Gift Shop Associate

At Houston Methodist, the Gift Shop Associate position is responsible for providing support for a wide variety of activities within the Gift Shop which include the flow of merchandise from point of delivery to the sales floor. This position ensures that products are easily accessible, appropriately priced, logged in Point-of-Sale system, visually appealing, and follows Houston Methodist Gift Shop quality standards. The Gift Shop Associate position provides a wide variety of both complex and routine administrative services assisting Gift Shop management in operations.

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as primary contact for all internal and external gift shop vendors.
• Maintains proactive communication with key partners about new arrivals, sales, pricing, order overages and shortages, damages and delivery delays. Effectively communicates relevant sales and pricing information to management.
• Recommends improvements for department scores on employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Organizes stock room and ensure accurate labeling, logical placement, neat arrangement, and cleanliness are maintained and in compliance with accreditation agencies.
• Contributes to meeting/exceeding department and organization targets for patient satisfaction measures.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Accounts for merchandise and supplies enabling compliance with designated inventory levels and help prevent run-outs. Ensures quality of perishable merchandise and inventory integrity.
• Works with Gift Shop teammates to maintain asset protection standards.
• Identifies and escalates issues and opportunities for improvement. Follows up on action items to ensure completion of assignments. Contributes towards improving department/hospital quality and safety scores.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Checks merchandise and supply deliveries for accuracy, verifying that quantities received match bills of lading, purchase orders and other documents.
• Processes, authorizes and reconciles merchandise, addressing all discrepancies, shipment damages, and necessary returns to vendors.
• Monitors shop demands and store coverage and fills in as cashier clerk as staffing demand require. Partner with management to improve performance standards and financial tracking.
• Ensures store pricing and Point of Sale system integrity. Provides daily accounting and documentation and participate in inventory audits. Evaluates and recommends inventory stock levels based upon historical sales reports.
• Contributes to profitability of the organization by receiving, handling, and managing inventory of merchandise and supplies in a timely and organized manner.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Recommends standards and strategies to ensure efficiency, consistency, accountability and increased profitable return. Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and activities.
• Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Four years of retail experience. For HM employees, three years retail experience
• Experience in healthcare environment preferred