Associate Buyer

Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences • Los Angeles, CA

7d • $30 - $32 • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Buyer develops and executes assigned merchandise assortments and product initiatives that advance the Museum’s mission and achieve financial objectives. Working closely with the Senior Buyer, this role contributes to product development, assortment planning, sourcing, inventory management, and sales analysis while owning assigned projects and categories from development through performance management. The Associate Buyer coordinates product launches and collaborates with internal teams—including Curatorial, Film Programming, Brand Creative, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Warehouse—and external partners such as studios, vendors, licensors, and artists to ensure products are developed, approved, delivered, and launched successfully.

The role oversees product development from concept through delivery, supports buying and assortment decisions, manages vendor and purchase-order activities, and evaluates category and collection performance. It also coordinates book signings and provides operational and administrative support for departmental priorities. The position is full-time, regular, hourly (non-exempt), and located on-site at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles. Compensation is $30.00–$32.00 per hour.

Requirements

• At least 2 years of relevant experience in buying and product development.
• Strong understanding of product development, buying, and supply-chain processes.
• Experience working with vendors and licensors, including pricing and negotiations.
• Experience analyzing sales and inventory performance to inform buying and assortment decisions.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to work effectively within and across teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to take initiative, work independently, and follow through on responsibilities.
• Passion for design, film, culture, and storytelling through merchandise.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
• Ability to work on-site as required, with scheduling determined by business and departmental needs.
• Ability to move and transport up to 25 pounds.
• Full vaccination against COVID-19, including applicable booster vaccinations, unless an approved medical or religious accommodation is granted by the Office of People & Culture.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Retail Management, or a related field.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and/or graphic design.
• Experience with retail systems, inventory management systems, or point-of-sale platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own product development initiatives for assigned projects and categories, creating merchandise that reflects the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, the Oscars, and Academy history.
• Manage product development from concept through delivery, including ideation, vendor coordination, costing, sampling, approvals, and production.
• Contribute to seasonal and ongoing buying needs and build balanced assortments in partnership with the Senior Buyer and VP of Global Retail.
• Manage licensed product development with licensing partners, coordinating submissions and approvals, responding to feedback, and ensuring brand alignment and contractual compliance.
• Research industry and trends to identify and recommend new vendors, brands, artists, and product opportunities.
• Own product selection and assortment decisions for assigned categories and projects, including pricing, internal approvals, and end-of-life decisions.
• Participate in weekly internal product reviews covering assortment and product strategy, mockups, samples, and launch timing.
• Partner with the Buying Assistant on sample management and provide organized, tracked, approved, and clearly labeled samples with product information for photography.
• Evaluate category and collection performance, identify trends, and recommend actions to optimize assortments, improve margins, and drive sales.
• Support demand forecasting and future buy planning with the Senior Buyer and Inventory Manager using sales performance, inventory levels, and business needs.
• Conduct hindsight analysis for key categories, collections, and launches to inform future buys, reorders, and assortment decisions.
• Maintain accurate SKU counts across categories and collections.
• Own the reorder process by reviewing sales, weeks of supply, inventory, lead times, and business needs; submit reorder recommendations to the Senior Buyer for approval.
• Manage markdowns and promotions for assigned categories and collections, recommending strategy and timing to the Senior Buyer for approval and executing approved changes.
• Manage domestic and international vendor relationships to support product quality, on-time delivery, and effective communication.
• Negotiate pricing and delivery terms to support revenue and margin goals.
• Provide complete and accurate product, pricing, quantity, and delivery information to the Buying Assistant for SKU creation and purchase-order entry.
• Manage purchase-order updates, including quantity adjustments, delivery changes, cancellations, and other revisions.
• Resolve shipment, purchase-order, and product-specification discrepancies with appropriate internal and external teams.
• Support style setup and purchase-order processing, including creating and updating product information and sending purchase orders to vendors.
• Maintain accuracy and data integrity across assigned product, vendor, and purchasing information.
• Coordinate book signings, including author and publisher communication, inventory planning and ordering, and timely product receipt.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support departmental priorities and goals.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 15 days of PTO, plus company-paid holidays.
• Additional time off, including summer hours, winter hours, and a cultural floating holiday.
• Paid sick leave.
• Paid parental leave.
• 401(k) retirement plan with a company match.
• Clean Air Commuter Program.
• Employee Assistance Program through CompPsych Guidance Resources.
• Wellness benefits through Cigna Healthcare.
• Free access to more than 16,000 online courses through LinkedIn Learning.
• Free Academy membership screenings.
• Free tickets and screenings at the Academy Museum.
• Employee discounts through LifeMart and Working Advantage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed