The Role at a Glance
The Operations Associate makes the magic possible at FAO Schwarz Nordstrom. From the moment product arrives to the moment it lands in a guest’s hands, you keep the boutique stocked, organized, and running smoothly. You thrive in the back-of-house but show up just as confidently on the floor. Operating within Nordstrom while representing FAO Schwarz means you hold a dual standard every day, and you take pride in meeting both.
Creating the Magic
As Operations Associate, you will:
- Receive and process shipments accurately and efficiently, following the team’s priorities to get the right product to the sales floor quickly.
- Keep the back-of-house clean, organized, and easy to navigate, maintaining a system that lets anyone quickly find and pull the product the floor needs.
- Replenish the floor with pace and precision to keep it consistently full, tidy, and guest-ready.
- Execute visual merchandising standards by placing products according to the planogram and maintaining the presentation that guests and both brands expect.
- Fulfill send sale orders accurately and on time, ensuring every purchase is packed, processed, and dispatched efficiently and up to standard.
- Show up for every guest you encounter on the floor, stopping to help and answer questions, and creating a moment of connection, regardless of what you’re working on.
- Support opening and closing routines as needed to help ensure the boutique is operationally ready before guests arrive and properly set at the end of the day.
- Consistently uphold shrink-prevention practices, following loss-prevention processes for both FAO Schwarz and Nordstrom, and escalate anything unusual.
- Flex across operational priorities throughout your shift, adapting to the needs of the moment and supporting the team wherever you’re needed.
- Stay curious and coachable by participating in training and seeking ways to continue growing in the role.
- Share what’s working with the team by actively contributing ideas, observations, and suggestions that strengthen the operation.
What Success looks like
You’re doing well in this role when:
- Guests move through a boutique that feels effortless and leave with no idea how much work went into making it that way.
- The boutique floor is always fully replenished, tidy, and guest-ready –an empty shelf is the exception, not the norm.
- Shipments are processed accurately and on time, ensuring the right product reaches the floor quickly.
- Your back-of-house is clean, organized, and easy for anyone on the team to navigate.
- Send sale orders are packed, processed, and dispatched accurately and on time.
- You stop and engage with every guest you encounter on the floor, regardless of workload.
- Shrink prevention processes are consistently followed without prompting.
- Leadership trusts you to adapt, stay flexible, and follow through on your priorities.
- You actively seek feedback, apply what you learn, and demonstrate visible growth over time.
This role aligns with Level 1 in our Career Framework and provides a strong foundation for progression into Specialist roles (Level 2).
What you’ll bring
You don’t need to be perfect, just organized, dependable, and genuinely invested in making the boutique run well.
- A strong attention to detail and a natural drive to keep things organized, accurate, and to standard.
- The energy and pace to work in a high-volume environment where priorities shift quickly.
- Comfort working in both the back-of-house and on the floor, with the confidence to engage guests when the moment calls for it.
- A genuine interest in toys, play, and the FAO Schwarz brand.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and stand, bend, and twist for extended periods.
- Flexibility to work across days, evenings, and weekends.
Retail, hospitality, or operations experience is a plus. Curiosity and attitude mater most.
This job description should not be construed to contain every function/responsibility that may be required to be performed by this role. Employees are required to perform other related functions as assigned.
