We’re expanding our Merchandising organization—and looking for an ambitious Associate Buyer who’s ready to roll up their sleeves, grow with us, and make a real impact.

Notions Marketing is the world’s largest creative arts distributor. It’s our job to have on hand every relevant product in the market.

As an Associate Buyer, you’ll work side-by-side with experienced Buyers and cross-functional teams to bring category strategies for an assigned product department to life. You’ll handle everything from trend research and vendor collaboration to data-driven planning and execution. This opportunity is a launchpad for future leaders with a passion for arts & craft products, analytics, and strategic thinking.

Position Summary: 

The Associate Buyer is an entry-level professional role designed to develop future leaders within the Merchandising organization. This role plays a critical part in executing strategic assortment plans, supporting vendor relationships, executing promotional strategies, and managing the product lifecycle across multiple distribution channels. Under the mentorship of a Buyer, the Associate Buyer engages in collaborative cross-functional initiatives and data-driven decision-making that directly influence category performance and profitability. The ideal candidate is a proactive, analytical thinker with a strong interest in vendor strategy, product planning, and market execution.

Required (minimum) Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• Basic understanding of merchandising, category management, supply chain, vendor management or related business principles. Internships and case studies are applicable.
• Intermediate proficiency using Microsoft Excel for data analysis, including functions like XLOOKUP and Pivot Tables.

Preferred Qualifications (used as selection criteria):

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• 1-2 years of Buyer Coordinator, Inventory Planning, Allocation or similar experience in buying, inventory management or marketing.
• Prior experience with ERP systems or product information management (PIM) platforms
• Prior experience with vendor management, including communication, onboarding, or performance tracking 
• Understanding of assortment planning, category reviews, or strategic sourcing principles
• Internship or project experience involving cross-functional collaboration (e.g., with sales, marketing, finance, or supply chain teams)

Essential Functions:

• Support assortment strategy development by analyzing sales performance, customer insights, and market trends to help build and maintain competitive, channel-appropriate product offerings
• Assist in product lifecycle management, including product launches, channel restrictions, end-of-life planning, and rationalization based on performance metrics and strategic goals.
• Support supplier onboarding processes to ensure seamless integration. 
• Coordinate with vendors to collect and manage product specifications, pricing, promotional opportunities, and marketing assets, ensuring timely and accurate documentation.
• Participate in line reviews and planning meetings by preparing presentation materials, summarizing findings, and contributing insights that support category growth and profitability
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Sales, Inventory, Supply Chain, Marketing, and eCommerce to align product strategy, ensure operational readiness, and support go-to-market initiatives
• Review and validate product copy and pricing across print, email marketing, and promotional materials to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with brand and merchandising strategies.
• Address and resolve escalated product-related issues in collaboration with Customer Service, Operations, Sales, Purchasing, and Supply Chain teams to ensure timely and effective solutions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of retail math, including concepts like gross margin, turn, and sell-through
• Ability to multi-task and adapt to daily changes in priorities to meet business needs.
• Strong analytical skills with a data-driven mindset for evaluating products and vendor performance.
• Clear and professional communication skills, including experience working with external vendors.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Team-oriented attitude with a focus on continuous learning and professional growth.
• Comfort navigating large data sets and using them to influence business decisions.
• Self-motivated and eager to develop professionally in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for collaboration and external vendor interaction.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail and adherence to deadlines

Physical and Environmental Conditions:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The associate is frequently required to sit/stand/walk. While performing the duties of this position, the associate is subject to a typical office environment and is rarely exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. 

Note:  This posting reflects one Associate Buyer opening that may be based in either of the listed office locations (Grand Rapids, MI or Cleveland, OH).
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (3 days onsite, 2 days remote)
Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00-5:00 PM