Assortment Associate

About the Role

The Associate, Assortment Planner, reports directly to the Director of Assortment Planning and plays a crucial role in supporting the strategic development and execution of buying frameworks for a designated category. This position requires collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with top-line strategic and financial objectives. The ideal candidate contributes to various aspects of assortment planning, from pre-market analysis to in-market quantification and post-market adjustments.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Director to develop and execute the buying framework for the designated category.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to align with strategic and financial objectives.
• Assist in conducting thorough analyses of pre-market, in-market, and post-market activities.
• Support crafting and implementing Private Brand line plans, considering historical performance and adoption rates.
• Contribute to style outs to ensure alignment with customer preferences and market trends.
• Assist in overseeing the allocation process, confirming store matrix, and applying Min/Max at the Style level.
• Foster a culture of excellence and collaboration within the Assortment Planning team.

Pre-Market Responsibilities

• Support the development of by-store sales and turn plans aligned with annual financial targets.
• Assist in inspecting receipt flow plans, addressing variances with Financial Planning.
• Contribute to defining clustering strategies considering channel, tier/climate differences by category.
• Participate in building and maintaining category C-1 in coordination with the Divisional Merchandise Manager (DMM).
• Support the assessment of current season performance and determining future season replenishment assortment.
• Assist in establishing bottoms-up targets for key-item volume drivers, trends, and newness.
• Provide support in owning Private Brand line plans, adjusting based on historical category performance.
• Assist in evaluating breadth, depth, and productivity of the assortment.
• Collaborate in finalizing the 'shopping list' composition prior to market appointments.

In-Market Responsibilities

• Collaborate in quantifying Buyer's curated assortment by brand, style, channel, and store cluster.
• Ensure alignment with cluster financial targets and assortment framework.
• Assist in identifying duplication across styles and vendors during the style out process.
• Be prepared to attend market appointments in the absence of the Assortment Director.

Post-Market Responsibilities

• Support conducting style outs in NuOrder or within the market cycle based on system capabilities.
• Contribute to addressing key style out questions, including customer attributes and tier differences.
• Assist in finalizing necessary changes after style out and Buy Review; support sending orders for allocation.

Allocation Responsibilities

• Contribute to confirming the store matrix as the first part of the allocation process.
• Assist in applying Min/Max at the Style level to ensure appropriate depth.
• Support in EDI allocations to vendors at least 30 days prior to In-DC dates.
• Collaborate in inspecting receipt availability before releasing orders.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Analytical Skills: Proficiency in analyzing sales data, turn plans, and financial targets.
• Collaboration and Communication: Ability to collaborate within the Assortment Planning team and contribute to a culture of excellence.
• Retail Knowledge: Understanding of retail concepts, including assortment planning, private brand line plans, and allocation processes.
• Quantitative Skills: Proficient in quantitative analysis, including building and maintaining category C-1, assessing current season performance, and determining future season replenishment assortment.
• Planning and Organization: Strong organizational skills for managing pre-market, in-market, and post-market phases.
• Technology Proficiency: Familiarity with tools and systems like NuOrder and EDI systems.
• Decision-Making: Strong decision-making skills, particularly in finalizing changes and supporting order allocation.

Qualifications

• Candidates with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a related field are encouraged to apply.
• Able to work a flexible schedule based on department and company needs.
• Must be able to perform essential job functions such as communication, collaboration, and use of office and computer systems.