Seasonal Merchant Operation Associate

Uncommon Goods; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative, supportive team

Seasonal impact during peak period

Job summary

Uncommon Goods, based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is seeking Seasonal Merchant Operations Associates to be the first point of contact for our vendors. You will place purchase orders, track shipments, and handle vendor inquiries while maintaining accurate records. This full-time, onsite role runs through December 2026 with a rolling start at the end of September.

Compensation is $23/hour. Ideal candidates bring backend retail experience, strong Excel and Zendesk skills, and the ability to juggle

Qualifications

• Prior backend retail experience with order processing, inventory, and shipping.
• Strong communication via phone, email, and in‑person interactions.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel including formulas and PivotTables.
• Hands‑on Zendesk experience and comfort with other customer service tools.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and stay organized.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first point of contact for vendors—placing purchase orders and tracking confirmations.
• Support vendors by phone and email on orders and account questions.
• Keep accurate records of vendor communications and product details.
• Troubleshoot shipping and inventory issues and perform root-cause analysis.
• Suggest and implement process improvements; support special projects for Merchant Operations.
• Assist with general administrative tasks as needed.

Skills

Vendor management

Order processing

Inventory management

Shipping

Retail systems

Communication

Excel

Zendesk

Data entry

PivotTables

Tools

Zendesk

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Keep thousands of uncommon products moving this holiday season.

Behind every order that shows up on a customer's doorstep is a team making sure the right product got ordered, confirmed, tracked, and shipped. That's Merchant Operations — and during our busiest season, it's where a lot of the action is.

We're hiring Seasonal Merchant Operations Associates to be the first point of contact for our vendors. If you've worked the backend of retail, you like solving puzzles, and you can juggle a full plate without dropping anything, we'd love to meet you.

Location: This position is based in our Sunset Park, Brooklyn office and requires working onsite two days per week.

Pay: $23/hour

Schedule: Full-time, through December 2026

Start date: Rolling basis, beginning at the end of September

What you’ll do

Every day is a little different, but you can expect to:

• Serve as the first point of contact for our vendors - placing purchase orders and following up on tracking, invoices, and order confirmations
• Support vendors by phone and email on order and account questions
• Keep accurate records of vendor communications, including current info on cost, availability, reorders, and general product details
• Troubleshoot shipping and inventory issues, and dig into the root cause when something isn't working
• Look for ways to streamline and improve how we do things — we want your ideas
• Pitch in on general administrative work and special projects for the Merchant Operations team as they come up

You’ll Be Successful if You

• Have prior backend retail experience with a strong understanding of order processing, inventory, shipping, vendor management, and retail systems
• Are a self-starter who can work independently and manage competing priorities against tight deadlines
• Have meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Communicate well over phone, email, and in person — phone etiquette matters here
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment and can keep multiple projects moving with minimal supervision
• Bring strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a creative, solutions-oriented mindset
• Are proficient in Microsoft Excel — formulas, data entry, VLOOKUPs, and PivotTables
• Have hands-on experience with Zendesk (required) and comfort with other customer service platforms
• Are highly computer proficient and pick up new systems quickly
• Are comfortable with remote connectivity, including remotely connecting to and accessing computer systems

Heads Up About This Role

This is a fast-paced position. You’ll be learning and navigating several systems at once, processing orders accurately, coordinating with vendors, and chasing down shipping and inventory issues - often all in the same afternoon. Because there’s a lot to learn quickly, the ability to adapt to new technology is essential. If you like that kind of pace and variety, you’ll do well here.

What You’ll Gain

You’ll leave with hands-on experience in:

• Vendor management and vendor communications
• Purchase order and inventory operations
• Retail systems and Zendesk ticketing
• Order lifecycle and shipping logistics
• Process improvement and troubleshooting
• Partnering with merchandising, customer service, and warehouse teams

Seasonal Perks

• Collaborative, supportive team
• A chance to make a real impact during our busiest season

Everyone Is Welcome Here

At Uncommon Goods, we believe we’re all out of the ordinary. That’s why we’re committed to making diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging part of everything we do. We strive to make significant changes to our business—from how we source our products to how we build and cultivate our team—so we can be everyone’s favorite place to work.

We are an equal opportunity employer. If you would like to request accommodation during the application process, please email [e-mail].

Uncommon Goods partners withindependent makers and small businesses to offer a wide and constantly evolving assortment of original, creative products.

We are built on better business practices and committed to having a positive impact. Learn more here .

The best part of Uncommon Goods is us—our team. We’ve been around for over 20 years because of all the wonderful people who make UG the one-of-a-kind company it is.