administrative support to the Business Development, Marketing and Purchasing & Merchandising teams, including product and vendor research, creation and tracking of purchase orders, note-taking, project management and timeline tracking, quality control and data input (e.g., SKU creation, inventory analysis, etc.).

**Responsibilities**:
Purchasing Support
- Assists with management of SKUs in P+RS systems including SKU creation for new product lines, inventory tracking (in collaboration with the Inventory Coordinator), and sales analysis for re-orders
- Under the direction of Category Specialists and business development staff, prepares purchase orders and tracks shipments, monitors arrival times and product quality upon arrival, and reconciles packing lists and invoices
- Sorting and preparation of custom orders for shipping to customers
- Assists with the coordination of custom academic kit bundling
- Assists with new product research and development
- Prepares markdowns, chargebacks and write-offs for Category Specialists to review
- When assigned, communicates and interacts with P+RS vendors to help research products, prices and availability

Merchandising Support
- Assists in the development and execution of merchandising plans for all P+RS locations where general merchandise is sold
- Assists the Inventory Coordinator with monitoring stock levels and keeping stock areas organized, ensuring that merchandising standards are upheld and supporting the regular rotation of products and displays

Customer Service
- When directed, contacts customers to, for example, update them on the status of their order, discuss substitutions if a product is backordered, etc.
- Provides customer service support to, and shares product knowledge with, customers and on
- As needed, supports the Assistant Manager, Retail Operations & Customer Service and the Purchasing & Merchandising team with management of backordered items
- Commits to positive interactions with all customers and ensures that all customer inquiries are handled in a professional, timely manner; and in cases when customers should be redirected to other staff, the incumbent will ensure
- that the redirection is complete and that the customer is not left without service
- Models the values of the P+RS department in interactions with internal and external partners

Collaboration
- Proactively establishes and maintains strong partnerships and relationships within P+RS and its customers
- Makes diligent use of shared tools to ensure that others are aware of the work being completed, so they are able to provide input and suggestions as needed and/or can provide back-up coverage in the event of the incumbent’s absence
- Works with P+RS Shipping/Receiving, IT, Marketing and Operations teams on coordinating kit building, order sorting/packing and in-store distribution
- Assists as needed in other areas of the day-to-day operations, including year-end inventory preparations and counts, supporting the development of purchasing and merchandising strategies, convocation services, events and sales, and general customer service support
- Keeps the Assistant Manager, Business Development and the Manager, Marketing & Merchandising Strategy aware of workload and priority projects underway and completed
- Participates in the Business Development Working Group, and others as needed

Qualifications:

- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (or equivalent) required
- College or university education is an asset, particularly in the areas of business, retail, merchandising, supply chain management, operations and/or customer service
- Minimum one year of experience working in a retail setting, with demonstrated purchasing and/or merchandising and/or customer service experience
- Experience working in the post-secondary sector is an asset
- Business acumen, critical thinking and analytical skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills
- Exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, oral and written communication, and customer service abilities are essential requirements of this position
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to learn and use new database, scheduling, collaboration, project management and content management software (e.g., Visual Ratex, Point of Sale, Magento, Microsoft Teams) to ensure
- smooth workflows and shared access to departmental data
- Familiarity with purchasing, product analysis, inventory management, custom orders and business development
- Ability to work quickly and accurately, while remaining organized and paying close attention to detail, in a fast-paced environment
- Strong computer skills with experience in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel); experience with an inventory database is an asset
- Proven ability to work independently without supervision on a regular basis
- Excellent organizational and time management skil