Production Merchandiser in Chelmsford

Role Purpose: To work with the production merchandising team and wider business to plan, deliver and trade product ranges, tailored to the target customer, establishing and maintaining a clear brand positioning that sets to achieve and exceed sales plans and expectations. Managing the critical path and product life cycle, working effectively and efficiently, to ensure a smooth and consistent running of the brands.

Responsibilities:

• Manage UK and Far East suppliers to deliver a smooth flow of product into the business/customers.
• Demonstrate strong negotiation skills to achieve and maintain target margin.
• Demonstrate technical knowledge and an understanding of supplier capabilities.
• Able to source original samples with suppliers based on their production strengths.
• Building relationships with accounts/brands – gain insights from brands (trading reactions, holding stock etc).
• Product & Packaging Development – Improving on speed to market.
• Attend and present in department meetings where appropriate to gain exposure to management teams.
• Manage project trackers, being directly accountable for accuracy.
• Undertake competition shops to ensure aware of competitors ranges and to look for NPD.
• Collate and present market trends, competitor strategy, emerging product areas.
• Takes an active role in coaching and training junior team members.
• Aware of and embodies the Laurelle DNA, and can influence this across their team and the wider business.
• Helps to create a positive working environment for all colleagues.
• Demonstrate the ability to develop good cross-functional relationships at Laurelle; with design, logistics, accounts, warehouse and sales teams.
• Develop product which is inline with the customer profile, brand identity and requirements.
• Following product development through from initial concept to completion & delivery.
• Prepare information required for internal and external meetings & development trips.
• Take responsibility and accountability for making sure all information is accurate & follow up with implementation and tracking of relevant actions.
• Liaising with all necessary departments to ensure clear and accurate sharing of information.
• Work with own initiative and as part of the wider team.
• Oversees the management of the below or undertakes themselves:
• Update spreadsheets and databases with the critical order information.
• Updating the critical path and chasing daily to ensure orders run to schedule, anticipating and managing risks.
• Manage shipment schedules for your product.
• Monitor the delivery dates and bookings for deliveries to customers.
• Responsible for managing the raising and maintaining of purchase orders and sales orders on Sage & MANU.
• Creating and updating the business and necessary departments on internal production requirements.
• Monitoring of sales and production planning on core lines and chasing for repeats.
• Action and maintaining the PIFF for all products on customer portals or on our own drive.
• Ensuring customer contracts are completed when orders are agreed.

Skills, qualifications and experience:

• Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent, in academic or fashion subject and or relevant experience.
• Competent numerical skills for negotiation and trading.
• Fully understand the impact of all range decisions on margin % and value for the business.
• Good working ability with relevant IT systems (Microsoft Office).
• Strong and developed understanding of the retail market, fashion trends and brand positioning, both UK and internationally.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a good assertive influencer with the ability to communicate and present, competently and clearly.
• Strong organisational and task management skills, with the ability to manage own workload and oversee the work of others.