Assistant Director of Material Source

Art Institute of Chicago•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

SAIC's Material Source sells art making supplies to faculty, staff and students to facilitate the various making possibilities available at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Our stores provide convenient access to curriculum-driven and hard-to-source art materials across campus. Stores are staffed by student employees and located in or near many of SAIC’s art-making facilities to help students explore the various media the school engages in. This position provides SAIC students, faculty, staff and departments with specialized materials through management of SAIC’s Material Source Center operation. Ensure each facility has an ample stock of a variety of safety-approved specialized art making materials, supervise and provide strong leadership for professional staff who directly manage the storefronts and maintain accurate accounting records consistent with SAIC Fiscal Office standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in higher education
2 + years of verifiable related work experience
Excellent communication, organization, and customer service skills
Supervisory and leadership experience preferred
Experience with budget management
Experience using spreadsheets, point of sale systems, or other database programs to develop data visualization
Familiarity with a variety of art processes and materials preferred
Purchasing experience including product selection and vendor relations
Familiarity with Point of Sale equipment (barcode scanners, printers, computers)

Responsibilities

Work with academic departments and instructional facilities to understand and accommodate material needs to best support the curriculum.
Work closely with the Associate Director of Media and Instructional Resources to develop policies related to selection, discontinuation, pricing of products and services.
Supervise and provide continuous leadership to full time employees in operation of the Material Source facilities.
Ensure the facilities are reliably operational, clean, well-organized, staffed and the shelves are adequately stocked.
Research and direct the implementation of solutions relating to Material Source storefronts, storage locations on campus and warehouse.
Maintain point of sale system for the Material Source operation.
Manage the ordering and purchasing of products.
Evaluate how to best package and sell items.
Determine appropriate stock levels and item types based on curricular needs.
Set price points accounting for margins.
Reconcile payments and maintain accuracy of purchase orders in point of sale with those in the Month End report and invoices sent by vendors.
Perform annual audits and deliver regular reports to the fiscal office.
Oversee the management of cycle counts and track adjustments.
Collect, organize and reconcile purchasing and sales data.
Process journal transfer requests for interdepartmental purchases.
Using collected sales and inventory data to develop solutions that enhance customer service.
Design and implement online catalog, and educational materials for public use.
Report and advise on resources needed for capital requests and operating equipment and technology.
Actively participate in institutional committees and initiatives to support student access and outcomes.
Work with the Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability and the Instructional Fabrication department to ensure that all Material Source products meet SAIC’s Health and Safety requirements.