Merchandise Buyer Assistant jobs in Washington

Position Title

Course Materials Assistant/Buyer

About the University

Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About the Department

The AS Bookstore supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.

The Bookstore serves as an educational resource for campus, integrating with the academic community to ensure the availability of materials necessary for development and to provide merchandise to enrich the sense of campus community. The Western AS Bookstore operates in a partnership with the Associated Students of Western Washington University for the benefit of all students. In doing so the store operates in an economically responsible manner keeping price on required materials as low as possible.

About the Position

The Course Materials Assistant/Buyer supports the Associated Student’s (AS) Bookstore's mission to serve as an educational resource and in the promotion of school identity and community, providing a diverse population with the materials that bolster learning inside and outside the classroom. This position supports the Course Materials Manager, facilitates operational efficiency of the course materials department, and includes serving as back up as needed. Under the direction of the Course Materials Manager, this position assists with the procurement of course materials, including the processing of faculty course materials requisitions, researching feasibility and implementation of materials for Inclusive Access program, determining availability and pricing, and placing purchase orders. Assists with all course materials processes: adopting, ordering, shelving, selling, inventorying, and returning. Requires data management, communication with used book wholesale vendors, analyzing quotes and calculating prices, along with decision making abilities to determine worth of rental expense. Responsible for textbook rental program operations including sourcing, analyzation, communication, consultation with faculty, problem solving, selling, returning rental textbooks and other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED certificate
• At least one year of experience in retail customer service, provided in person, over the phone, and via email
• Experience with computerized inventory management system
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Excel
• Experience with complex sourcing of materials that required the careful balancing of the interests of multiple stakeholders and had to be carried out through various methods such as the internet, email, and phone, depending on the circumstances
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask and prioritize with competing demands
• Experience working with diverse and inclusive individuals, teams and customers
• Demonstrated ability to work as an inclusive team player and promote a team oriented environment
• At least one year experience with general paper/digital record keeping

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with textbook ordering and inventory management systems
• Experience researching bibliographic information
• Experience working with seasonal projects
• Experience working with vendors, students, and faculty

Conditions of Employment

All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.

Salary

$3,284 - $4,257/month depending on qualifications and experience

Benefits Information

Benefits Overview for Classified Positions

Bargaining Unit

This position is part of bargaining unit A and is covered by the collective bargaining agreement with Washington Federation of State Employees.

Application Instructions

Application materials should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

Closing Date Notes

Application review begins September 22, 2023; position is open until filled.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3303 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.