Merchandise Assistant – Jackets

Jobtailor; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Philadelphia is seeking a detail-oriented Buying Operations Assistant to support daily purchasing functions, manage merchandise flow, and coordinate with vendors. You will help ensure styles go live on the website in a timely fashion and assist with sample management and reporting.

You will liaise across distribution, planning, buying operations, and brand teams, handling communications efficiently in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills required.
• Detail oriented with ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Understanding of customer wants and trends to select appealing products.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks with high urgency.
• Creative thinking and proactive problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Support daily operational functions within designated buying area.
• Support the buying team in managing the overall merchandise flow and administrative tasks.
• Develop cross-functional relationships with market and internal partners (DC, planning, website merchandising, brand/creative).
• Ensure styles are live on the website in a timely fashion.
• Open all sample purchase orders, review with buyer, take measurements, and pass to appropriate team.
• Work with vendors to request missing samples or samples from the distribution center.
• Provide brand creative/styling team with requested samples.
• Update STEP with necessary product information for brand creative/web producer team.
• Review styles Received Not Activated on a weekly basis.
• Ensure copy and site details are correct and alert team if corrections are necessary.
• Partner with buying operations for timely delivery of merchandise via consistent communication.
• Answer emails promptly and in an organized fashion.
• Act as liaison between vendor and buyer.
• Handle inquiries related to shipping, logistics, or payment while understanding terms.
• Alert buyers to costing or timing implications of orders.
• Provide vendor reporting as requested.
• Serve as point person for DC questions regarding orders (overages/shortages, QC, priorities).
• Share upcoming product with creative and merchandising teams.
• Assist with pulling reporting and preparing for meetings (business review, hindsight).
• Participate in seasonal trend roundups and share relevant additions for the assortment.
• Assist with adding product information to TXT.
• Assist and coordinate with buying operations on issuing/revising purchase orders.
• Reconcile attributes weekly and ensure correct coding.
• Assist with updating care labels for OB product in Tradestone.
• Pull picture packs for meetings and as requested.
• Manage samples by receiving, reviewing, returning to vendor.
• Assist with own brand assortment by sending purchase order requests.

Skills

Merchandise Flow Management

Sample Purchase Order Management

Product Information Updating

Vendor Communication

Order Reconciliation

Interpersonal Skills

Project Prioritization

Organizational Skills

High Sense of Urgency

Job description

Responsibilities

• Support the daily operational functions within your designated buying area.
• Support the buying team in managing the overall merchandise flow and any other necessary administrative tasks.
• Learn to develop key cross‑functional relationships with both the market and internal partners: distribution center, planning, buying operations, website merchandising, brand creative and photo studio team.
• Undertake necessary actions to ensure styles are live on the website in a timely fashion.
• Open all sample purchase orders, review with buyer, take measurements and pass to appropriate team.
• Work with vendors to request any missing samples or request samples from the distribution center as needed.
• Provide brand creative/styling team with samples of relative styles at their request.
• Update STEP with necessary product information for brand creative/web producer team.
• Review styles that are Received Not Activated on a weekly basis.
• Ensure copy and details of styles on site are correct and alert team if corrections are necessary.
• Partner with buying operations to ensure timely delivery of merchandise through consistent communication.
• Answer all emails promptly and in an organized fashion.
• Act as liaison between the vendor and the buyer.
• Answer various inquiries, especially related to shipping, logistics or payment while understanding trade terms and process.
• Alert buyers to any costing or timing ramifications pertaining to orders.
• Help to provide vendor reporting as requested.
• Act as the point person for DC questions regarding orders (ex. overages/shortages, QC, priorities, etc.).
• Share upcoming product with creative and merchandising team.
• Assist with pulling reporting and preparing for meetings such as business review and hindsight.
• Participate in seasonal trend round ups and share relevant adds for the assortment.
• Assist with adding product information to TXT.
• Assist and communicate with buying operations on issuing and revising purchase orders.
• Reconcile attributes weekly and ensure everything is coded correctly.
• Assist with updating care labels for OB product in Tradestone.
• Pull picture packs for meetings and as requested.
• Manage samples by receiving, reviewing and returning to the vendor.
• Assist with own brand assortment by sending purchase order requests.

Requirements

• Must exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Detail Oriented.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced work environment.
• Understanding of the customer’s wants and needs and the ability to identify the appropriate product/trend that will appeal to the customer.
• Ability to prioritize projects and handle multiple tasks; exhibits a high sense of urgency.
• Must demonstrate creative thinking; be proactive and able to problem solve.

Hard Skills

• Merchandise Flow Management
• Sample Purchase Order Management
• Product Information Updating
• Vendor Communication
• Order Reconciliation

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Project Prioritization
• Organizational Skills
• High Sense of Urgency