Retail Buyer & Inventory Manager

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA (OMCA) VALUES

• Excellence:    We are committed to excellence and working at the highest standards of integrity and professionalism
• Community:   We believe everyone should feel welcome and part of our community, both within the Museum and with our visitors and neighbors.
• Innovation:    We embrace innovation and calculated risk-taking to achieve our mission.
• Commitment: Our work at the Museum demonstrates a sense of purpose and a shared accountability for the institution’s success.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Retail Buyer and Inventory Manager works with the Director, Marketing & Communications to meet revenue goals for the brick & mortar and online store at OMCA through the sourcing, selection, and management of merchandise in accordance with the museum’s mission.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following reflects OMCA’s definition of essential functions for this position, but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. OMCA may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Museum’s mission, values, vision, and core commitment to the visitor experience, community engagement, anti-racism and institutional relevancy for the future;
• Contribute to and support the OMCA strategic plan, annual priorities, and institutional initiatives such as diversity advancement;
• Contribute to a positive organizational culture based on mutual respect, a spirit of collegiality, cooperation, and openness to many perspectives;
• Participate in a culture of ongoing learning, collaboration, innovation, creativity, and community engagement.
• All positions will have core functional responsibilities, cross functional team activation and learning and development as a core function of each role

POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop merchandise plans in response to attendance and revenue targets. – Develop fiscal year targets based on attendance projections established through institutional strategic goal planning.
• Work cross-functionally with marketing, design, and visitor experience to shape merchandise strategies that anticipate trends, align with seasonal and exhibition calendars, and bring more visitors into the store.
• Source and purchase merchandise that is consistent with OMCA’s branding, mission, and vision, prioritizing working with small business vendors for the local community.
• Develop, manage, and maintain a product development program of exclusive OMCA branded merchandise for special exhibitions and regular store stock. This includes managing licensing activities, contract negotiations, and vendor and artist relations, and working collaboratively with internal stakeholders including marketing team members, exhibition curators, and design team members.
• Ensure proper inventory control in accordance with OMCA requirements, including monitoring and tracking merchandise performance and the management of aged inventory, markdown, and liquidation strategies.
• Manage the maintenance of the computerized inventory system, including entry of new items, and prepare regular inventory reports.
• Report inventory sales trend observations based on point-of-sale reports, staff observations, and customer requests.
• In collaboration with Visitor Experience leaders and Finance, plan and manage annual inventory and cycle counts, accurate and timely reconciliations, and timely completion of scheduled inventories and database maintenance.
• Create and maintain effective relationships with publishers, distributors, merchandise vendors, and other suppliers of goods and services for the store.
• Educate and provide Shop staff with information about the origins of products and their connection to the OMCA mission in order to support guest sales and service.
• Educate, train, and mentor Shop staff on modern merchandising techniques to support assistance with the design and execution of displays.
• Fulfill online shop orders via Shopify and work with Marketing and online shop teams to monitor online store sales & inventory.
• Train sales associates and inventory associates on POS and merchandising and inventory tasks as needed.
• Assist with store sales and guest service and upkeep of merchandise storage spaces as needed.
• Develop, communicate, maintain, and execute rotation schedules of merchandise displays.
• Create seasonal and exhibition related look-books of upcoming merchandise ahead of exhibition openings and seasonal shifts Lead all efforts associated with an annual Holiday/Winter Market, including procuring and liaising with vendors and managing related interdepartmental Museum relationships.

EXPERIENCE

• Ability to deliver results, facilitate and influence others and problem solve beyond temporary solutions
• 3-5 years work in retail buying and sales
• Understanding of the principles and practices of retail merchandising, including point-of-sale promotions and markdown strategies
• Knowledge of computerized point-of-sale (POS) systems (experience with Shopify and Counterpoint POS a plus)
• English language proficiency in both spoken and written form

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The environment may include:

• Museum environment involves both indoor and outdoor working conditions
• Ability to travel between OMCA locations, and other travel as required by position responsibilities
• Engage with diverse visitor populations for extended periods of time throughout the campus
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.

COMPENSATION $87,146 

EEO STATEMENT

The Oakland Museum of California is dedicated to diversity, inclusion, accessibility and equity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ability/disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We highly encourage our diverse community to apply for available employment, internship, fellowship and volunteer positions at the Museum, as we aim to ensure our staff reflects the diversity of our visitors and the surrounding community. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, OMCA will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.