Retail Merchandising Assistant

About Us

At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

The Huntington

Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.

The Culture

Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond.  Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies. 

At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.

• Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.

• Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.

• Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.

• Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.

• Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.

Job Description

About the Role

The Retail Merchandising Assistant optimizes product presentation to boost sales by maintaining visual displays and stock levels. They work on both the sales floor and in stockrooms. This role is vital for maintaining the museum store’s appearance and ensuring product availability.

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.

Essential Duties

• Stock Management: Replenishing merchandise, organizing stockrooms, ensuring proper product rotation, and tracking inventory levels.

• Maintaining displays: Ensuring clear and safe aisles, replacing shopworn books with fresh copies, replacing batteries, replenishing samples, and updating worn price labels.

• Sales Floor Resets: Support all aspects of sales floor and stockroom merchandising resets, including seasonal displays and special sales events.

• May undertake additional responsibilities to support the merchandising operations as required.

Candidate Requirements and Experience

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Education: High school diploma or GED.

• Attention to Detail: Strong focus on organization and visual accuracy.

• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced retail environment with shifting priorities.

• Physical Stamina: Ability to lift 40 pounds and be on your feet for long periods, with continuous bending and lifting of merchandise.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills are needed to coordinate with team members and supervisors.

• Technical Proficiency: Basic computer skills for data entry; familiarity with Microsoft Office (especially Outlook and Excel, and preferably Teams)

• Schedule: Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8:00 AM–3:30 PM, with occasional early mornings/late evenings, weekends, and holidays required.

Preferred:

• Previous retail or related experience preferred

Working Conditions  

• Merchandising assistants work closely with store managers and sales teams. They are frequently seen in both the retail space and stockrooms.

Compensation & Benefits 

We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including: 

• Pay Rate: $19.25/hr. Increases to $19.50/hr. after successful completion of introductory period.

• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match 

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays 

• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants 

• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions 

• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds 

The Application Process 

Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.  

You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.