Store Supplies Operations Sr. Analyst

About ANN INC.:

At ANN INC., WE GET WOMEN. Real women live ever more complicated lives. They juggle more activities, play more roles and carry more expectations. But what women value is what they have always valued: connecting with others, making smart choices, looking and feeling great. Living life fully means women choose to play all their roles with confidence and style.

That is why we’re here.

For more than half a century, we have evolved with the needs of real women who live full, active lives. Our values are her values. We get that a woman expresses herself through what she wears – at work, at home and at play. To meet her needs, we design pieces for her life and her changing roles to help her look and feel confident and beautiful. We create rich experiences that connect with her wherever she is, inspire her style and simplify her choices.

About the Position:

As part of the ANN INC. Global Procurement team, this position is responsible for providing analytical support and assisting with the management of ANN INC.’s 3rd party distribution supplier, and all products that go through that 3rd party distribution warehouse to support ANN INC. stores, including packaging, hangers, and other store supplies. This position is helps create short and long term strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize ANN INC.’s spend, and developing and executing specific category/product strategies. Responsible for conducting spend analysis, analyzing supply markets, implementing competitive RFIs/RFPs, leveraging the eSourcing technology where appropriate, and assisting with complex sourcing initiatives to optimize spend. Partners effectively with internal stakeholders and subject-matter experts. Responsible for initiating operational process improvements with Store Operations team to increase efficiencies. This is a highly visible position which will drive value and significantly impact bottom-line profitability at ANN INC.

Responsibilities:

• Supports strategic sourcing initiatives with cross-functional teams and manages strategic sourcing initiatives following the ANN INC. 7-step Sourcing methodology
• Manages 3rd party distribution relationship, contract, forecast demand, supply and supply chain channel for all non-merchandise items to support all divisions including Ann Taylor Store, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory, Loft Outlet Stores, Ecommerce, and our merchandise distribution center (LDC)
• Manages forecasting and incoming supply chain (including logistics) for the suppliers within assigned categories including Office Supplies, Store gift and merchandise cards, Wrap & Pack (bags, boxes, etc), Hangers and all other miscellaneous store operation supplies
• Contributes to supplier selection process and provides data to ensure informed selection decisions
• Contributes to negotiation strategy development and execution and establishes contract terms and conditions and coordinates with legal to execute optimal contracts with suppliers
• Gathers stakeholder and subject-matter insights/business requirements to identify and pursue operational process improvements and demand management opportunities to increase efficiencies in key categories
• Supports Internal Stakeholder (Marketing, Visual, Store Operations, etc) project development and launch including initial design engagement, supplier identification, cost/price to target budget management, press checks, and final product launch and delivery into stores to meet project deadlines.
• Works with manager on design specification, color proofing and prototyping process, and lead value engineering process
• Collaborates with team on Supplier Collaboration program with Key Suppliers, leading the Annual Business Review process, and enforcing a quality control program throughout the life of the product, especially critical items
• Prepares financial and budgetary reporting requirements for monthly, quarterly and year-end reconciliation for both divisional and corporate finance teams.
• Supports special initiatives & projects for internal stakeholders such Marketing, Visual, Store Operations, E-Commerce, Logistics and Finance.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance or related discipline
• Business consulting or retail experience a plus
• 2-4 years professional experience in years professional experience in Strategic Sourcing, Consulting, Store Operations, Logistics or Supply Chain in a retail environment
• Technology-savvy to leverage eProcurement and eSourcing tools including but not limited to: SAP, Ariba, Spend Analysis tools like BIQ
• Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize own work to meet assigned deadlines
• Proven analytical ability and creative problem solving
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced, goal-oriented, and time sensitive environment
• Ability to lead and influence change in the face of complexity and ambiguity
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and project management skills
• Proven ability to work with cross-functional teams/partnerships
• Experience sourcing a variety of retail categories, most of them produced overseas, including any of the following:Knowledge of Supplier Management tools (Ariba) and conducting Quarterly Business Reviews
  • Packaging (shopping bags and boxes)
  • Corrugate
  • Hangers
  • Ribbon
  • Gift cards
  • Office Supplies
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Meeting facilitation and presentation skills
• Proficient in MS Office Suite; Expert Excel Skills