POSITION: Adaptations Blindness Product Specialist
REPORTS TO: Director of Community Services
STATUS: Non-exempt
JOB PURPOSE:
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is looking for a professional, engaging and customer service-oriented Adaptations Blindness Product Specialist, to join the LightHouse team as we embark on a fresh journey in our new building in the heart of downtown San Francisco. With 90 employees and an annual budget of $12.5 million, the LightHouse has the resources and imagination to help change the lives of the blind and low vision population of the greater Bay Area and beyond. One of San Francisco’s oldest and best-known philanthropies, we’re poised to begin operations in 2016 in our brand-new, state-of-the-art headquarters on Market Street, where we’ll coordinate volunteers, big tech, teachers, families, students and a caring staff together to design and build new ways to help people with visual impairments.
The Adaptations Blindness Product Specialist is responsible for selecting new products for the Adaptations store. Professional and proficient customer service during walk-in, phone, electronic and mail order sales is critical. The Product Specialist will also assist during inventory management, vendor relations, sales reporting, marketing strategies development and supervision of volunteer assistants.
The ideal candidate has strong customer service and problem-solving skills, is able to multitask in a busy public setting, and is comfortable working with a culturally diverse population. The candidate must be organized, and possess strong oral and written communication skills. Computer literacy and proficiency within the MS suite (particularly Excel, Word and Outlook) are vital to the position. Knowledge of Apple operating systems is preferred.
This position may also require participation in LightHouse activities not related to Adaptations, at the discretion of the Director of Community Services.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education or equivalent: High school diploma; some college helpful.
Experience: Two years’ work experience in customer service; excellent researching skills.
Other: Courteous, friendly and professional in all telephone, e-mail, and in-person communications. Must be conversant with adaptive technology for blind and low-vision customers, including: screen readers, screen magnification, video magnifiers, portable note-taking devices, accessible mobile phones and smartphones, and optical character recognition. Comprehensive knowledge of the latest trends impacting the blind and visual impairment community as well as a general understanding of the blindness community (e.g., alternative skills blind and low-vision people use to work, travel and participate as every day citizens of their communities).
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to carry or transport 30 lbs; sit at a desk and perform computer-intensive work for long periods of time; operate standard office equipment; travel independently.
JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Ensure that each customer receives exceptional service by
providing a friendly and welcoming environment, which includes
greeting and acknowledging every customer; maintaining solid product
knowledge, and all other aspects of customer service. - Actively researches and reads about new high and low-tech
products for the blind and visually impaired; works to incorporate
them into our growing store inventory. - Share product ideas with management.
- Process mail, online, and purchase orders.
- Provide basic training on products to customers and refer
customers to the LightHouse’s technology department if further
training on a product is necessary. - Maintain awareness of all internal promotions and advertisements.
- Assist in floor moves, merchandising, display maintenance and housekeeping.
- Assist in processing and replenishing merchandise and
monitoring floor stock. - Aid customers in locating merchandise.
- Communicate customer feedback and requests to management.
- Use and balance cash register, providing reports to the Finance Department as required.
- Provide information regarding additional resources for products to customers.
- Conduct bi-annual inventory of merchandise.
- Assist store staff in the production and affixing of accessible labels on store products.
- Maintain daily bookkeeping for sales.
- Correspond with manufacturers concerning defective products
for proper credit. - Plan and conduct product demonstrations and special events.
- Explain and demonstrate high-tech devices housed and displayed in our Demonstration Room.
- Coordinate and implement outreach visits to resource fairs, support groups, conferences, conventions and other community events.
- Coordinates a community advisory program to solicit new products for inclusion in the Adaptations standard inventory.
- Writes descriptions of store products and their uses for online web presence.
- Serves as product explainer for Department of Rehabilitation and other third-party purchasers.
- Seek out ways to order products directly from manufacturers
to affect cost savings for the LightHouse and its consumers. - Contributes to Lighthouse eNews, podcasts and other channels to create positive demand for store products.
- Occasionally works special times and locations to accommodate blindness events in our headquarters and elsewhere.
- Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:
- Supervise and train volunteers and staff assistants.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Equal opportunity to all regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, or sexual orientation. LightHouse has an “employment at will” policy.
TO APPLY:
Please submit a cover letter and résumé as Word attachments (no .PDFs please), to hr@lighthouse-sf.org, including the job title in the subject line. We will not consider videos or hyperlinks to online profiles. Due to time constraints we will only respond to complete submissions in which there is serious interest; thanks for your understanding.
