Temporary Assistant Buyer

Location

IL-Chicago

Classification

Temporary

Job Summary

The Temporary Assistant Buyer supports the Buyer in developing and executing on-brand product assortments that drive sales and profitability for both Barnes & Noble and Paper Source. This role plays a critical part in bringing the company’s merchandising vision to life through thoughtful planning, keen attention to detail, and strong cross-functional collaboration. The Assistant Buyer is expected to understand the Buyer’s overarching strategy and proactively contribute to its success by establishing clear deliverables, adhering to timelines, and ensuring seamless execution. This position is a project-based temporary role, and you will be required to work in the Chicago, home office for the duration of the project. It is not a remote opportunity.

What You Do

• Monitor and respond to issues and opportunities arising from vendor communications, proactively escalating concerns to the Buyer as needed.
• Manage item setup and ongoing maintenance to ensure accurate and up-to-date product information across systems.
• Collaborate with the data team to onboard new vendor partners.
• Attend relevant cross-functional meetings to stay informed of departmental initiatives and strengthen internal relationships.
• Analyze weekly business performance and collaborate with the Buyer to identify opportunities and address challenges.
• Partner with New Store Planning as the key liaison for Merchandising, ensuring smooth communication and execution of initiatives.
  
  

Knowledge & Experience

• Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills to effectively convey ideas and strategies.
• Highly organized with the ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with all levels of management and build strong partnerships across cross-functional teams.
• Strong Excel and reporting skills, coupled with an analytical mindset to interpret data effectively.
• Excellent communication skills with vendors and internal teams, ensuring timely follow-up and effective collaboration.
• Bachelor's Degree along with a minimum of two years of experience as a Bookseller preferred.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the target customer and effectively apply customer insights to guide product recommendations.