How to Apply to Ross Stores

9 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 3 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Apply through jobs.rossstores.com on the Avature ATS — one profile covers Ross Dress for Less, dd's DISCOUNTS, distribution centers, Dublin CA corporate, and the NYC merchant office.
  • Store and DC hiring is fast and availability-driven; corporate and merchant hiring follows a multi-round behavioral and case-style process.
  • The off-price model is the culture — frugality, execution, and inventory discipline matter more than polish or buzzwords.
  • Compensation skews to state minimum at entry-level store roles, with meaningful step-ups for store managers, buyers, and Bay Area or NYC corporate functions.
  • Tariff exposure on imported merchandise is a real near-term headwind in 2025 and is shaping buying, planning, and finance conversations inside the company.
  • Ross does not run an e-commerce business by design — do not pitch yourself as the person who will fix that, because it is a strategic choice, not a gap.
  • Bilingual Spanish capability is a meaningful asset across stores in CA, TX, FL, AZ, and NV and at several distribution centers.
  • Ross promotes from within — taking an entry role with strong availability and execution is a credible path to store leadership and beyond.

About Ross Stores

Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) is the second-largest off-price retailer in the United States by store count, headquartered in Dublin, California. The company operates roughly 1,800+ Ross Dress for Less stores and approximately 350+ dd's DISCOUNTS stores across the country, employing about 109,000 people as of fiscal 2024 and generating revenue of more than $22 billion. The corporate form was created in 1982 by Mervin Morris, building on the original 1957 Ross store in San Bruno, California. Barbara Rentler has served as CEO since 2014, an unusually long tenure for a Fortune 500 retail chief executive and one that has coincided with steady comparable-store sales growth and expansion outside Ross's historic Sunbelt strongholds. The off-price model is the entire identity of the business. Ross buyers — concentrated in a New York merchant office in the fashion district — opportunistically purchase branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods at deep discounts, then move that inventory through stores at 20 to 60 percent off department store and branded retail prices. Brand mix is unpredictable on purpose: Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi's, and many others appear when buyers find the right deal. Ross deliberately does not run an e-commerce business, treating the in-store treasure hunt as a strategic moat rather than a gap. Stores skew toward smaller markets and secondary trade areas, and most are concentrated in Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, though new openings continue to push the footprint nationally at a pace of roughly 80 to 100 stores per year. dd's DISCOUNTS is a smaller-format banner that targets lower-income Hispanic and African American shoppers in urban neighborhoods with even deeper opening price points than Ross Dress for Less. Six distribution centers — in Carlisle PA, Fort Mill SC, Moreno Valley CA, Perris CA, Shafter CA, and the newest Buckeye AZ facility opened in 2024 — feed the chain. The competitive landscape is dominated by TJX Companies (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra), with Burlington Stores closing the gap, and pressure from Walmart, Target, Costco, Dollar General, Five Below, Nordstrom Rack, and Saks OFF 5TH on adjacent value segments. Tariff exposure on imported merchandise from China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh has become a material headwind under the 2025 Trump administration tariff regime, and management commentary on quarterly calls has reflected that pressure.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Apply at jobs

    Apply at jobs.rossstores.com or rosscareers.com — both feed the Avature applicant tracking system that Ross uses for stores, distribution centers, and corporate.

  2. 2
    Decide which lane fits: store associate or store leadership, distribution center

    Decide which lane fits: store associate or store leadership, distribution center, Dublin CA corporate (buying support, planning, finance, IT, HR, marketing), or the New York merchant office.

  3. 3
    Create an Avature candidate profile once and reuse it

    Create an Avature candidate profile once and reuse it — Avature lets you import LinkedIn data and saves your work history for future applications across Ross and dd's DISCOUNTS postings.

  4. 4
    For store roles, expect a short online application plus availability questions c

    For store roles, expect a short online application plus availability questions covering nights, weekends, and holiday shifts. Many stores hire on a rolling basis and will contact qualified candidates within days.

  5. 5
    For distribution center roles, applications often include a basic skills or safe

    For distribution center roles, applications often include a basic skills or safety screen and a question set about lifting, standing, and shift work. Some DCs run open hiring events.

  6. 6
    For Dublin CA corporate or NYC merchant roles, expect a recruiter screen, a hiri

    For Dublin CA corporate or NYC merchant roles, expect a recruiter screen, a hiring manager interview, and one to three rounds of functional or panel interviews depending on the level.

  7. 7
    Buying, planning, and allocation candidates should expect case-style discussions

    Buying, planning, and allocation candidates should expect case-style discussions about markdown logic, inventory turn, and how to react to a missed sales week.

  8. 8
    Background checks and drug screens are standard for store leadership, distributi

    Background checks and drug screens are standard for store leadership, distribution center, and many corporate roles. Disclose anything that may surface so the offer is not delayed.

  9. 9
    Pay and shift expectations vary heavily by state

    Pay and shift expectations vary heavily by state — California and New York store roles will be at the higher end of the hourly range, while many Sunbelt locations pay closer to state minimum.

