Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in Sales, Business, or a related field
Minimum of five years in product/brand management or marketing
At least four years of buying line exposure with retail cycles
Strong understanding of competitive market trends and core product opportunities
Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong organizational, analytical, and negotiation skills
Responsibilities
Maintain relationships with Buyers and Assistant Buyers to grow programs
Develop assortment plans by product platforms for accounts
Implement business and product strategies to optimize sales and profit
Collaborate with design and Product Management for new product development
Coordinate with Brand, Product & Design teams for new programs
Identify merchandise strategies 9 months ahead of in-store dates
Manage buyer meetings, agendas, and follow-ups
Benefits
Collaborative work environment
Opportunities for professional development
Exposure to diverse product lines
Engagement with international vendors
Dynamic and fast-paced workplace
Full Job Description
A multi-faceted position that is responsible for driving sales and executing strategic merchandising plans, by brand and platform, in order to achieve the financial and business goals of the company for customer accounts
Position Responsibilities:
Maintain relationships with Buyers and Assistant Buyers to grow new and existing programs
Responsible for working with accounts to develop assortment plans (skus counts) by product platforms
Responsible for developing and implementing business and product strategies to optimize sales and profit for the retailer and our company
Responsible for working closely with design and Product Management to initiate new product development and place production buys at the planned markup percentage for the company
Responsible for coordinating with the Brand, Product & Design teams to initiate new programs/patterns for planned production buys
Collaborate with Brand and Product teams to identify merchandise strategies 9 months in advance of in-store dates
Identify CAD, Sample & Digital needs prior to each customer selection meeting
Responsible for taking a broad view of the competitive landscape to determine where the Company's products are positioned against competitors with respect to design, price and value
Collaborate with Product and Design teams on assuring "product excellence" that will assure a high rate of POS success.
Responsible for scheduling buyer meetings and preparing agendas for each meeting
Responsible for recapping buyer meetings and providing teams with next step requirement and deadlines
Responsible for following up with Buyers to finalize assortment decisions
Responsible for preparation for and scheduling of next customer meeting.
Responsible for ensuring that the product meets the sales, pricing and margin goals of the Company
Responsible for providing sales estimates by project and projection worksheets
Responsible for coordinating "tag on" efforts in production planning/color minimums across multiple customers
Responsible for understanding carton sizes, case packs, container fill information for each potential quote(s) and/or order(s)
Responsible for supervision of all manual and EDI purchase orders received from Buyers
Responsible for obtaining projections, taking into consideration production lead times
Responsible for working with the Planning department and our vendors to meet all production minimums
Responsible for project management by communicating the changing priorities of projects
Essential Skills and Experience:
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in Sales, Business, or a related field
Minimum of five years of previous experience in product/brand management or marketing position
Minimum of four years of buying line exposure and understanding of retail cycles
Knowledge of competitive market is vital in order to determine future trends and needs in addition to identifying core product opportunities
Ability to multi-task on a routine basis, be detail-oriented, adapt plans and change direction as needed, have a proactive mindset and have the ability to perform the job under a moderate to high level of stress
Vision abilities to include vision, peripheral vision and depth perception
Ability to speak and write the English language
Strong computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs to include Excel
Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in order to effectively communicate and report information to all levels of the Company and effectively communicate with international vendors
Possess strong organizational and analytical skills
Possess strong negotiation skills
Possess a team oriented mentality
Previous experience in successfully handling time sensitive projects and meeting assigned deadlines
Ability to prioritize work/projects and answer questions related to work assignments in a fast paced environment
Ability to problem solve as needed
Ability to work with minimal supervision on a daily basis
