Merchandise Manager

The International Association for Political Science Students is looking for a suitable applicant to fill the position of Merchandise Manager within the IAPSS Financial Administration Department. This position is tasked with working alongside the Treasurer to generate revenue through merchandising surrounding the World Congress and upkeep general merchandising during the mandate. This individual will liaise between the Treasurer, third party vendors, the Accounting Coordinator, the Vice President for Public Relations, and the Secretary General to ensure navigating this process is seamless. This position’s mandate extends from the time of appointment to May 31, 2021.

Responsibilities

• Source third party vendors in Netherlands that are cost-effective and don’t require additional setup (i.e. IRS business registration)
• Setting up meetings with Treasurer, Accounting Coordinator, and SecGen to reconcile the accounts and product purchases by members
• Assist Treasurer in developing costs to generate revenue, developing merchandise initiatives for the World Congress
• Work with Vice President for Public Relations Secretary General to publicize merchandise options over social media and website leading up to the World Congress, as well as upkeep general merchandise throughout the mandate.

These duties will require a commitment of approximately 12 hours per month. This level of commitment is the bare minimum and is expected to be maintained through to the end of the position’s mandate.

The following criteria are strongly recommended assets. Since it is rare that an individual has experience in all of these aspects, a willingness to learn is crucial.

• Strong ability to research companies for best quality, trustworthy, uncontroversial, and cost-effective vendors
• Understanding of supply-and-demand principles to determine sell price alongside Treasurer
• Aptitude for strategizing and brainstorming
• Works well and efficiently in teams
• Excellent work ethic and time management skills
• 1 year as IAPSS member preferred.

Like all roles within IAPSS, the accounting coordinator is an unpaid volunteer position. However, the benefits it yields are significant, which include:

• Experience working with a non-profit with a global mandate and reach
• Building a network of international contacts in the field of higher education, politics, business, and related fields
• Opportunities to participate in IAPSS regional and global events and initiatives that contribute to the smooth functioning of the organization
• Contributing to student advocacy initiatives at national and international levels
• A wealth of learning opportunities and practical experience in highly employable skills and competencies in the fields of policy analysis, research, website development, information technology, information management, non-profit management and legislation, political science education, and public administration
• The opportunity to contribute to one of the last surviving international student governments on the planet that liaises with organizations including, but not limited to, the International Political Science Association (IPSA), the International Studies Association (ISA), the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), and UNESCO