  10. 10
    If you do not hear back within two to three weeks for a corporate role, follow u

    If you do not hear back within two to three weeks for a corporate role, follow up through the Avature portal or a polite LinkedIn note to the recruiter listed on the requisition.

Resume Tips for Ross Stores

recommended

For store roles, lead with availability and reliability — managers screen first

For store roles, lead with availability and reliability — managers screen first for whether you can work the shifts they need, especially weekends, evenings, and the November-January peak.

recommended

Quantify retail experience with metrics that store and district managers care ab

Quantify retail experience with metrics that store and district managers care about: shrink reduction, customer count per shift, recovery time after a rush, register accuracy, or upsell rates.

recommended

For distribution center applications, foreground forklift certifications, RF sca

For distribution center applications, foreground forklift certifications, RF scanner experience, pick rates, and any WMS systems you have used (Manhattan, JDA, SAP EWM, etc.).

recommended

For buying, planning, or allocation roles, anchor on dollars managed, units move

For buying, planning, or allocation roles, anchor on dollars managed, units moved, turn improvement, markdown rate reduction, and the brands or categories you have owned.

recommended

For corporate technology roles, name the systems Ross actually runs around — Ora

For corporate technology roles, name the systems Ross actually runs around — Oracle, SAP, JDA/Blue Yonder, Workday, ServiceNow, and standard cloud platforms — when truthful.

recommended

Keep the resume to one page for store and DC roles and one to two pages for corp

Keep the resume to one page for store and DC roles and one to two pages for corporate roles. Off-price retail values directness, not padding.

recommended

Use a clean single-column layout with standard section headers (Experience, Educ

Use a clean single-column layout with standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills) so Avature parses cleanly and recruiters can scan in seconds.

recommended

Mirror the language of the job posting where it is honest — Ross requisitions us

Mirror the language of the job posting where it is honest — Ross requisitions use specific phrases for shrink, loss prevention, customer experience, and merchandising standards.

recommended

If you are bilingual in Spanish, say so on the resume

If you are bilingual in Spanish, say so on the resume. A meaningful share of customers and associates across CA, TX, FL, AZ, and NV speak Spanish, and stores actively value it.

recommended

Avoid graphics, columns, photos, and text boxes

Avoid graphics, columns, photos, and text boxes. They confuse Avature's parser and make the recruiter view harder to read.

ATS System: Avature

Ross Stores runs its hiring on Avature, a configurable enterprise ATS and CRM widely used by large retailers and global employers. Avature parses uploaded resumes into structured candidate records, supports tagging and pipelining by recruiters, and powers both the public-facing job board at jobs.rossstores.com and internal sourcing workflows. Because Avature is parser-driven, formatting choices on the resume directly affect how cleanly your work history, dates, and skills appear to recruiters.

  • Submit resumes as .docx or simple PDF — both parse, but .docx tends to be most reliable in Avature.
  • Use standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications) so Avature maps fields correctly.
  • Spell out company names, job titles, and dates in plain text — avoid icons, columns, or text in headers/footers, which often drop on parse.
  • Complete the structured fields in the Avature application even if your resume covers them; recruiters often filter on those fields, not the resume body.
  • Reuse your Avature profile across requisitions instead of creating duplicate accounts, which can fragment your candidate history.
  • Set realistic availability in the application — Avature surfaces availability mismatches to store recruiters early.

Interview Culture

Ross interviews are practical and grounded, reflecting an off-price culture that prizes execution, frugality, and clear communication over polish.

For store roles, expect a short conversation with a store manager or assistant manager focused on availability, customer service instincts, comfort on your feet for long shifts, and willingness to cover register, fitting room, fitting floor recovery, and stock as needed. The bar is reliability and attitude, and decisions often happen within a day or two. For store leadership and district roles, expect deeper behavioral interviews on shrink control, scheduling under tight payroll, conflict resolution with associates and customers, and how you have improved a specific store metric. For distribution center positions, interviews are typically short and focused on safety record, attendance history, comfort with shift work, and any equipment certifications you carry. For Dublin CA corporate roles in finance, planning, allocation, IT, HR, and marketing, expect a recruiter screen followed by a hiring manager conversation and panel interviews with cross-functional partners. Buying and merchant interviews — usually conducted out of the New York office — are the most distinctive and often include case-style discussions: how would you react to a category trending down five points to plan, how would you build an opportunistic buy on excess branded inventory, how do you balance brand mix against margin. Across all functions, Ross interviewers tend to be direct, time-disciplined, and skeptical of buzzwords. Bring concrete examples with numbers and be ready to talk plainly about what worked, what did not, and what you learned.

