Account Executive

Job Description

The account executive is responsible for maintaining the relationship with assigned clients and managing the assigned projects on daily basis. This position combines client communication with project management and online marketing. Detailed and hands-on training will be provided client services methodologies, project practices and online marketing theory. We are looking for bright, energetic individuals willing to learn and grow in a fast-pace environment, as well as contribute their experience and organizational skills to better servicing our clients.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate client communications with assigned clients
• Manage projects of assigned clients
• Participate in the sales process by writing proposals and preparing presentations
• Prepare all of the project paperwork, including reports, schedules and other deliverables
• Perform client training as part of the projects
• Control quality and timeliness of the work performed for clients
• Deliver work to clients, verify billing and assist with receiving timely payments
• Some travel may be required (less than 20%)
• Off-hours and weekend accessibility is a plus

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, some related coursework required
• Positive attitude and strong work ethics, ability to multi task is a must
• Willingness to learn and high level of responsibility, “get it done” attitude toward problems
• Attention to detail and ability to manage time effectively
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A broad knowledge of business models
• Ability to understand and analyze complex data in order to make informed decisions
• PC literacy including Microsoft Office, MS Excel skills are essential
• High comfort level with software and technology in general

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong attention to detail, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure.

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Contracts Administrator

Job Description

This position exists for the purpose of increasing sales by responding to and closing government, law enforcement, and/or high volume business opportunities. The Contracts Administrator acts as an instrument in assisting the company with catering to government needs by being a best value purveyor of various products offered by the company. The Contracts Administrator also promotes the company within the government sector to gain and steadily increase additional market share. In addition, the Contracts Administrator guards the company from potential liability by complying with federal, state, and local regulations and export control restrictions, as well as company rules.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Respond accurately and in a timely manner to incoming RFQ’s from prospective and existing customers that include all levels of Government (Federal, State, County and Municipal). This will include agencies and institutions such as the military, law enforcement, colleges and universities, schools, fire and rescue etc.
• Identify new business opportunities through online government bid process
• Make discount decisions to maximize sales and margin dollars
• Follow up on RFQ’s appropriately to increase business
• Act as the primary contact with companies purchasing from Optics Planet
• Work closely with manufacturers to ensure best possible pricing for volume sales opportunities
• Process and follow up on formal RFP’s
• Qualify and identify needs of new customers
• Follow up in the post sales period to increase likelihood of future business

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Associates Degree is required, Bachelor’s Degree is preferred
• Experience with and demonstrated proficiency with MS Office applications (such as MS Word, MS Excel), email programs, and Internet browsers
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Experience in soliciting and submitting Bids to any level of government and/or prior experience with GSA is highly beneficial
• Experience of 5+ years in Sales/Business Development targeted at government agencies is desirable
• High level of mathematical and business acumen
• Ability to effectively work without constant supervision
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize work flow

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must be team players. They must have a positive attitude and be able to perform duties without losing the ability to take initiative to improve team performance and customer satisfaction.

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Inside Sales/Customer Service

Job Description

Sales and Customer Service Specialists are the "human voice" of Optics Planet. The position exists to optimize sales and profit margins by assisting customers in navigating our web-site, overcoming procedural impediments and generally making it as easy as possible to do business with us. Specialists use their product knowledge, communications and interpersonal skills to build current value by closing sales, but also maximize future value by fostering a trusting relationship between us and the customer.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Answer incoming telephone and email inquiries from prospective and existing customers
• Initiate and close sales and convert on-hold orders to active sales
• Respond to customer inquiries regarding existing orders
• Make product recommendations based on product knowledge, in-stock status and assessment of customer needs
• Inform customers of current promotions or special sales
• Be familiar with and able to answer questions about the company and its policies
• Be familiar with and able to refer customers to the appropriate informational pages
• Other projects and responsibilities may be added at the company's discretion

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education
• Experience with and demonstrated proficiency with MS Office applications (such as MS Word, MS Excel), email programs, and Internet browsers
• Minimum of 3 years combined experience in retail, technical sales, mail order, Internet sales or Customer Service position
• Excellent communications skills both oral and written. Ability to handle phone calls and email.
• Knowledge of Sales and Customer Service principles, including customer needs assessment, quality standards of service, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
• Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling technical products and services
• Excellent Customer Service skills

Bonus Qualifications

• Exemplary punctuality and attendance is required for this position. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, all employees will be expected to work additional hours during November and December.
• Specialists must be capable of handling a minimum of ten e-mails, voicemails or telephone customer interactions per hour, at an acceptable level of quality.
• Return calls and answer e-mails.

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have the willingness to see customer issues through to resolution and have patience, empathy and friendliness in dealing with customers.

