Merchandising Administrator

Product is at the heart of everything we do and we’re looking for an experienced, passionate and driven individual to join Laura James Merchandising Team. This data-enabled team will control our supplier relationships, purchasing commitments, stock cover levels and everything in between to ensure our customers always have right product, whilst achieving gross margin and working capital targets.

Job Title: Merchandising Administrator

Reports to: Merchandiser

Role objective: provide an effective administrative support service to the Merchandising function, along with supporting the Merchandisers in ensuring that available stock levels are always maintained at a level to meet sales requirements.

Key accountabilities:
Job Responsibilities

External Contacts
- Develop and maintain good relationships with supply partners and shipping contacts in both UK, Middle East and Far East.
- Ongoing communication with supply partners to ensure that goods leave the factory according to the shipping plan, and are delivered to the Distribution Centre in a timely fashion. Bring forward, delay or cancel deliveries to reflect any business change requirements.
- Creation, management and archiving of Purchase Orders (POs), checking & returning proforma invoices to Supply Partners.
- Enter Supplier invoices and packing lists on to Netsuite, creating a Inboud Shipments for pre-sale. Ensuring that the information is accurate in the tracking system. Liaise to accounts for payment.
- Make sure that ex-factory, locations and availability dates are accurate on Netsuite and they reflect the business needs.
- Co-ordinate & book delivery of direct containers on time.
- Support the decision making and action the logistics within the supply chain.

Internal Contacts
- Build relationships with all business departments to ensure smooth lines of communication from the merchandising department
- Maintain clear and timely communication with the merchandising team operations and customer service, regarding shipping agent confirmations and highlight any change to the initial plan. Report on containers load plan to the Operations department and Supply Teams.
- Highlight to the Quality Department required QC inspections before ex-factory dates.
- Highlight any (potential) delays in products which may cause availability issues.
- Regular communication of stock situation to key team members, including Regular Availability Report
- Place POs for finished product, spare parts, marketing materials, etc.
- Liaise with and provide essential information in a timely manner to the finance team (invoice/deposit payments), whilst including the merchandiser regarding the purchase budgets.
- Help manage the ETA information on Netsuite (reporting document highlighting intake availability, quantity changes, etc.) which is used by the whole business. Help handle ETA queries from within the business.

Merchandising Functions
- Add of new products information onto Netsuite, discontinuation of old products on the stock system. Maintaining and clean the product database on Netsuite.
- Administrates the clearance of samples/ outlet under the guidance of the HP&M and product development teams.
- Analysis of Sales and Stock Reports, incorporating seasonal & promotional changes in demand. Discuss sales and stock position with Merchandiser and Head of merchandising, including advising Overstocks/Low Sellers.
- Analysis of sales, trading, stock levels and trends to allocate stock and ensure stock is in the right place at the right time.
- Update and maintain tracking files/ reports with weekly sales, supplier performance and stock information and other key files/ reports.
- Ad hoc analysis as and when required by the (Channel) Merchandiser or Head of Merchandising.
- Ad hoc administrative tasks that supports the effective run of the department and business in general.

Skills and Qualifications
- 1. Technical skills and experience
- Previous experience in similar function is an advantage
- Must have excellent knowledge and experience of working with the UK and global markets.
- 2. Strategic Insight & Planning
- Must have broad current knowledge & experience of commercial, economic, trading & market activities & techniques affecting the retail industry.
- Constantly strives for improvements in approaches, processes, systems and overall performance.
- Prepared and able to change plans in line with business needs.
- Plans ahead to anticipate events & develops contingency plans
- Ability to identify key profit drivers and to drive profitable change
- 3. Financial Skills
- Excellent numerical & analytical skills.
- Ability to interpret and present complex technical information to others in a clear and understandable way.

Section 4. Essential Attributes
- Communication skills

Excellent oral, written and presentation skills to all levels

Must be a proactive communicator

Able to communicate strategy clearly to others in a meaningful and influential manner
- Works pro-actively