What Ross Stores Looks For

  • Reliability and attendance — off-price stores run lean and a missed shift hurts the team immediately.
  • Customer service instincts in a treasure-hunt environment where shoppers ask for help finding things that may or may not be in stock.
  • Operational discipline — recovery, replenishment, fitting room control, and shrink awareness on the floor.
  • Comfort with physical work, including standing, lifting, climbing ladders, and working a full shift on the sales floor or in a DC.
  • Frugality and a value mindset — Ross is famously cost-disciplined and looks for people who think the same way about budgets, payroll, and markdowns.
  • For buyers and merchants, sharp commercial instincts and a track record of building margin through opportunistic inventory decisions.
  • For planning and allocation, comfort with large datasets, store-cluster thinking, and the ability to defend forecasts to merchant partners.
  • For corporate roles, ability to operate in a public-company environment with quarterly comp store sales pressure and clear accountability.
  • Bilingual English/Spanish capability where it matches store geography or DC labor markets.
  • Long tenure interest — Ross promotes from within and values associates and managers who stay and grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ross Stores use the same hiring system as Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS?
Yes. Both banners are operated by Ross Stores Inc. and use the same Avature applicant tracking system at jobs.rossstores.com. One candidate profile covers store, distribution center, Dublin CA corporate, and NYC merchant openings across both Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS.
Where is Ross Stores headquartered and where are the main offices?
Corporate headquarters is in Dublin, California, in the East Bay. The buying organization operates from a New York merchant office in the fashion district. Six distribution centers are located in Carlisle PA, Fort Mill SC, Moreno Valley CA, Perris CA, Shafter CA, and Buckeye AZ.
Why doesn't Ross have an online store?
It is a deliberate strategic choice. The off-price model relies on opportunistic, unpredictable inventory and a treasure-hunt experience that does not translate well to e-commerce. CEO Barbara Rentler and the board have repeatedly defended the in-store-only model on earnings calls. Pitching yourself as the person who will build their e-commerce site is a poor interview strategy.
What is the pay range for Ross store associates?
Pay varies significantly by state. In states with higher minimum wages such as California, New York, and Washington, store associates typically earn the state minimum plus a small premium, often in the $15 to $18 per hour range. In Sunbelt states with lower minimums, hourly pay is closer to the federal or state floor. Assistant managers typically earn $40,000 to $55,000 and store managers $55,000 to $100,000 depending on store volume and bonus.
How does the tariff environment affect hiring at Ross?
Ross sources a meaningful share of merchandise from China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, so the 2025 Trump administration tariff regime is a material headwind that shows up in earnings commentary. It does not stop hiring, but it tightens budgets in buying, planning, and finance and raises the bar for ROI on new corporate roles. Store and DC hiring tied to new openings continues.
Are Ross distribution centers unionized?
Ross's distribution centers are largely non-union. There has been periodic interest from RWDSU, Teamsters, and UFCW over the years and occasional organizing activity, but no large-scale union presence has taken hold across the DC network.
What does a buyer or merchant role at Ross actually do?
Buyers and planners build the off-price assortment by sourcing branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods opportunistically — closeouts, packaway, cancelled orders, and direct-to-Ross deals. The job is fast-paced, deal-driven, and concentrated in the New York merchant office. It rewards strong commercial instincts, vendor relationships, and disciplined margin thinking.
Is Ross a good place for long career growth?
Ross promotes from within and CEO Barbara Rentler's tenure since 2014 reflects a culture that values long retention. Many district managers and corporate leaders started in stores. If you want a stable, public-company retail environment with a clear ladder, it is credible. If you want rapid lateral moves between functions, off-price retail tends to develop deep specialists rather than generalists.
Does being bilingual in Spanish help when applying?
Yes. A meaningful share of Ross and dd's DISCOUNTS customers and associates across California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada speak Spanish, and dd's DISCOUNTS in particular targets Hispanic shoppers. Listing Spanish on your resume and application is a real asset for store and field roles in those geographies.
How long does the corporate interview process take at Ross?
For Dublin CA corporate and NYC merchant roles, expect roughly two to six weeks from application to offer in a typical process: recruiter screen, hiring manager interview, one to three functional or panel rounds, and reference checks. Buying and planning processes can run longer because of cross-functional panels, and senior roles often add an executive round.
Should I apply directly on rosscareers.com or through LinkedIn or Indeed?
Applying directly on jobs.rossstores.com or rosscareers.com is the cleanest path because it puts your application straight into the Avature ATS that Ross recruiters work in. LinkedIn and Indeed feeds usually redirect into the same Avature workflow, but applying on the company site avoids any sync delays or lost data.

Open Positions

Ross Stores currently has 3 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 3 open positions at Ross Stores

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Sources

  1. Ross Stores Inc. Investor Relations —
  2. Ross Stores Inc. Form 10-K, Fiscal 2024 —
  3. Ross Stores Careers —
  4. Ross Stores Corporate Overview —
  5. dd's DISCOUNTS Store Locator and About —
  6. Ross Dress for Less —
  7. Ross Stores Opens Buckeye Arizona Distribution Center —
  8. Avature ATS Platform —
  9. TJX Companies Investor Relations (off-price competitive context) —
  10. Burlington Stores Investor Relations (off-price competitive context) —
  11. Barbara Rentler CEO Profile, Ross Stores —
  12. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Retail Trade Wages —