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Laboratory Sales and Product Specialist

Job Description

This position exists to optimize our laboratory sales by assisting customers in navigating our website, overcoming procedural impediments and generally making it easier for customers to purchase laboratory products from us. This person will use their product knowledge, communications, and interpersonal skills to build value by closing sales and maximizing the value of purchasing from Optics Planet, Inc. This person will also be responsible for processing all laboratory product orders. He/She will maintain constant contact with our vendors to be able to supply drop-ship information including up-to-date stock status and pricing.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Answer and respond to incoming telephone, email, and fax inquiries from prospective and existing customers about laboratory products
• Initiate and close sales by qualifying and identifying needs of new customers
• Assist end-users in understanding and utilization of laboratory products by providing technical assistance and application expertise
• Respond to customer inquiries regarding existing orders
• Work up and submit laboratory product quotes on a timely basis
• Be familiar and be able to answer questions about the company and its policies and able to refer customers to the appropriate informational pages
• Maintain contact with our laboratory vendors on a consistent basis in order to provide our customers with answers about order status, stock levels, and/or technical information
• Process daily orders for laboratory products on a timely basis
• Use experience and company guidelines to detect and resolve fraudulent orders
• Assure strong customer relations by verifying legitimacy of orders as well as confirming method of payment, billing, and shipping information
• Follow up in the post sales period to increase likelihood of future business
• Participate in regular vendor training sessions to learn about new laboratory products

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required, Associates Degree is preferred
• Experience with and demonstrated proficiency with MS Office applications (such as MS Word, MS Excel), email programs, and Internet browsers
• High general level of computer literacy
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Ability to handle phone calls and emails
• MUST HAVE a minimum of 1.5 years inside sales experience selling laboratory and/or scientific products
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to work consultatively with customers to identify and select the most appropriate product for their particular application
• Ability to effectively work without constant supervision
• Ability to prioritize work flow

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must show exemplary punctuality and attendance, exercise patience, professionalism, and friendliness in dealing with customers and be able to see customer issues through to resolution

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Microscope Product Specialist

Job Description

The Microscope Product Specialist is responsible for the care and support of Optics Planet Inc.’s most sophisticated customers. The position calls for the ability to inform and explain to customers about the features and benefits of the most technically demanding instruments represented in our vast product offerings. Product Specialists also share their passion for the products they service with other groups within the organization to help improve the overall customer experience. The specialist will also serve as a product manager and will help in business development of the entire microscopy business unit.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Achieve sales and profitability targets for the microscope product segment
• Solicit requests for proposal, work up Bid specifications and submits Bids on a timely basis
• Answer incoming telephone and email inquiries from prospective and existing customers
• Respond to customer product and technical inquiries by phone, fax or e-mail
• Develop new and/or expand business with existing customers through introduction of new products, presenting product information, explaining product features and distinctions
• Assist end-users in understanding and utilization of the equipment by providing appropriate technical application expertise
• Serve as a Product Manager for the company’s microscopy line
• Run the company’s microscopy line as a key business unit with the intent to position Optics Planet as a strong distributor of microscopes and microscopy products

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in a technical field (Optics, Electronics or Mechanics)
• Minimum of 3 years combined experience in Microscope sales or marketing
• Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling technical products and services
• Ability to work consultatively with customers to identify and select the most appropriate product for their particular application
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to handle phone calls and email
• Ability to listen and understand as well as communicate information and ideas verbally and in writing
• Knowledge of MS Office applications (such as MS Word, MS Excel), email programs, and Internet browsers
• Business experience in microscopy as a product manager or business development manager

Personal Characteristics

Candidate must be extremely comfortable in interacting with highly specialized academic and industrial users. The position requires the ability to act as the intermediary between the customer, Optics Planet and our suppliers and vendors. The ultimate goal is to delight the end-user by delivering the perfect tool to him or her in a timely and cost effective manner.

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Merchandising Specialist

Job Description

We are looking for bright, energetic individuals willing to learn and grow in a fast paced environment. This position will provide a candidate with an opportunity for in-depth training on Internet and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as well as Product Management and Merchandising. This includes Search Engine Optimization, online merchandising, cost and supply management, performance measurement and implementation of new processes. Escalate your hands-on experience in managing multiple facets of online marketing and merchandising under the direction of the OpticsPlanet Marketing Team. Tracking, analyzing, reporting and reacting to the performance of merchandising on both search engines and portals through a sophisticated arsenal of marketing tools is an essential part of the job. This position stresses a statistical approach to online marketing in order to leverage our world-class data processing capabilities and apply them in a variety of creative online merchandising techniques and methods.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Inventory management and turnover:
  • Ensure optimal pricing and product placement on the site to maximize sales and inventory turnover
  • Market through Search Engines - Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Merchandise products through a variety of sales channels: OpticsPlanet.com, EBay, Amazon, comparison shopping engines and other platforms
  • Handle product placement on promotional pages and administer updates
  • Implement searchandising in pursuit of strategically targeted sales
  • Manage cross-sell features
  • Assemble and merchandise kits and gift packages
  • Analyze sales trends, evaluate inventory volume, ensure profitability through margin control
  • Develop alternative merchandising strategies and open new sales channels increase sales
• Develop relationships with vendors and provide daily support to the web team
• Advise and assist web team in adding new products to the site
• Update required databases on as needed basis (e.g. vendor exceptions, pricing tables)
• Perform market research to identify new product and product category niches
• Monitor rankings and traffic of web properties to ensure optimal product placement, generate reports, and continually work to improve results

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree is required (concentration in Business, Marketing or Economics is preferred)
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic and ability to multi task is a must
• Willingness to learn
• Attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A sharp mind with an ability to grasp concepts quickly and work out solutions to complex logic problems
• A demonstrated ability to learn by doing and taking initiative to "figure things out"
• A keen interest in Direct and Online Marketing
• A broad knowledge of business models
• Ability to understand and analyze complex data in order to make informed decisions
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically MS Excel
• High comfort level with software and technology in general

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong attention to detail, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure.

