Vendor Merchandise Assistant

Vendor Merchandise Assistant

North Kansas City, Missouri

POSITION SUMMARY:
The 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
• Establish vendor management tasks, informing internal partners as required, including product specification review, sample management, product test management, product set up, online management, purchase order tracking, special order facilitation and photo asset management/on-line product exposure.

• Facilitate communication with internal stakeholders, working to consistently improve efficiencies.
• Manage communication flow for meetings and conference calls, providing relevant agendas and follow-up notes.

• Responsible for product and SKU management, including cost and retail prices, across all HDS systems and Ecommerce.

• Track, measure, report and evaluate product performance across a variety of product departments and retail channels, providing insights to both internal and external partners.

• Identify and mitigate business risk by keeping all stakeholders fully informed and able to make timely decisions.

• 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.

• Facilitate product development workflow process through all stages to ensure timely and accurate delivery at all stages through Logility, including meeting follow-up, product proposal and quotations, product samples, specification worksheets, product images, product feeds, testing, and RTV notices.

• Stimulate steady process enhancement to present increasing operational efficiency in entire business partner processes.
• Support internal and external partners in exploration of new product categories and expansions of existing businesses.
• Provide support and information regarding product forecasts available in Logility.
• CLOSEOUTS: Facilitate accurate information on available sellable inventory, manage quantity changes or cancelations as needed.

• Cross Functional meeting set up for internal and external teams, possibly including IT, ECOM, Creative, Marketing, Special Orders, Learning & Development, Accounts Payable, etc.

• 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.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field and 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.