Merchandising Assistant

Location:  Chicago, IL 60631 Status:  Full Time, Employee Job Category:  Sales/Retail/Business Development Career Level:  Entry Level Education Level:  Bachelor's Degree Job Description Job ID: 760Position Description: Challenging work. Good people. Commitment to success. These three short phrases define the True Value Company. It’s that simple. True Value Company is one of the world’s largest member-owned cooperatives. As a wholesaler with a strong retail focus, we provide products and programs to 5,600 True Value retailers worldwide with our 3,000 employees around the country.The Merchandising Assistant (MA) is responsible for managing the day to day operations for their assigned Merchandising Buying Department. The MA plays a critical role in vendor and member communication in addition to the preparation of all materials associated with the semi-annual Markets, Advertising and Data Integrity.Position Requirements:Vendor & Member Communication- Manages, creates, and edits all communication coming in and out of the buying department from vendors and member stores. Participates in major vendor meetings.Market Processes – Gathers information for the creation of Market materials. Responsible for the editing & accuracy of all Market materials. Must attend at least one market a year.Advertising – Manages all pricing and product information for the advertising circulars throughout the year. Must proof content of black & white as well as color proofs for each circular with input from Product Merchant and Global Product Merchant.VMD – Manages VMD (vendor managed data) submissions in a timely manner and takes the necessary action. Line Reviews – Prepares for and attends category line reviews.Mainframe - Manages data integrity in the mainframe system as it relates to all data for the items within the department as well as the vendor information.Special Projects – Special projects or other duties as assigned by Merchandising Operations Manager, Merchandising Operations Supervisor, and/or Global Product Merchant.Position Attributes:-College degree or 4 years experience in a related position-PC Skills: Knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access).-Organized with strong attention to detail-Ability to work in a fast pace environment-Ability to multi-task and prioritize independently-Strong written/verbal communication skills-Travel required occasionally-Experience with retail a plusThe True Value Company provides an environment that will encourage you to embark on a career that will stimulate your mind, while satisfying your need to work in an open, enjoyable atmosphere. Our salary and benefits package is competitive. For immediate consideration, please apply online.EOE:M/F/D/V.Additional Information: Travel Percentage: 10%