Vendor Merchandise Assistant

North Kansas City

Category: Corporate

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Closeout Vendor Merchandise Assistant supports the merchandise and planning organization through building and managing relationships with current vendors that supply products and services to Helzberg. The incumbent ensures that vendors meet or exceed their contractual obligations by delivering quality products and services on time. The Vendor Merchandise Assistant contributes to the efficiency, productivity and success of the company. They keep vendors informed on developments in the organization or changes in market conditions that might affect demand for vendors’ products. They work with the vendor in production planning enabling the vendor to integrate their own production schedules with the organization’s requirements, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of excess capacity or supply shortages.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Act as functional bridge between the external vendor and internal stakeholders.
Manage external vendor relations within the Merchandise and Planning organization
Manage communication flow for meetings and conference calls, providing relevant agendas and follow-up notes.
Establish vendor management tasks, informing internal partners as required, including meeting follow-ups, product proposals, product specification review, sample management, product management, product set up, online management, purchase order tracking, special order facilitation and photo asset management/on-line product exposure, RTV notification.
Understands overall close-out business within each channel across vendor base to enable analysis and strategic recommendations that support business strategies. Executes needed tasks to support meeting sales and margin objectives.
Conduct conflict reviews to ensure non-duplicative inventory across vendor base
Assist Buyer with developing channel specific (traditional stores, outlet stores, and internet only) assortments that balance market availability with manufacturing of styles.
Regularly track, measure, report and evaluate product performance providing insights to both internal and external partners highlighting successful styles
Utilize sales insights to make recommendations on channel allocation, channel needs, and pricing that meets margin targets. Communicate insights to internal and external partners.
Identify Category and SKU specific risks and collaborate with internal and external partners to develop recommendations to minimize the risks.
Responsible for accurate product and SKU management, including costs, retails, attributes, across all HDS systems and Ecommerce.
Assist in maintaining an accurate online assortment by proofing newly activated styles for accuracy.
Propose styles for re-order, forecast inventory needs, and work with vendors to ensure that re-orders fit into margin plans
Review in-stocks to pull up purchase orders to maximize sales.
Create and maintain purchase orders to ensure they are delivered and processed in a timely basis. Communicate with vendors to ensure accurate and timely shipments of products and resolve issues.
Execute assigned merchandise events and provide support as needed.
Troubleshoot vendor issues and present to management as required. Represent resolutions to the vendor with the best interest of Helzberg in mind.
Manage vendor chargebacks and QC performance, informing both internal and external partners.
Stimulate steady process enhancement to present increasing operational efficiency in entire business partner processes.
Provide support for department Buyers with reporting, inventory management, training new associates and other projects as needed.

SPECIAL PROJECTS:

Liaise between vendor and merchandise teams to ensure all product development is on track and meeting the expectations of both parties.
Create project timelines and ensure all parties are managing key deadlines.
Complete competitive analysis across a variety of brick and mortar and ecommerce retailers to identify assortment risks and opportunities with the Helzberg customer in mind.
Provide detailed weekly reporting about what is/is not working.
Facilitate and support customer service team to ensure positive customer facing experience.
Work with Buyers and visual merchandise staff as needed on visual merchandising projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field.
At least 3 years of related retail experience required, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Occasional travel will be required as needed.
Excellent relationship building, communication and organizational skills, with the ability to work and communicate effectively with external partners and internal functional areas.
Strong presentation and communication skills required to ensure vendors understand their contractual requirements.
Must be able to multi-task, be flexible, perform in fast-paced environment and maintain focus while anticipating and reacting to shifting priorities and changes in business.
Strong analytical skills required to monitor and review vendors’ product and operational performances including advanced Excel and reporting tools.
Professional level writing skills required.
Strong retail math acumen, problem solving skills, and ability to organize and prioritize required.
Hybrid schedule with predictable onsite attendance required three or more days per week to perform essential functions involving interactive behaviors with co-workers and managers, operation or manipulation of equipment and/or materials located only on site, and direct interaction with internal and/or external customers.

COMPETENCIES:
Analytical Thinking, Business Knowledge, Communication, Customer Service Orientation, Flexibility, Information Seeking, Integrity, Personal Accountability, Teamwork and Cooperation

Apply to this job online Back to Results