ASSISTANT BUYER

General Summary: Partners with the buying team to achieve and or exceed the financial plan, gross margin plan and turn plan for respective category. Helps develop and implement merchandising strategies through purchase planning, in store visual planning and leadership of respective category.

Job Responsibilities

• Assists in the selection and purchasing of product for categories of responsibilities.

• Responsible for assisting buyers to establish retail price and margin.

• Assist in developing and maintaining strong vendor partnerships.

• Helps perform competitive assortment analysis of all branded & non-branded assortments, as needed.

• Supports the analysis of sales trends against Assortment Plan and helps develop strategies as appropriate.

• Keeps abreast of product trends through industry research and develop strategies as appropriate.

• Work with vendor community and buying team on emerging trends, assortments, product differentiation and business strategy.

• Achieves plan inventory turn though partnering with Planner & managing inventory and receipt flow.

• Partners with Planner in managing inventory and entire receipt flow to deliver products in a timely manner while staying within open to buy budget.

• Responsible for getting approval for new SKU's, PO extensions, cancellations, and manages backordered goods.

• Helps to review aged inventory results with planning division and assists in the development of appropriate exit strategy that fits the plan.

• Responsible for other duties as assigned or developed.



Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required to perform essential functions

• Strong negotiation, communication, analytical and organizational skills.

• Ability to solve a wide range of complex, multi-disciplinary problems, which must consider short and intermediate term company-wide planning.

• Ability to compose sensitive, non-routine correspondence requiring tact and diplomacy and or complex reports or summaries.

• Ability to negotiate with outsiders and insiders in sensitive and complex situations.

• Must be flexible and be able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.

• Must have a strong desire to work in fashion and demonstrate the ability to identify fashion trends.

• Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Tools i.e. Excel, Word and Outlook and Photoshop.

• Sense of urgency, flexibility, ability to multi-task.

Education/Training

• University or College degree or commensurate Fashion Merchandising retail experience.



Experience

• 1 - 2 years as an Assistant Buyer in Corporate Retail/Fashion Industry Experience.