Apply Here

Merchandising Manager (Online Retail)

Job Description

OpticsPlanet is looking for a highly motivated, high-achieving individual to run its Merchandising Team. This position requires a self-motivated, quantitatively oriented individual who enjoys leveraging analytical and data to gain actionable marketing and customer insight. What makes this position particularly exciting is the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of OpticsPlanet’s business and impact decision making at the highest levels of the company. We are looking for a creative, bright individual who is business savvy and demonstrates good judgment in a fast paced entrepreneurial environment. The candidate will establish and execute web merchandising strategy which includes websites’ look and feel, product line/product placement, and web content to drive revenue and margin and be consistent with and enhance the brand image. Merchandising Manager is responsible for meeting planned sales and gross margin goals as well as specific stock turnover targets. OpticsPlanet’s Merchandising Team is responsible for pricing strategy, promotional offers, in-store product placement, inventory management, cross-sell maintenance, competition research, and much more.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and mentorship to the Merchandising team
• Manage all merchandising projects from concept through deployment, testing, measurement, reporting and optimization
• Institute key merchandising performance targets
• Gather, track and analyze key performance data identifying opportunities
• Review store traffic, conversion, and selling prices. Understand trends and identify drivers that impact results
• Report and react to the performance of merchandising on both search engines and websites through a sophisticated arsenal of marketing tools
• Improve cross-sells and other cross merchandising opportunities
• Develop and execute sales and margin plans
• Provide guidance and recommendations for off-store merchandising assets to drive traffic to the online stores through SEM (paid search and SEO)
• Create appropriate cross-sell and up-sell opportunities throughout the site. Monitor performance and adjust accordingly
• Work with merchandising team to implement and execute pricing strategy for over 100,000 of our SKUs
• Ensure promotional online execution accuracy (pricing, advertising, deals, online experience, etc.)
• Work to set pricing rules and guidelines by product category based on the existing inventory and sales data
• Manage special product pricing and promotional offers to optimize revenue and gross margin
• Work with the Marketing Team to measure marketing spend and ROI
• Conduct regular and innovative ad-hoc analyses & projects for key business initiatives and strategies
• Review competitive websites to evaluate site merchandise, promotional tactics, customer experience, and product presentation and translate findings into executable online programs
• Establish collaborative relationships with the Purchasing teams to ensure availability and the timely delivery of merchandise
• Organize the structure of product associations in online stores for optimal relevancy and revenue growth
• Create and optimize product searches, store listings, navigation, checkout and cross-sell opportunities based on existing sales and traffic data and ensure outstanding content and functionality
• Identify and recommend new site content, products, and features to address customer needs

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Strong analytical thinking, the ability to conduct quantitative analysis and develop conclusions and solutions based on analysis/research
• Must be detail oriented, organized and possess excellent follow through skills
• Clear understanding of the importance of price, value, and quality as it relates to product assortment, product line development and its projected success
• Ability to synthesize competitive and market trends, market data and consumer insights into merchandising strategies
• Understanding of how to merchandise in a seasonal business
• Ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal working relationships with internal customers, internal/external suppliers and fellow team members at all levels
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple responsibilities
• Willing to roll up their sleeves and do work as well as collaborate with others
• Affinity for quantitative analysis and numbers. Statistical analysis skills are a plus
• Demonstrated ability to consistently identify and use all available quantitative information to make good business decisions
• Be able to champion new idea for the business
• Knowledge of financial concepts and online business metrics, such as revenue, gross margin, variable margin, profitability, life-time value, and cost-per-order
• Working knowledge of web analytics systems
• Expertise with Microsoft Office (emphasis on Excel)
• Expert level analytical, statistical, and quantitative reasoning skills and abilities
• Bachelor’s degree from a four year college or university
• Prior E-commerce experience strongly preferred

Apply Here

PPC Marketing Specialist

Job Description

We are looking for a self-motivated, detail-oriented Paid Search (PPC) expert with strong analytical skills to join our Marketing team in a fast-paced environment. Proven experience with Sponsored Advertising as well as eagerness to keep up with best practices and new technologies within the field is essential. The PPC candidate will be involved in: offsite product merchandising, researching keywords; building paid search campaigns; developing and implementing bidding and advertising strategies; setting up tests for new concepts, geo-targeting, ad-copy, position, time of day, day of week, as well as analyzing performance and tracking results; managing product feeds for comparison shopping engines; and conceptualizing process improvements. The Paid Search Marketing candidate will help increase traffic to our web entities and as well as overall sales. The candidate should be comfortable with using analytical and statistical approaches as well as understand the importance of closely tracking and evaluating results of all updates and changes.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Research and generate keywords using keyword tools
• Maintain keyword library including short and long tail keywords of all advertised brands, categories, and products
• Analyze clicks through rates, conversion rates, ad positioning, and ROI using web analytics tools such Google Analytics and Yahoo Web Analytics
• Work as part of a team to help build SEO friendly site structure
• Track paid search competition within each one of our industries
• Merchandise products on various comparison shopping engines
• Manage bid using various tools and technologies
• Generate creative ads using proper grammar and accurate spelling
• Set up tests and develop strategies for advertising on search engines
• Work with Software Development team to develop logic for automatic processes
• Work closely with Search Engine Optimization Specialist to insure properly optimized landing pages are available for use in PPC campaigns
• Be comfortable in managing hundreds of campaigns / 1000s of products, budget, and spending

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Proven Paid Advertising management experience (AdWords, AdCenter, Shopping.com, Pronto, etc.)
• Strong analytical and logical skills with ability on understanding statistical data
• Excellent grammar and creative writing skills
• Reasonable understanding of SEO and HTML
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Economics is preferred but not required
• Certification is a plus
• Positive attitude, strong work ethics, and ability to multi task
• A sharp mind with an ability to understand concepts
• Willingness to learn
• Highly organized with focused attention to detail
• A broad knowledge of business models
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically MS Excel
• High comfort level with software and technology

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong attention to detail, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment, attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure, and be willing to learn.

