What are the responsibilities and job description for the Buyer's Assistant position at HOM Furniture?
Company Description
HOM is a FANTASTIC place work. HOM was founded in 1973 as a small import business. In 1979, The Waterbed Room was born, and soon became the largest retailer of waterbeds in the upper Midwest. By 1994, The Waterbed Room had evolved into two separate specialty stores -- HOM Oak & Leather and Total Bedroom -- and the business continued to grow.
In 1997, HOM Furniture Inc. combined the two formats into a chain of full-line furniture stores which is now HOM Furniture. HOM has been rated one of the top 50 largest furniture retailers in the U.S. since 2001. Currently, there are seven Twin Cities showrooms: Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Lakeville, Plymouth, Rogers, Roseville and Woodbury. Our Coon Rapids facility contains the Showroom, Corporate Offices and our Main Distribution Center under one roof. HOM's family also stretches to eight out-state locations including; Hermantown, St Cloud, and Rochester, MN; Sioux City, IA; Fargo, ND; Sioux Falls, SD; and Eau Claire and Onalaska, WI.
Job Description
This role provides administrative support to the Buying team at HOM Furniture. This position is geared towards a candidate that has strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment. Prior experience in "buying" is not required however experience in the furniture industry is a plus. Candidate may be teamed up with one or several buyers or complete tasks for the entire buying team. Qualifications Ideal personal qualities include: Being a team player and good communicator. The strength of the HOM team is being able to mentor each other and to learn from each other. Although travel is limited, this person should be a "good traveler" if looking to advance in the team in the future. Be open to new challenges, be willing to learn and be flexible. Decisions are often made quickly and projects can be changed mid-stream so candidate should be open and accepting to change.
Some special projects can be ongoing for weeks/months and tasks are not always done at the end of the day. Extra hours, some evenings or weekends may be spent to complete a project by deadline. Essential Duties and Responsibilities The role of a Buyer's Assistant is to support the buyer(s) by doing the following: Conduct daily administrative tasks involving product and sku management. This includes sku set up, placing orders, posting company announcements, obtaining and filing photography from vendors, website entries and managing web content including basic copy writing along with any other organization of data needed per the buyer's request. Able to take charge of a project (with limited supervision from the buyer). Able to present ideas and make recommendations to the buying team. Conduct follow-up and complete the project within in a reasonable amount of time set forth by the buyer. Is comfortable in a limited leadership role that includes fair negotiation when working with vendors, fielding questions from other departments and assisting in showroom displays and setups. If the buyer is out of the office and cannot be reached the assistant buyer should be able to respond accordingly and act as a liaison for the buyer.Language Skills Possess skills to effectively present information and respond to questions from other HOM employees and from outside vendors.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for sustained periods of time, move about on foot to accomplish tasks, use spoken word to communicate, and perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
The employee is occasionally required to sit or remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time; use hands to handle or feel objects with either the entire hand or fingers, including typing. Reach with hands and arms in any direction, ascend and descend ladders and stairs using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Stooping by bending downward and forward by bending at the waist, kneeling or bending at the knees to come to a rest on knee or knees, crouching by bending the body downward and forward, or crawling by moving about on hands or hands and feet. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data or figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, extensive reading, visual inspection involving small defects, and using measurement devices.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Light travel--includes overnight stays. Travel may include assisting in new showroom setups, factory visits and to some furniture markets. Amount of travel is discretionary depending on the needs of the buyer and the department. Must be able to travel using all forms of transportation including, plane, automobile, bus, train, or boat for extended periods, both domestically and internationally. Will need to obtain a passport if traveling internationally
Qualifications
It is highly recommended the candidate is comfortable working on a computer for most of their daily job functions which includes using several Microsoft (Word, Excel), Google (Drive, Sheets, G-Mail), and In-house custom software programs tailored to your specific job responsibilities. Education and/or Experience High School diploma or GED and three years equivalent experience in a merchandising role. Prior experience in "buying" is not required however experience in the furniture industry is a plus.
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
