Stephen Buga
Experienced and highly adaptable retail leader with a strong background in providing exceptional customer service across different sectors of retail. Possessing over 4.5 years of full-time experience performing a multifaceted leadership role serving educators and educational institutions, in addition to four years of concurrent part-time experience leading and managing all aspects of billing operations for a sole proprietorship specializing in family law. Dedicated to ensuring exceptional client relations and maintaining a positive and effective rapport throughout the entirety of the client relationship. Recognized for strong interpersonal skills and a solutions-driven approach to resolving challenges in complex and high-pressure situations. Eager to leverage my legal experience and strong retail leadership skillset while continuing to learn and further develop my legal knowledge base and skillset in a new role.
Work History
Assistant Store Manager
3 Years 4 Months- Recruit, train, and develop a 20-person sales-driven team of associates and supervisors
- Lead onboarding and ongoing coaching to improve performance, productivity, and customer engagement
- Drive sales growth while managing controllable expenses and maintaining operational standards
- Ensure visual merchandising, signage, and floor presentation align with brand guidelines
- Collect and communicate customer feedback to support product, service, and assortment improvements
- Support community outreach initiatives and manage customer relationships through CRM systems
- Played a key role in the store achieving the #1 company-wide ranking in 2024 as a direct result of grant-focused account strategy
Billing / Legal Assistant
4 Years 7 Months• Maintain and manage attorney time entries using PracticePanther to support accurate case billing
• Prepare, review, and distribute client invoices
• Track client retainers and trust balances across multiple matters
• Assist attorney with administrative case support, including billing documentation and client account inquiries
• Create and maintain Excel spreadsheets for case-related billing, payment tracking, and internal reporting
• Communicate with clients regarding invoices and outstanding balances
- Update and maintain accurate firm billing and contact records
Supervisor
1 Year 10 Months- Supervised daily sales operations and customer service execution
- Facilitated hiring, onboarding, and training processes for new team members.
- Analyzed sales trends and developed strategies to surpass store objectives.
- Managed payments and accounts receivable accurately
- Implemented morale-boosting initiatives to enhance team productivity and engagement.
- Executed targeted outreach strategies to generate sales leads within educational and childcare sectors.
Sales Associate
5 Months- Executed consultative sales strategies by identifying customer needs and design objectives.
- Developed and maintained strong client relationships by providing knowledgeable support and timely follow-up interactions.
- Implemented a low-pressure approach to foster customer relationships and enhance sales performance.