Associate Buyer

Our vision is that every person has the opportunity to learn, work, and thrive in all aspects of life.

To achieve our vision, we are committed to dismantling racism and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion so we can help people reach their fullest potential through our education, job placement, and career pathway services. We do our work with great gratitude for the community donations, purchases, and partnerships that make our mission possible.

Position Summary: The Associate Buyer is responsible for creating and implementing inventory control processes and training store staff; analyzing inventory results and identifying risks and opportunities for improvement in store performance resulting in increased sales and bottom line improvement. Works with the warehouse team and communicates all distributions and seasonal activity. Responsible for supporting the Supply Chain Director in all procurement-related tasks for the re-sale of purchased goods, commercial supplies, and equipment. Responsible for identifying key volume driving items and categories and sourcing, purchasing and replenishing goods in these areas. Help with product selection, placing and tracking purchase orders, creating pricing strategies, managing inventory, and keeping track of market trends.

Hourly Rate: $30.72 - $33.38 per hour

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: The Associate Buyer responsibilities Includes the following and other duties as assigned:

• Create weekly, monthly, and end of season sales reports and ability to present/share results to internal and external partners.
• Manage basic New Goods program by forecasting need and managing a replenishment program that ensures the correct product assortment is in all stores while driving sales and maximizing profits.
• Execute operational category management for assigned product categories, including assortment planning, inventory flow oversight, vendor coordination, pricing updates, and performance tracking to support sales and margin goals.
• Perform purchasing and procurement activities for internal operational needs, ensuring timely acquisition of supplies, materials, and services.
• Maintain end-to-end purchasing activities ensuring accurate G/L coding within the organization's requisition system to support timely and compliant financial transactions.
• Process non-standard product requests, ensuring accuracy, feasibility, and alignment with company buying guidelines.
• Partner with leadership to establish standardized methods for tracking, analyzing, and reporting KPI performance
• Build relationships with suppliers and support supplier diversity initiative.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecard.
• Conduct annual year-end physical inventories, resolve identified discrepancies, and review final results with managers to ensure accurate reporting and compliance.
• Coordinate donated physical inventories with retail regionals and reports results to finance.
• Maintain, update, and deliver manuals, documents, and How-To guides for inventory processes Support and train store management on all aspects of inventory process.
• Create and communicate distribution workflow to warehouse team.
• Take active role in annual store budget process.
• Responsible for month-end, and year-end tasks.
• Travel with Supply Chain Director to source and procure goods as needed.
• Assist Supply Chain Director with product selection, placing and tracking purchase orders, creating pricing strategies, managing inventory, and keeping track of market trends.
• Department resource for point of sale system (Microsoft D365) for all things related to item set-up, maintenance, and inventory of new goods.
• Maintain order of operations for order/item creation and communication.
• Provide comprehensive oversight of the Procurement and Inventory Coordinator, including workflow management, training, and day-to-day supervision to ensure accurate purchasing, inventory control, and operational continuity.

Qualifications/Basic Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Studies, Marketing, or related field and experience.
• Minimum 2 years' experience as an Assistant Buyer, or working with a buying team, or Retail Management.
• Working knowledge of POS and inventory management systems; experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Demonstrated knowledge of inventory and shrink control.
• Inventory and Procurement experience beneficial.

• Exceptional analytical, judgment, decision-making and communications skills.
• Superior coaching, leadership and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build understanding and consensus.

We Have You Covered! Benefits Offered:

• M/V/D & Life Insurance for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Vacation (1-4 Years: 80 hours annually)
• 10 paid Holidays annually
• 8 days prorated sick leave annually
• Access to Childcare Benefits
• Parental leave covered by sick/vacation hours
• All employees receive merchandise discounts
• We strongly believe in promoting from within, and have multiple avenues for career growth

Supervisory Responsibilities: Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.

Language Skills: Ability to read and interpret hard data and metrics. Ability to write creatively and articulately with an emphasis on tact and diplomacy. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to handle basic math and business calculations involving sales, cost of goods, margins, discounting, and freight percentages.

Computer Skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel (Advanced), Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and SharePoint. RMS, ReQlogic, Great Plains, Microsoft D365 a plusAbility to learn new technology and software as related to the job

Other Skills and Abilities: Basic bookkeeping and accounting methods relevant to purchasing and inventory transactions.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Must have a valid Washington Driver's license and proof of insurance along with good driving record.

Other Qualifications: Self-motivated; resourceful, creative; high integrity; problem solver; looks to resolve issues; positive can-do approach; and ability to build effective working relationships.

Work Environment: An office environment workstation will be provided for this position. However, the employee is occasionally required to physically work in the warehouse assisting with seasonal distributions. The warehouse environment temperature varies and can be dusty and loud with forklift noise. This position requires some out of state travel to buying shows as well as periodic travel to stores within our region. Must be able to travel on weekends. Must have reliable transportation for regional travel.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

While working in the warehouse, employee must occasionally lift and move 25-50 pounds, stand for long periods of time; frequent bending, kneeling, reaching, stooping, squatting, pushing; able to travel across a variety of surfaces (stairs, ramps, uneven terrain).


Work Schedule:

Monday - Friday, 40 hours per week. 8am - 4:30pm. Thirty minute lunch.

Must be able to work non-standard hours.

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.


Goodwill gladly considers requests for accommodation and, if the requested accommodation is reasonable, will make such reasonable accommodations as will enable an otherwise qualified person with a disability to perform the essential functions of this position.