Apply Here

Online Marketing Specialist

Job Description

We are looking for bright, energetic individuals willing to learn and grow in a fast pace environment. This position will provide a candidate with an opportunity for in-depth training on Internet and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). This includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign creation, effective copy writing, performance measurement and cost management. Escalate your hands-on experience in managing multiple facets of online marketing. Detailed training will be provided on Comparison Shopping Engines (CSEs) through sites such as Shopping.com, Shopzilla, MSN and others as well as PPC management on Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask. This includes data feed management, cost management and an understanding of different business models under which each portal operates. Tracking, analyzing, reporting and reacting to the performance of campaigns on both search engines and portals are an essential part of the job. You will also learn a variety of creative online merchandising techniques and methods in terms of site design and architecture, developing content that is specifically geared for Search Engine Optimization, as well as being heavily involved in Web 2.0 Marketing. This is an excellent opportunity to learn and apply direct marketing principles to online marketing campaigns. In addition, you have a chance to discover and use a variety of software tools directly applied to Search Engine Marketing. Gain experience fast and contribute to success of our company.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Marketing through Search Engines - Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Management of PPC and CSE campaigns.
• Social Media Marketing, Web 2.0 (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.)
• Backlink development and management.
• Monitoring rankings and traffic of web properties, generation of reports, and continually working to improve results.
• Email marketing
• Blog management
• Writing marketing communications using appropriate creative style and editorial perspectives while ensuring clarity and consistency of brand message, style and tone. Developing and maintaining style guides for online and offline communications.
• Composition and distribution of press releases and newsletters.
• Working closely with the sales team, by providing marketing materials and training.
• Work with local and national special interest clubs and societies to promote our stores.
• Copy writing; flyers, brochures.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required, concentration in Business or Marketing is preferred
• Positive attitude and strong work ethics, ability to multi task is a must
• Willingness to learn
• Attention to detail
• Manage time effectively
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A sharp mind with the ability to grasp concepts quickly and work out complex logic problems
• A demonstrated ability to learn by doing and taking initiative to "figure things out"
• A keen interest in Direct Marketing and Online marketing
• A broad knowledge of business models
• Ability to understand and analyze complex data in order to make informed decisions
• PC literacy including Microsoft Office, MS Excel skills are essential
• High comfort level with software and technology in general

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong attention to detail, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure.

Apply Here

Quality Assurance Analyst

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc. is seeking a full-time Quality Assurance Analyst, who will be responsible for ensuring that the technology infrastructure conforms to established quality and service standards. The Quality Assurance Analyst will also be responsible for development and maintenance of user documentation. The ideal candidate has a background in Quality Assurance, Process Improvement and Process Audit that can be utilized to develop, modify, apply and maintain standards for quality operating methods, processes, systems and procedures.

Primary Responsibilities

• Evaluate business requirements, develop test cases, execute tests, and review new or modified applications and tools to determine if they will perform according to user requirements and established quality and service standards
• Implement and execute automated and manual test cases with a focus on validating complex business processes and requirements, workflows, and performance testing
• Test applications and reports for validity of results, accuracy, reliability, and conformance to established standards
• Review user documentation for accuracy with regards to the applications’ actual behavior
• Participate in documenting various business processes

General Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT or related field Required
• At least 3 years of related experience
• Strong problem solving skills
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent documentation skills
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines in a multitasking environment

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 2003/2007 (Word, Excel, Visio and PowerPoint)
• Working knowledge of SQL and/or any programming language

Bonus Qualifications and Skills

• Experience with Microsoft server applications such as Exchange, SharePoint

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and work on multiple projects simultaneously under pressure.

Apply Here

Operations Research Analyst

Job Description

Operations Research Analyst will be using advanced analytical techniques including statistical analysis, data and computer modeling, linear and dynamic programming to assist management in planning business ventures, analyzing options and optimizing the company’s operations. The candidate must have knowledge of modern information technologies, systems, tools and practices including e-commerce, data warehousing, business intelligence, decision support and expert systems, knowledge management frameworks, SQL, MS Excel/Access/Visio, UML, SAS, SAP, and Crystal Reports.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyze operations of various business units such as call center, order processing, logistics, or warehouse to identify areas of improvement
• Collaborate with management to clarify business objectives and to identify operational problems
• Formulate and apply advanced analytical models to identified operational problems
• Collect, study and analyze information about alternative solutions to determine which option will offer the best outcome
• Conduct operational analysis of existing information systems to determine requirements for needed changes
• Collaborate with systems analysts and software engineers to ensure successful implementation of chosen problem solutions
• Communicate results to senior management with emphasis on root causes, key conclusions, and indicated action
• Research and perform special projects and ad-hoc analysis as needed to help improve the accuracy, reliability and efficiency of operations

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• MS in Operations Research, Business IT, or related field

