Merchandise Operations Specialist

About Us:

Short Story is a technology-powered retailer helping petite women 5’4” and under find perfect fitting clothes. We’re a fast-growing startup disrupting the way clothing is traditionally retailed. We are both a subscription styling platform and vertically integrated retailer. Our mission is to remove the ‘ugh’ from the shopping equation for millions of petite women so they can dress with effortless confidence. We've built a data-powered learning system that uses customer feedback to create winning products. Our goal is to build the most efficiently run retailer in the world and to deliver a delightful fit experience to women of all shapes and sizes.

At Short Story, we celebrate petiteness, boldness, and modern womanhood. Our culture is one that blends an obsession with data, passion for a truly better product, and a scrappy startup mentality. We've been recognized by TechCrunch, Fortune, Buzzfeed, and rated the #1 Best Clothing Styling Service by USA Today. We were founded in 2019 and have grown rapidly in the last three years. We are a team of passionate problem solvers and fashion-enthusiasts, and we're excited for you to join us on this journey.

We're a team of fashionistas and storytellers obsessed with making our clients happy. Our clients love this, and as a result, we’ve grown rapidly. Short Story is backed by YCombinator, a top tier VC that has incubated companies like Airbnb and Dropbox. We’re looking for smart, passionate, and savvy individuals who believe in this mission to join our team!

The Role:

As a Merchandise Operations Specialist, you will be the liaison between Merchandising, Operations, and our Vendor Partners.  You’ll play a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of our merchandise receiving processes.  This position involves overseeing the receiving operations to ensure that merchandise is received, verified, and processed accurately, while adhering to company policies and procedures. The primary objective is to maintain the integrity of inventory data and minimize discrepancies through meticulous attention to detail and effective communication with cross-functional teams.

Your Responsibilities:

Receiving Process Management:

• Coordinate and execute the receiving process, ensuring all merchandise is received in a timely manner and daily receiving goals are met
• Collaborate with vendors, carriers, and internal stakeholders to schedule and coordinate inbound deliveries.
• Verify the accuracy of received merchandise, including quantities, quality, and documentation.
• Inspect and report any damages, discrepancies, or shipment errors to the appropriate parties.
• Collaborate with the Merchandising team to reconcile discrepancies and implement corrective actions.

Receiving Quality Control:

• Ensure all new receipts meet our quality expectations through visual inspection and measuring products. 
• Be responsible for measuring garments and calculating variance from standards
• Track and report inspection results and metrics to appropriate teams

Inventory Integrity:

• Ensure accurate and timely entry of received merchandise data into inventory management systems.
• Conduct regular audits of receiving processes to identify areas of improvement and enhance inventory integrity.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between purchase orders, packing slips, and actual merchandise received.
• Work closely with the Operations Leads to implement best practices for inventory control and accuracy.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Liaise with various internal teams such as Merchandising, Operations, and Accounts Payable to ensure seamless operations and data accuracy.
• Maintain effective communication with vendors, carriers, and external partners to uphold our quality and process standards and resolve receiving-related issues.
• Provide regular updates on receiving processes, inventory accuracy, and any relevant issues to management and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement standardized processes and procedures.

Process Improvement:

• Identify opportunities for process improvements to streamline receiving operations and enhance efficiency.
• Recommend and implement solutions to optimize inventory management, accuracy, and productivity.
• Stay updated on industry best practices and emerging technologies related to receiving and inventory control.

Who you are:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, operations management, or a related field (preferred).
• Previous experience in merchandise receiving, inventory control, or operations management required
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to analyze and reconcile data accurately.
• Proven knowledge of Excel and basic Excel functions (eg Pivot tables)
• Proficient in using inventory management systems and software.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
• Knowledge of relevant regulations, compliance standards, and industry best practices.

Why You'll Love Working at Short Story:

• You'll get to work at an early stage start-up, to build the culture, and to have an outsized impact on our company and society
• You'll be a key part of the company with the ability to make high impact decisions
• You'll get the opportunity to try your hand at new things. We deeply believe in giving people opportunity to venture into new areas
• We are a successful, fast-growing startup solving problems that have not been solved before and reinventing fashion for an underserved segment
• We are a group of smart, passionate, hustlers with a wealth of diverse experiences
• We are motivated by unique challenges and opportunities
• We are our own customers; many of us on the team are petite women who love our products
• We are driven by the mission of helping petite women find their perfect fit so they can dress with total confidence

Benefits:

• Professional development resources
• Opportunity to work with a dedicated and experienced founding team
• Opportunity to work with a growing start up