Fresh Flower Buyer Assistant

Mcnamaraflorist; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

McNamara Florist in Indianapolis seeks an organized Fresh Flower Buyer Assistant to support our purchasing and wholesale operations. You will help coordinate shipments, verify pricing, maintain product data, and ensure accurate information for stores and staff.

Daily duties include receiving flowers, updating availability lists by 1:30 p.m., assisting with distribution, and ensuring the fresh flower cooler runs smoothly. Strong Excel skills and reliable teamwork are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel; familiarity with QuickBooks preferred.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; able to manage multiple tasks.
• Dependable, punctual, and able to work both independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day purchasing administration for fresh flowers.
• Verify product varieties, quantities, pricing, and shipment details.
• Communicate purchase needs and shipment information with vendors.
• Track incoming orders and delivery dates.
• Maintain fresh flower inventory and wholesale availability lists.
• Assist with receiving, processing, and quality control of incoming flowers.
• Support distribution to stores and wholesale operations.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Time management

Independent work

Tools

Microsoft Excel

QuickBooks

Job description

McNamara Florist is seeking an organized, detail-oriented Fresh Flower Buyer Assistant to support our fresh flower purchasing and wholesale operations.

This position works closely with our Flower Buyer to help coordinate incoming fresh flower shipments, maintain accurate product and cost information, monitor inventory, and ensure our retail stores and internal teams have the information they need to sell and utilize fresh product effectively.

The Fresh Flower Buyer Assistant will also play an important role in receiving and processing incoming flowers, assisting with product distribution, maintaining our wholesale availability list, and supporting the daily operation of our fresh flower cooler.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Flower Buying & Purchasing Support

• Assist the Flower Buyer with the day-to-day administration of fresh flower purchasing as necessary.
• Review incoming purchase information and verify product varieties, quantities, pricing, and shipment details.
• Assist with communicating product needs, shipment information, shortages, substitutions, and other purchasing-related information with vendors.
• Help track incoming orders and expected delivery dates.
• Become familiar with seasonal flower availability, varieties, product specifications, and sourcing.
• Maintain strong, professional relationships with farms, freight forwarders, carriers, and other vendors.

Receiving & Quality Control

• Review incoming floral shipments and compare box counts with freight company waybills and expected shipment information.
• Identify and document shortages, overages, or other shipment discrepancies.
• Inspect incoming flowers for freshness, damage, stem quality, color, variety, and overall condition.
• Document product quality concerns and communicate issues for vendor credits and claims.

Inventory & Availability

• Maintain an understanding of fresh flower inventory available in the wholesale cooler.
• Update the daily fresh flower availability list and distribute it to McNamara Florist stores by 1:30 p.m. each business day.
• Help identify excess inventory, slow-moving product, or product that should be prioritized for sale.
• Communicate noteworthy product availability, shortages, or substitutions to appropriate teams.

Store Distribution & Wholesale Support

• Assist with pulling fresh flower product for distribution to McNamara Florist retail stores based on standing orders and internal requests.
• Enter wholesale flower sales and transfers as required.
• Assist with filling additional flower orders received throughout the day.
• Tag sold or allocated product and move it to the designated holding or distribution area.

Fresh Flower Processing Support

• This position will also assist with flower processing and receiving as needed. Responsibilities may include:
• Removing newly arrived flowers from shipping boxes.
• Giving stems a fresh cut and placing flowers into properly prepared buckets.
• Moving processed flowers to their designated cooler locations.
• Consolidating flower buckets and maintaining an organized wholesale cooler.
• Sanitizing buckets and maintaining flower-processing equipment.
• Helping keep the receiving, processing, and cooler areas clean and organized.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfort working with numbers, product costs, invoices, and inventory.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Familiarity with QuickBooks is preferred but not required.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines throughout the day.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to recognize discrepancies.
• Dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Ability to work independently while also contributing to a team environment.
• Flexibility and adaptability, particularly during high-volume floral holidays and seasonal periods.
• Previous experience in floral operations, wholesale, receiving, horticulture, or the floral industry is helpful.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Employees must be able to: Stand and walk for extended periods when receiving or handling product.
• Bend, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive movements.
• Lift and move flower boxes, buckets, and other materials safely.
• Work regularly in refrigerated floral coolers.
• Work around water, cardboard, plant material, floral debris, and processing equipment.