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Purchasing Coordinator

Job Description

OpticsPlanet is seeking a full-time Purchasing Coordinator to help assure the financial viability of OpticsPlanet, Inc. by keeping the cost of inventory as low as possible, while achieving order fulfillment and customer satisfaction goals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Review open orders for each supplier and brand and make necessary changes
• Create and maintain databases for contractual documents
• Gather, maintain and organize vendor and product information in proper databases
• Assist in resolving receiving discrepancies to ensure effective flow of product received
• Work with Buyers on backordered product
• Assist in the analysis of historical sales trends
• Ensure proper flow of information between Vendors, Buyers, and other, departments
• Participate in the research, evaluation and selection of new vendors
• Develop and maintain positive and effective relationships with vendors to ensure reliability and superb levels of service
• Provide training to different teams on new vendors, brands and products
• Work closely with Marketing and Product Management departments to achieve Company’s sales goals

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Self starter, efficient, reliable and organized
• Pays attention to detail
• Adapts well to changes and fast pace environments
• Experience with and demonstrated proficiency with MS Office applications (such as MS Word, MS Excel), email programs, and Internet browsers
• Excellent communication skills both oral and written
• Ability to work well under the stress of deadline pressure
• Ability to travel occasionally
• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education
• Minimum of one year experience in inventory control, operations, purchasing or other applicable position

Personal Characteristics

Purchasing Specialists must be good team players and have a positive attitude.

Apply Here

Risk Management – Order Review Agent

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc has an exciting entry level opportunity for an Order Review Agent in its Risk Management Team. Order Review Agent is responsible for reviewing Customer orders to ensure that they meet all internal Compliance requirements, by enforcing the established Company policies based on rules and Regulations of various U.S. Government institutions. The Agent will be responsible for assuring that each product in a Customer order is classified by Compliance and that it is consistent with the internal, vendor-related export restrictions before going through further processing. The Order Review Agent will also conduct Customer verification, proper processing of orders, which is consistent with the products’ classification, and preparation of all proper shipping documents. Last but not least, as a part of the risk prevention efforts of the Team, the Agent will be responsible for enforcing the Company’s Fraud Prevention policies and for following the procedures to properly handle fraudulent orders.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Review and process all international orders according to established Company processes and procedures
• Follow the Company’s policy on processing export orders for restricted brands
• Generate appropriate export documentation using provided tools and following established export procedures
• Review all appropriate domestic orders and follow Company processes and procedures to ensure full compliance
• Follow Company guidelines to identify and resolve fraudulent orders
• Provide support and assistance to other Teams regarding Company Compliance procedures and Fraud Prevention

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Associate’s degree or some completed college coursework preferred
• Experience and demonstrated ability to work with Order Management / ERP systems (Stone Edge experience is a plus)
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Excellent Customer Service skills

Personal Characteristics

Agents must be able to assimilate knowledge of U.S. Government Regulations and apply it to daily tasks.

Must be meticulous and detail oriented in reviewing orders and filing out appropriate documentation. Agents require patience, integrity and a keen eye for detail.

Agents must have the willingness to see Customer issues through to resolution in a timely manner, including phone and e-mail communications.

Candidates must be able to work independently, demonstrate initiative, take direction and collaborate well with others.

Exemplary punctuality and attendance are required. Due to the seasonal nature of our business, all employees will be expected to work additional hours during November and December.

Apply Here

Senior Forecasting and Inventory Planning Analyst

Job Description

We are seeking a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual with exceptional quantitative skills who enjoys developing comprehensive quantitative / analytical models and being an integral part of an entrepreneurial team in a fast-paced environment. The candidate will be developing complex algorithms and techniques to determine required product purchasing levels as well as sales trends to maintain high fulfillment rates while optimizing inventory levels. Senior Forecasting and Inventory Analyst will be responsible for development, implementation, and optimization of replenishment and forecasting formulas and processes supporting purchasing, marketing, and merchandising functions. Senior Forecasting and Inventory Analyst will help the company to maximize revenue and margin by improving the purchasing and merchandising processes for both pre-season and in-season forecasts. The candidate should be comfortable using an appropriate mixture of rigorous analytical, statistical, and approximation approaches and understand the importance of checking all results using common sense logic.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the logic (algorithms, formulas, procedures) for internal purchasing & forecasting system with focus on complexity of reordering of items with intermittent demand and infrequent and irregular sales history
• Analyze/model/plan/optimize various purchasing and sales data. Organize and manage large datasets related to sales history, current and future sales trends, existing inventory movement, and pricing
• Develop new and improved ways to identify, track and report on related key metrics, trends and opportunities for improvement
• Construct and communicate SKU level forecasts to the Purchasing/Replenishment team and other stakeholders, including supplier shipment forecasts for peak times
• Act as integral resource with the Purchasing, Marketing, and Merchandising departments to develop optimal product promotional plans
• Perform quantitative analysis on marketing and merchandising tests and provide recommendations to improve results
• Analyze customer and product segment performance by marketing channel, product category, order data and other key drivers impacting segment performance
• Communicate results with emphasis on root causes, key conclusions, and indicated action
• Query, review, and analyze sales and web data to formulate and present actionable recommendations based on analyses to business to help drive additional revenue
• Track, analyze, report and react to the performance of marketing and merchandising on both search engines and company web properties through a sophisticated arsenal of marketing tools
• Research and perform special projects and ad-hoc analysis as needed to help improve the accuracy, reliability and efficiency of operations

