Product Buyer, Associate - Event Gifting

ITA Group Inc•Des Moines, IA

About The Position

The Associate Product Buyer – Event Gifting is responsible for supporting the planning and execution of Event Gifting programs. Event Gifting is a component of larger, corporate events where guests are gifted meaningful products and/or experiences that are relevant to the event and create a memorable and lasting impression. Event Gifting also supports the other ITA Group solution lines with gifting needs. The Associate Product Buyer supports a team of Product Buyers who manage over 150 gifting opportunities annually.

Requirements

Experience in purchasing, inclusive of order management and accounting reconciliation preferred but not required
Experience in a cross-functional, corporate environment preferred
Knowledge of group event industry a plus
Ability to travel as needed
Understanding of merchandise pricing (margin and/or mark-up)
Excellent skills with Microsoft Office products, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Superior oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work the time necessary to complete projects and/or meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

Managing and tracking incoming request for proposals, rework, and miscellaneous requests.
Ownership of the Event Gifting email inbox
Delegation and tracking of Proposal Requests to Buyers
Confirm all information required for Buyer to develop proposal has been provided by Requester
Creating/and or Managing client folders to capture required forms, documents, and communication
Management of supplier and client invoices
Understanding pricing strategies such as negotiating wholesale discounts with suppliers, applying margin/mark-up, estimating shipping and taxes, and estimating total Event costs.
Reconciling estimated costs with final vendor invoices post-event
Approving and processing supplier invoices and collaborating with the Accounting department
Supplying detailed expense reports for Client Invoices
Maintaining a current database of all Supplier information, inclusive of Name, Contact Information, Key Brands/Categories/Products, Negotiated Discounts, and Performance Notes.
Placing & managing Purchase Orders with multiple vendors
Securing accurate artwork and proof approval for custom orders
Disciplined document management for tracking, managing, and saving order information
Developing creative proposals inclusive of new, exciting, and rewarding merchandise gifts and experiences
Ongoing, proactive research of products trending in the event gifting and retail space
Collaboration with teammates to share product knowledge
Establishing relationships with new and existing suppliers
Creating visually pleasing proposals in Microsoft PowerPoint with critical attention to detail
Proposals to include rationale, description, and pricing related to various components of event Gifting: Merchandise, Event Staffing, Travel, Taxes & Duties, Shipping & Handling, Event Operations, Communication or Marketing Elements
Collaboration with the internal marketing group (Communications Solutions Group, or CSG) to provide event gifting programs that cohesively align with communication strategy of the event