Merchandise Specialist

Merchandise Specialist

Department: Legislative Branch

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $70623 - $91815 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located in the Retail Division of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. This position is responsible for the buying and development of merchandise for CVC's two gift shops and ecommerce site. The position supports the Merchandise Manager by executing the merchandising plan and successfully implementing buying, pricing, inventory management and allocation strategies while maintaining effective relationships and communication with vendors and business partners.

Major Duties:

• The person in this position will: Develops and manages merchandise assortments for assigned categories and subcategories of products and key programs for both the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) Gift Shops and the Ecommerce shop under the guidance and direction of the Merchandise Manager. Perform data entry of purchase orders in the appropriate systems and utilize quality control processes to ensure accuracy and attention to detail. Track purchase orders, vendor communications, and carry out other marketing business activities from initiation to completion. Provide vendor product information to aid in the closure of aged inventories. Negotiate best product price or information changes in the retail and inventory management systems. Evaluate the office business process and task automation needs of the Gift Shop environment. Evaluate and suggest commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions or, if COTS solutions are unfeasible, participate in recording the requirements for developing a specialized solution. Utilize office automation methods for specific requirements and develop guidelines for use by others in the unit to streamline processing procedures, document uses of a variety of software applications, and/or provide instructions on availability and use of macros. Responsible for developing strong vendor relationships. Disseminate product knowledge to Gift Shop staff. Initiate and track the requisition of goods, services, operational supplies, and merchandise. Execute the purchasing process, including completing amendments to purchase orders in FMS, preparing documents for signature and approval, initiating and submitting AOC purchase order modification requests, and inputting modifications in the Counterpoint software to ensure no discrepancies between FMS and Counterpoint. Assist in determining in-shop product placement and analyzing merchandise performance. Execute quality control processes to identify merchandise or purchase order issues or problems. Assist in managing Return-To-Vendor (RTV) actions as needed to support operations and distribution. Set up new products list properly and manage existing products in the retail and inventory management system. Provide information to assist in product development and selection of a variety of product signage and marketing materials. Assist in developing and implementing merchandise layouts or planograms. Create and maintain merchandise files in accordance with Federal regulations and agency directives. Manages use of procurement card for purchases within applicable size standards.

Qualifications: You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. To qualify, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service (or equivalent experience) that includes: Buying merchandise, tracking shipments, receiving shipments, and resolving vendor issues Developing product assortment and visual merchandizing plans for a retail business Developing sales forecasts, budgets, and financial planning for a retail business Performing data analysis, data entry and clerical duties in a retail environment Familiarity with Point-of-Sale systems.

How to Apply: You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help with setting up an account or for general assistance in using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page. NEED HELP? If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-13