Retail Operations Associate

Essor•Minneapolis, MN

7d•$50 - $60•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an Essor Retail Sr. Sales Associate to support our retail growth engine through exceptional demand planning, sales operations, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. This role is central to ensuring sales orders, forecasts, and retail execution run smoothly across our retail partners. The ideal candidate is analytically strong, detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable working closely with vendors, retailers, supply chain partners, and internal teams to drive operational excellence.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in retail, CPG, sales operations, demand planning, or analytics. We are open to recent graduates too.
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs); experience with forecasting tools is a plus.
Detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
Strong communicator capable of interfacing with vendors, retailers, and cross-functional teams.
Proactive problem-solver with the ability to troubleshoot operational challenges.
Collaborative team player able to work independently and drive results.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of SQL is a big advantage.

Responsibilities

Manage and analyze demand forecasts to support order accuracy, replenishment, and inventory health.
Collaborate with supply chain, sales, and vendor partners to adjust demand plans based on trends, promotions, and sales performance.
Provide key forecasting inputs for account-specific planning and ensure timely product availability.
Review and approve sales orders to ensure alignment with forecast expectations, stock levels, and retailer requirements.
Monitor open orders, shipment schedules, and delivery timelines, resolving discrepancies proactively.
Serve as a liaison across customers, vendors, and internal teams to improve fulfillment rates and solve operational issues.
Conduct regular sales performance analysis by account and product category to identify trends and opportunities.
Build and maintain weekly and monthly performance reports and scorecards tracking sell-through, inventory turns, promotions, and other key metrics.
Prepare presentations and insights for internal stakeholders and retail partners to support business decisions.
Build strong relationships with vendor and retail partners to align on promotions, launches, and key supply chain initiatives.
Provide analytical insights to vendors to support in-stock optimization and mutual business growth.
Educate partners on Essor’s processes, order requirements, and operational standards.
Support trade promotions by ensuring accurate demand planning, stock availability, and forecasting alignment.
Partner with marketing and merchandising teams to optimize product placement and visibility at retail locations.
Strong interest in AI and emerging technologies, with the ability (and willingness) to be trained to build and maintain mini-apps, dashboards, workflows, and automation tools to improve operational efficiency.
Comfortable working with data systems and process automation; proactive in identifying opportunities to streamline reporting and forecasting processes.