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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Item Assistant

💰 $30,000 - $45,000

E-commerceInventory ManagementOperationsCatalog Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Item Assistant is responsible for day-to-day product / item management across online and offline channels. Working closely with Merchandising, E-commerce, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams, the Item Assistant creates and maintains accurate item master records, enriches product content for search and conversion, monitors inventory health, and resolves item-related exceptions. This role requires strong attention to detail, familiarity with PIM/ERP systems, marketplace platforms (Amazon, Shopify, etc.), and the ability to prioritize high-volume tasks while maintaining data integrity.

Key SEO & LLM keywords: Item Assistant, product listing, SKU management, inventory control, PIM, catalog management, e-commerce operations, product content optimization, marketplace operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Clerk
  • E-commerce Coordinator
  • Customer Service or Order Fulfillment Associate

Advancement To:

  • Senior Item / Catalog Specialist
  • Product Data Analyst
  • E-commerce Merchandiser
  • Inventory Control Analyst

Lateral Moves:

  • Marketplace Operations Specialist
  • Supply Chain Operations Coordinator
  • Content Marketing Assistant (product content focus)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Create and maintain accurate item master records in the PIM/ERP system, including SKU generation, UPC/GTIN validation, attributes, dimensions, weight, and category assignments to ensure correct catalog structure and downstream fulfillment.
  • Draft and optimize product titles, bullets, short and long descriptions, and attribute values for search relevance and conversion across channels (website, marketplaces, mobile apps), using SEO best practices and keyword research.
  • Upload and manage product images and multimedia assets (image naming conventions, alt text, image variants), coordinating with photography and creative teams to ensure image quality, compliance, and correct placement.
  • Conduct daily SKU lifecycle management: activate/deactivate items, set launch and retire dates, manage product variants, and ensure accurate status across PIM, ERP and marketplace platforms.
  • Perform SKU-level pricing updates and promotions setup, coordinating with pricing analysts and merchandising to implement markdowns, promotional flags, and price overrides while tracking margin impact.
  • Reconcile product and inventory discrepancies by investigating mismatches between PIM, warehouse inventory, and marketplace/website availability, and initiate corrective actions with supply chain and warehouse teams.
  • Validate and enter supplier/vendor-provided product data, harmonizing multiple formats and ensuring compliance with company taxonomy, attributes, and regulatory labeling requirements (country of origin, safety warnings).
  • Configure and maintain marketplace listings (Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, Shopify) including category mapping, fulfillment method selection (FBA, FBM), shipping templates, and compliance attributes required by each marketplace.
  • Monitor listing health metrics (buy box eligibility, suppressed listings, catalog errors) and resolve causes for suppressed or error-prone SKUs through corrective edits and escalation to technical teams where necessary.
  • Execute bulk updates and data imports using spreadsheets, CSVs, or PIM import tools; prepare, validate and QA import files to minimize data loss and avoid duplicate SKUs.
  • Maintain item taxonomy and product categorization standards, proposing updates to category hierarchies and attribute sets to improve findability and reporting accuracy.
  • Run daily/weekly reports on new SKUs, backorders, out-of-stock items, and product performance to inform merchandising and supply planning decisions; escalate critical stock issues to leadership.
  • Coordinate with Quality Assurance and Compliance teams to ensure all product listings meet regulatory, safety, and marketplace policy requirements (restricted items, age restrictions, certifications).
  • Manage product bundling and kitting setups, ensuring accurate parent-child relationships, UPC assignment, and inventory tracking for kits and multi-packs.
  • Support returns & damage investigations by identifying item-level root causes and updating product records to prevent repeat occurrences (e.g., incorrect dimensions, images, or packaging attributes).
  • Troubleshoot technical issues with PIM, listing tools, or APIs by documenting errors, testing fixes, and working with IT/Engineering to deploy long-term solutions that improve data pipelines.
  • Maintain documentation and SOPs for item creation, editing, and publishing workflows; train new hires and cross-functional partners on catalog standards and tools.
  • Audit product data on a scheduled cadence to maintain attribute completeness, image compliance, and category accuracy; implement clean-up projects to reduce orphaned or duplicate SKUs.
  • Collaborate with Merchandising and Marketing to implement seasonal updates, product launches, and content refresh initiatives that align with promotional calendars and assortment changes.
