Retail Specialist

Retail Specialist

Valencia College is seeking a full‑time Retail Specialist to join the Campus Store Fulfillment Center team at the West Campus. The position supports daily back‑end retail operations, including inventory management, ordering, pricing, merchandising, and vendor coordination, ensuring essential materials are available to support student success.

• Purchase high volume merchandise, compare vendor bids, establish pricing schedules, monitor usage, and maintain adequate inventory stock.
• Maintain consistent communication with campus store managers and department heads to understand their needs and anticipate stock levels.
• Coordinate purchasing of supplies and special orders for college‑wide or department projects; receive, pack, ship, and deliver goods; and return overstocked or defective merchandise in a timely manner.
• Maintain data information, files, reports, price lists on assigned commodities.
• Process and fulfill online orders.
• Build kits of merchandise for resale to departments or students (e.g., nursing kits, graduation boxes).
• Conduct consistent inventory counts as directed.
• Reconcile and process receiving reports, vendor invoices, and other payment documents, ensuring all products have been received prior to paying vendors.
• Prepare and issue requests for quotes and contact vendors.
• Research and monitor new industry trends, consumer behavior, or advances in product lines to anticipate demand and make appropriate buying decisions.
• Keep a standard of receiving procedures to assure inventory accuracy and train appropriate staff in correct receiving procedures.
• Visit campus stores to distinguish sales history, replenish needs, and identify trends, as well as provide merchandising and receiving training.
• Attend training, classes, trade shows, and conferences; meet with vendors on a regular basis to compare pricing, packaging, and overall value of products.
• Load and unload campus store lockers.
• Provide guidance to work study employees and temporary help assigned to campus store operations.
• Travel to all campus locations on a regular basis to help ensure consistency in practices and support various initiatives.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Associate's degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• One year of experience in retail or a related area involving ordering, pricing, and merchandising of products, establishing adequate stock and inventory controls, and processing online orders.
• General understanding of purchasing and inventory control principles.
• Excellent customer service, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of store operations and procedures.
• Ability to apply creative problem‑solving in a retail operations setting.
• Strong customer service skills, ability to use creative thinking for problem solving, and ability to make decisions with limited supervision.
• Valid Florida driver’s license; ability to operate college vehicles.
• Fully onsite work environment.
• Eligibility for Veteran’s Preference under Florida Statute 295.07(5)(a), F.S.

• State medical, dental benefits and paid life insurance premiums.
• Paid time off.
• Educational and professional development opportunities.

• This position is fully onsite.
• Applicants must submit complete application with work history and driver’s license information.
• Applicants must establish Florida residency within 30 days of start date if selected.