Job Description

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, and Club Monaco, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands.

At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview

Support sales and profitability of the Polo Factory Stores North America (PFS-NA) product line through contribution to Buyer's strategy and assortment development. Provide insight regarding general sales analysis, marketplace trends, and customer's needs, wants, and expectations. Support department(s) through the management of all operational functions within the product life cycle and the buy process.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Buy Process:

* Attend and participate in all buying and business related meetings
* Shop parent line and competitive marketplace for trend and product opportunities and present findings to the team
* Perform style/color analysis and present findings to Buyer
* Assist with assortment recommendations based on knowledge of the business
* Prepare and maintain all tools relative to the assortment planning process (dolls, boards, color swatch books etc.)
* Maintain and manage purchase orders; troubleshoot purchase order issues, price discrepancies, vendor production and store callouts
* Ensure accuracy of all style information submitted to production/merchandising
* Present product performance at monthly hindsight meetings
* Define items in system to needed brand, season, and delivery
* Manage on order tracking report; validate and ensure accuracy
* Lead on order meetings: recap and provide status update weekly to all members of the team
* Enter weekly price changes in system (promotions/markdowns)
* Prepare re-ticketing / price change task forms for Field and Distribution Center

Reporting:

* Create, maintain, and validate accuracy of weekly business review reports
* Review and manage season coding to ensure accuracy and consistency
* Timely and accurate management of all aspects of APS Selling Reports: create, update, and distribute
* Create Item Index Quarterly through partnership with Distribution Analysts and the Brand Presentation team

Samples:

* Manage organization of samples lines/closet organization
* Create tracking and maintain samples by season, classification, and delivery
* Partner with Marketing on sample handoff for photo shoots

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Bachelors Degree

Experience

* Experience in buying/merchandising

Skills/Behaviors

* Ability to be flexible and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
* High level of accuracy, detail orientation and organization skills
* Strong written and verbal communication skills
* Assertive and solution-oriented when faced with obstacles
* General understanding of customer, marketplace and product
* Basic understanding of the product lifecycle
* Ability to complete current and historical analysis of the business to support recommendations an decisions (style/color level)
* Demonstrate leadership potential

SYSTEMS & TOOLS

* GFE+
* Island Pacific
* MSL+
* Microstrategy/DSS
* Retail Math
* Microsoft Excel / Word / PowerPoint
* Relate