  • Track and implement UPC/GTIN, barcode, and labeling standards, ensuring barcodes are scannable and linked correctly to the item record for fulfillment centers and retail partners.
  • Assist with product master data migration and PIM/ERP migration projects by mapping fields, validating transformed records, and participating in UAT and go-live readiness checks.
  • Proactively identify process inefficiencies in item onboarding and propose automation, templates, or integration improvements to reduce time-to-live for new SKUs.
  • Support cross-border listing readiness by ensuring correct translations, regional compliance attributes, and localized content for target markets.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis on product and inventory performance for Merchandising and Operations partners.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by providing feedback on catalog gaps, reporting needs, and data quality priorities.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate product content and inventory requirements into technical and tooling requirements for the engineering team.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within cross-functional teams when working on PIM, marketplace integrations, or automation projects.
  • Assist customer service and marketplace dispute resolution by providing item-level evidence and product specifications.
  • Help coordinate vendor onboarding requirements for new suppliers and ensure timely delivery of required product metadata.
  • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to optimize listing speed, reduce error rates, and enhance search visibility.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Product Information Management (PIM) systems: experience with tools such as Salsify, Akeneo, Plytix, or in-house PIM platforms.
  • ERP familiarity: hands-on with systems like NetSuite, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, or Oracle NetSuite for SKU and inventory updates.
  • Marketplace platforms: demonstrated experience managing listings and policies on Amazon Seller Central, Amazon Vendor Central, Shopify, Walmart Marketplace, eBay.
  • Data manipulation: advanced Excel and Google Sheets skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data validation) and comfortable preparing CSVs for bulk uploads.
  • Basic SQL: ability to run queries to extract SKU and inventory data for reconciliation and reporting.
  • Content optimization & SEO: knowledge of keyword research, on-page SEO for product titles and descriptions, and tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs is a plus.
  • Image and media management: familiarity with image requirements, basic photo editing or coordination using tools like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
  • Experience with API integrations and web-based bulk import/export tools for PIM to marketplace or ERP syncs.
  • Understanding of UPC/GTIN/ISBN standards, barcode generation, and GS1 best practices.
  • Basic HTML for rich product descriptions and formatting on web pages and marketplaces.
  • Familiarity with order management and fulfillment logic, including drop-ship, FBA, and multi-channel fulfillment flows.
  • Reporting and analytics tools: experience with Google Analytics (ecommerce tracking), Looker, Tableau, or Power BI to surface product performance insights.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and a methodical approach to data accuracy and quality assurance.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for clear coordination with vendors, internal stakeholders, and external partners.
  • Time management and prioritization: ability to manage high volumes of SKUs and competing deadlines with efficient throughput.
  • Problem-solving orientation with a bias for root-cause analysis and durable fixes rather than short-term workarounds.
  • Collaborative team player who can work cross-functionally with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing, Engineering, and Customer Service.
  • Customer-focused mindset to ensure product listings meet customer expectations and reduce post-sale friction.
  • Adaptability to changing priorities, marketplace policy updates, and seasonal surges.
  • Process-oriented thinker who documents workflows and advocates for standardization and automation.
  • Initiative and ownership: comfortable driving small projects independently and escalating when needed.
  • Comfort working in agile environments and participating in iterative improvements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; relevant vocational certifications or associate degree preferred.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Information Systems, E-commerce, Marketing, or comparable field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Business Administration
  • E-commerce / Digital Marketing
  • Information Systems / Data Analytics
  • Retail Merchandising

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–3 years in product data, catalog management, inventory coordination, or e-commerce operations.

Preferred:

  • 2+ years managing product listings or SKU master data in a retail, wholesale, or e-commerce environment.
  • Prior exposure to PIM and ERP systems, marketplace operations, and basic analytics/reporting.
  • Experience supporting multi-channel listings and coordinating with creative/photography teams for asset production.
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