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of demand planning or supply chain management experience
• 2-5 years Forecasting, Modeling and/or Business Analyst experience
• Expertise with Microsoft Office (emphasis on Excel + Access)
• Expert level analytical, statistical, and quantitative reasoning skills and abilities
• Experience with and understanding of the application of statistical methods such as regression, significance testing, and other methods to address key business issues
• Must be extremely analytical and quantitative and very comfortable building models
• Very detail oriented, with strong organization skills and ability to maintain and keep track of multiple information sources
• Demonstrated proficiency in working with relational databases/datasets and writing SQL queries is a big plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Bachelor’s degree in Econometrics, Business, Statistics, Finance, Supply Chain, or related field

Apply Here

Search Engine Optimization Specialist

Job Description

We are looking for a self-motivated, detail-oriented Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert with strong analytical skills to join our marketing team in a fast-paced environment. Proven experience with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as well as eagerness to keep up with new technologies within the field is essential. The SE0 candidate will be involved in researching keywords, optimizing on-site content, developing and implementing link-building strategies and SEO-friendly infrastructure of our website, improving optimization strategy, in addition to analyzing and testing performance of existing content. The Search Engine Optimization candidate will help drive relevant traffic to our web entities as well as strengthen our position for the product categories that we carry. The candidate should be comfortable with using analytical and statistical approaches as well as understand the importance of closely tracking and evaluating results of all updates and changes.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Research and generate keywords using keyword tools
• Maintain keyword library including short and long tail keywords
• Track keyword position among the top search engines
• Create and optimize (SEO) marketing copy on OpticsPlanet and sister stores
• Create and maintain anchor text, page titles, breadcrumbs
• SEO PDF files for the online use
• Maintain store map of all marketing pages on all of Opticsplanet properties
• Analyze store traffic and page performance using web analytics tools such Google Analytics and Yahoo Web Analytics
• Ensure website content is consistent with the current search trends
• Work as part of a team to help build SEO friendly site structure
• Research online competition within each one of our industries
• Develop and refine link building strategies
• Research informational websites to set up linking deals
• Expand quality inbound links to opticsplanet properties
• Work closely with Paid Search Marketing Specialist to insure proper landing pages are available and proper optimization of pages for paid keywords
• Construct content templates to be used on our pages while incorporating SEO into the model

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Proven SEO experience and understanding
• Strong familiarity with current and developing SEO trend
• Strong Analytical and Logical skills
• Bachelor’s degree in related field is preferred but not required
• Positive attitude, strong work ethics, and ability to multi task
• A sharp mind with an ability to understand concepts
• Willingness to learn
• Attention to details
• A broad knowledge of business models
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically MS Excel
• High comfort level with software and technology

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong attention to detail, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment, attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure, and be willing to learn.

Apply Here

Systems Administrator/Network Engineer

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced System Administrator/Network Engineer to join the Information Technologies team at OpticsPlanet, Inc. This position requires hands-on Linux and Windows administration skills, an open and analytical mind and lots of experience with web hosting environments. The person in this position will be entrusted with the well-being of several dozen of internal and external servers in a mixed OS environment with diverse software packages. The System Administrator will also assist the team with the setup & configuration of new servers, capacity and network planning projects, as well as various other IT duties and tasks.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain and monitor Windows servers on the local network, including major services:
  • Microsoft Windows 2003 (multiple editions)
  • Microsoft SQL 2005
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • IIS & Sharepoint services
  • Backup
  • Other critical services as specified
• Maintain and monitor external Linux hosting servers, including major services:
  • VM Ware environment
  • Linux RedHat, CentOS and Ubuntu flavors
  • Apache, PHP, MySQL
  • Email servers
  • cPanel / WHM
• Maintain, monitor and assist developers with local Linux servers as necessary
• Maintenance duties include uptime monitoring, emergency troubleshooting, regular patches and upgrades, capacity and software planning, proactive security measures, backup, etc.
• General assistance with various networking and IT-related projects (router configuration, etc.)

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of the Linux operating system and flavors
• Working knowledge of the Windows operating system and main business software (SQL, Exchange, etc)
• Experience with hosting web sites and applications, and specific needs related to hosting public information
• Experience with Cisco routers and other network equipment is a plus
• General understanding of main Network, IT & Web technologies & protocols
• Keen troubleshooting abilities and strong analytical skills
• Ability to accomplish critical tasks regardless of what it takes
• Bachelor’s degree in related field is preferred but not required
• Positive attitude, strong work ethics, and ability to multi task

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must have strong analytical abilities, be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment, attend to multiple tasks simultaneously under pressure, and most importantly possess an acute sense of responsibility. Being a hard-working individual with hands-on experience in respective technologies is essential in performing the duties of this position.

Apply Here

Systems Analyst

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc. is seeking a full-time Systems Analyst, who will be responsible for business requirements gathering and evaluation, specifications development, impact assessments, effort and time estimations and working in a cross-team environment. The ideal candidate will possess a background in Systems Analysis, Process Improvement and Process Audit and must be willing to be flexible with priorities as they change rapidly in our dynamic fast-paced environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Gather and evaluate business requirements
• Develop system specifications
• Conduct impact assessments
• Perform effort and time estimations
• Identify opportunities for improvement from both business process and technology perspective
• Coordinate upgrades and rollouts of projects
• Lead projects or sub-projects

General Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT or related field Required
• At least 3 years of related experience
• Strong problem solving skills
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent documentation skills
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines in a multitasking environment

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 2003/2007 (Word, Excel, Visio and PowerPoint)
• Working knowledge of SQL and/or any programming language

Bonus Qualifications and Skills

• Experience with Microsoft server applications such as Exchange, SharePoint

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and work on multiple projects simultaneously under pressure.

