Associate Product Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Associate Product Specialist

Location: New York, NY

Onsite Flexibility: Hybrid 3 days in person, 2 days remote

• Position Type: Contract
• Contract Duration: 3 months
• Pay Rate: $32.00 $40.00 / Hour (USD)
• Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

The Associate Product Specialist manages a system to ensure overall quality, packaging, and size standards are maintained on incentive purchases, while ensuring all federal safety and labeling regulations are followed. This role authorizes pre-production and production merchandise, resolves issues through proper channels, and educates Merchants on legal regulations and quality best practices. The Associate Product Specialist collaborates with Buyers to develop a full implementation of product quality, value, and design, and identifies quality issues by receiving pre-production and product samples from vendors. The role gains product knowledge through visiting stores and factories and attending product development training classes, and establishes a system to request, receive, and respond to all production sample inspections in a timely manner.

• Manages a system to ensure overall quality, packaging, and size standards are maintained on incentive purchases
• Ensures all federal safety and labeling regulations are followed
• Authorizes pre-production and production merchandise and resolves issues through proper channels
• Educates Merchants on legal regulations and quality best practices
• Collaborates with Buyers to develop a full implementation of product quality, value, and design
• Identifies quality issues by receiving pre-production and product samples from vendors
• Gains product knowledge through visiting stores and factories and attending product development training classes
• Establishes a system to request, receive, and respond to all production sample inspections in a timely manner
• Establishes and fosters relationships with vendors to maintain regular and effective communication efforts
• Partners with Merchant and Vendor to establish quality requirements, best practices, and ensure timely flow of goods through the production cycle
• Ensures all federal safety and labeling regulations are followed
• Interacts with Buyers and DVP, Merchandise Managers to identify and manage a system to track incentive purchases, production updates, and quality concerns
• Develops and conducts informational and training sessions with Merchants new to the company and department
• Maintains a library of specifications, samples, and quality standards
• Documents all problem purchases and their subsequent resolutions
• Assists in building product knowledge and identifies quality issues through market travel, mix assessment of stores/competition, and attending product training classes
• Maintains systems to manage on order for and track samples received and approval status
• Completes special projects as assigned or directed

Merchandise Administrative:

• Opens, processes, and organizes daily receipt of samples
• Performs general office duties including but not limited to filing, purging old files and samples, opening packages, maintaining sample swatch books/files/photo streams, testing lab paperwork, FedEx to vendors, and presentation support

• Strong communication skills
• Strong organization skills and follow-through skills
• Computer skills, including MS Excel and Outlook
• Works well in a team environment
• Ability to handle multiple projects
• Good eye for color, design, and detail

• 2 years of administration, merchandising, production, product development, or buying/planning experience

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance Plans
• 401k Retirement Fund

This Fortune 100 retailer is the world's leading off-price apparel and home fashions company, operating more than 5,200 stores across ten countries under iconic retail brands including TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, and Sierra in the United States; Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls in Canada; and TK Maxx and Homesense across Europe and Australia. With a business model built on delivering quality, brand-name, and designer merchandise at prices typically 20 to 60 percent below full-price retail, this organization serves a broad base of loyal customers across global markets and employs buyers, merchants, merchandising specialists, retail operations professionals, supply chain analysts, and corporate finance and technology professionals across its worldwide network.

GTT is a minority-owned staffing firm and a subsidiary of Chenega Corporation, a Native American-owned company in Alaska. We highly value diverse and inclusive workplaces and support Fortune 500 organizations across banking, financial services, technology, life sciences, biotech, utilities, and retail sectors throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Job Number: 26-17487 Industry: Logistics & Transportation

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