Job Description

Division: Rack Room Shoe Corporate Inc.

Job Title: Assistant Buyer

Accountability: Reports to Buyer

Summary: The Assistant Buyer will support the Buyers in all product selection, price negotiation and purchasing decisions of the Merchandising Department. Coordinator with store regards to inventory purposes. This role allows someone to gain exposure to all aspects of the buying process.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage SKU flows, run reports and help analyze business correspond with vendor both written and verbal by making appointments with vendors.
• Merchandise planning (tailoring the merchandise plan by product type; by price point).
• Assortment planning (planning product assortments by targeted store clusters; and identifying brand and product type trends by store cluster to determine SKU counts, assortment breadth, and depts., etc. by store cluster).
• Pre-allocation Demand Plan Management (aka DAP; creating product and store groupings required to properly tailor and distribute product to stores) and run Replenishment system (aka RAP).
• Item selection and flow (performing analysis and field search, including some overnight travel, to recommend items to be selected to targeted store groups).

Competency:

• Results Orientation: Demonstrates the ability to consistently deliver business results by meeting deadline and achieving goals.
• Communication: Effectively conveys information and ideas in concise and meaningful exchanges through written and verbal communication.
• Attendance/Punctuality: Flexibility required due to may need to stay longer depending on workload.
• Teamwork/Collaboration: Effectively develops relationships and encourages idea-sharing that facilitates the accomplishment of goals.

• Initiative: Proactively seeks opportunities to work outside of job scope to assist department or cross-functional team and demonstrates the ability to go beyond what is required to achieve goals.

• Personal Adaptability: Demonstrates the ability to embrace change and effectively adjusts to new or altered processes within the business environment.
• Safety and Security: Employees must follow all safety policies and procedures to ensure an accident-free workplace.
• Strong analytical, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem-solving and presentation skills.
• Uses data identify key drivers and makes recommendations for actions to be taken.

Qualification:

Education/Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising or related field; 1+ year experience in assistant buying or prior retail experience preferred.

Language Ability: Strong professional and effective verbal and written communication skills.

Math Ability: Basic Retail Math

Computer Skills: Strong PC system skills; Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Lotus. Knowledge in Oracle.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential function of this job. The primary location of this position is a typical office environment. However, the responsibilities may require being energetic, motivated, meetings, conferences and traveling as needed.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions: the employee must regularly require to lift and/or move up to 10lbs, sit and write to operate a computer and printer, fax machine, photocopier, calculator and use of telephone communication devices, sometimes kneel, crouch or crawl.