Apply Here

Web Content / Data Entry Specialist

Job Description

This position will primarily be responsible for creating and managing product content on the Company’s websites and online databases.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate and coherent product content on the websites
• Post content on the website in a timely manner, in accordance with the overall design and content strategy
• Add, remove and edit product information on a daily basis
• Maintain and implement changes and updates to product descriptions, prices, images, and specifications reflecting latest promotions and offers
• Work on implementation of websites using Photoshop and HTML editors
• Provide regular updates to other departments within the organization on the changes
• Develop procedures for adding/editing product content and maintaining a system of notifications

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education (BS is preferred)
• Minimum of one year experience working with HTML
• Excellent writing skills
• Experience with digital image manipulation and web graphics
• HTML & CSS knowledge and ability to use various HTML Editors
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office products including MS Excel
• Knowledge of PHP and MySQL is a plus
• Additional knowledge of e-commerce, web and database technologies such as SQL, Yahoo Store, Xcart and graphic design skills is a plus

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must be able to work independently, have a tenacious mind and attention to detail, demonstrate initiative, take direction and collaborate well with others.

Apply Here

AJAX Developer

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc. is seeking a front-end web developer with excellent JavaScript/EcmaScript, AJAX, JSON, HTML, and CSS skills to participate in development and maintenance of SEO friendly online stores and other projects of various size and complexity.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Production of AJAX/JSON enabled HTML pages based on graphical prototypes
• Maintenance and development of various JavaScript/ECMAscript website features
• Working with templates of existing websites and systems
• Staying current with and providing expert knowledge of the standards
• Close collaboration with the designers and back-end programmers
• Implementing SEO strategies according to company standards
• Participating in other development projects

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• Exceptional knowledge of HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX and various web standards
• At least two years of web development experience in a fast-paced business environment
• Experience with template engines such as Zend View, Smarty, Yahoo! RTML
• Understanding of general principles of server side scripting
• Understanding of design principles such as color, typography, layout, and user interface design
• Knowledge of web development software such as Adobe Dreamweaver
• Ability to keep up to date with related technologies
• A habit of thorough testing and retesting of own work
• An innovative mind, an ability to quickly come up with creative solutions to complex problems
• A demonstrated ability to learn by doing and taking initiative to "figure things out"
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic, attention to detail and ability to multi task and meet deadlines
• High comfort level with software and technology in general
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent documentation skills
• HS Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education

Bonus Qualifications and Skills

• An applicable Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree
• Experience with Yahoo! Store and Yahoo! Merchant Solutions platforms as well as Yahoo! RTML.
• Basic knowledge of Linux environment and an SSH client such as PuTTY
• Experience with SVN

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must be able to work on multiple projects simultaneously and under pressure in a demanding and fast-paced environment, demonstrate initiative, stay current with related technologies, learn fast, and be able to follow direction. An ability to work independently and collaborate well with others is a must.

Apply Here

Content Project Manager

Job Description

The Content Project Manager will manage the process of keeping the product information and other online web content on our web properties up to date. The Project Manager will facilitate updates and new product line addition projects from inception through completion, working with all stakeholders for successful and on-time deployment using internal CMS. The projects will cross several areas of the business with a heavy emphasis on product line content management. The Content Project Manager will verify vendor provided data including pricing, product info, as well as technical vendor integration specifications ensuring consistency, accuracy, and feasibility. The candidate will prioritize, coordinate, and oversee item creation for full-line store product updates including photography, attributing, and taxonomy. The candidate will also ensure promotional online execution accuracy (pricing, advertising, deals, online experience, etc.) The Project Manager will coordinate the efforts and partner with Web Content, Purchasing, Web Development, Merchandising and Marketing teams and other staff members to develop and implement recommendations to meet the strategic objectives of the online business.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Full life cycle project management of updating and adding of new product lines to our online stores
• Manage new web site content-oriented projects, revisions and edits from request through launch
• Oversee multiple, ongoing requests for content edits, graphic optimization, and related changes using a single, prioritized virtual priority queue
• Review, prioritize, and tracks requests, including work orders and project orders
• Ensure that normal, emergency and ad hoc content updates occur based on prioritization parallel to business priorities
• Proactively identify, resolve and, when appropriate, escalate potential internal and external conflicts in requirements, schedule, milestones or deliverables
• Document and communicate project status to all parties involved in the process
• Facilitate prioritization, technical and business requirements meetings
• Coordinate efforts between business units and technical teams in order to ensure timely content updates
• Communicate project status, outstanding issues and key changes in scope or schedule
• Identify and mitigate risks; Drive issues to resolution
• Coordinate and communicate with vendors if necessary to resolve technical issues and questions
• Ensure satisfaction (and minimize problems and concerns) through pro-active project management of communicating progress and project timelines

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• The ideal candidate will have at least two years of product management experience, the bulk of which being spent managing Web applications and online projects ranging from concepts in ideation to platform features already in production
• Strong prioritization/time management and excellent written and oral skills to communicate clearly and negotiate effectively with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal working relationships with internal customers, internal/external suppliers and fellow team members at all levels
• Demonstrate the ability to learn new application functionality and strive to be a process expert
• Must be able to work in a fast paced entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to quickly identify project risks and mitigate accordingly
• Proven ability to write procedures and business requirements
• Ability to quickly come up to speed on state-of-the art online technologies
• Solid understanding of Internet business model
• Knowledge of HTML, CSS, XML, and related technologies required
• Work experience with PHP, SQL, MS Access-related projects is a plus
• Expertise with Microsoft Office (emphasis on Excel)
• Expert level analytical, statistical, and quantitative reasoning skills and abilities

Apply Here

Database Developer/Administrator

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc. is seeking a full-time Database Developer/Administrator, who will be responsible for development and administration of multiple MS SQL Server databases. The ideal candidate has a background in both database development and administration, and must be willing to be flexible with priorities as they change rapidly in our dynamic fast-paced environment.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Database Development
  • Develop complex stored procedures, functions, triggers, views and queries in support of application development
  • Participate in application development projects and be responsible for the database architecture and design
  • Review and optimize existing stored procedures, functions, triggers and queries
  • Convert existing embedded SQL code into stored procedures
  • Develop custom scripts to automate various database management processes
  • Occasionally write single-time reports on demand
• Database Administration
  • Plan, organize, implement, and maintain multiple database environments
  • Schedule and monitor backups, maintenance plans, and other jobs
  • Monitor and troubleshoot database performance
  • Perform capacity planning on database servers
  • Implement and support database replication
  • Provide on call coverage to support production databases

General Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT or related field
• At least 3 years of related work experience
• Strong problem solving skills
• Positive attitude and strong work ethic
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines in a multitasking environment
• Strong written and verbal communications skills

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Strong experience in T-SQL, procedures, functions, triggers, views and queries
• Experience in MS SQL Server 2000/2005 administration
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 2003/2007

Bonus Qualifications and Skills

• Working knowledge of MS Access and MySQL databases
• Knowledge of data warehousing and data mining
• MS SQL Server certification

Personal Characteristics

To be successful in this position, you must be able to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment and work on multiple projects simultaneously under pressure.

Apply Here

PHP Programmer

Job Description

OpticsPlanet is seeking a full-time PHP Developer to participate in developing new web applications and maintaining existing online stores, APIs, reports, and other database applications. Projects vary in size and difficulty.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Development of web applications and scripts (which includes APIs, web reports, etc) using PHP programming language and MySQL & SQL Server databases
• Making changes (fixing/upgrading) to existing applications
• Setting up online stores
• Installing additional modules and other 3rd party tools on Company’s servers

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• HS Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education
• An applicable Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree is a plus
• At least 2 years of hands-on experience with PHP, MySQL, *nix, HTML, CSS
• Experience with Perl, Shell, SVN, MS SQL, Access, Visual Basic, C# and Windows server is a plus
• Knowledge of Yahoo store or X-Cart would be of an advantage
• Positive attitude and strong work ethics, ability to multi task is a must
• Ability to program to specification
• Willingness to learn
• Attention to detail
• Effective time management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A sharp mind with the ability to grasp concepts quickly and work out complex logic problems
• A demonstrated ability to learn by doing and taking initiative to "figure things out"

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must be able to work independently, demonstrate initiative, take direction and collaborate well with others.

Apply Here

Web Designer

Job Description

OpticsPlanet, Inc. is seeking a full-time Web Designer who will be responsible for creative conceptualization and graphical visualization of Web pages, user interface elements, graphics and animations. Your output will capture the vision, business needs, branding and positioning to meet project goals and user expectations.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Marketing Communications Manager, prepares work to be accomplished by gathering information and materials
• Plans concept by studying information and materials
• Resolves issues of arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts
• Obtains approval of concept by submitting rough layout of images and copy
• Performs web site design, development and maintenance
• Designs E-mail Campaigns
• Designs Icons, Logos, Banners and Graphics
• Designs Flyers, Newsletters and Inserts
• Designs Graphical User Interfaces for various Web applications
• Performs other applicable duties as required

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• 5 years of Web Design professional experience
• Advanced understanding of design principles such as color, typography, layout, and user interface design
• Strong creative portfolio showing versatile body of work
• Exceptional knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver
• Ability to multitask and juggle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to learn quickly, comfortable in a deadline-driven, results-oriented environment
• Knowledge of MS Office applications (such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Email programs, and Internet browsers
• Desired experience: Video production & editing, Flash animation, Adobe InDesign

Personal Characteristics

We are looking for candidates who are sophisticated with a versatile style, strong team players, able to work independently and willing to grow in a fast paced environment.

Apply Here

Yahoo! Store RTML Developer

Job Description

OpticsPlanet is seeking a full-time RTML Developer to participate in developing of online stores and maintenance of existing stores built on the Yahoo! Store and Yahoo! Merchant Solution platforms. The stores (and other RTML projects) will vary in size and difficulty.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Development of RTML-based e-commerce websites on Yahoo! Store platform
• Maintaining and enhancing existing online stores
• Participating in other development projects
• Assisting with advanced Yahoo! Store setup and configuration issues

Qualifications, Skills & Requirements

• HS Diploma, GED or equivalent minimum education
• An applicable Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree is a plus
• Specific experience with RTML development is required
• Excellent knowledge of HTML
• Good understanding of JavaScript and CSS
• Positive attitude and strong work ethics, ability to multi task is a must
• Ability to program to specification
• Attention to detail
• A sharp mind with the ability to grasp concepts quickly and work out complex logical problems
• A demonstrated ability to learn by doing and taking initiative to "figure things out"

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must be able to work independently, as well as collaborate well with others, demonstrate initiative, and be able to follow direction.

Apply Here