Assistant Buyer - Beauty - Seattle, WA (Hybrid)

Nordstrom•Seattle, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The ideal assistant buyer is analytical, results-oriented and views the business through the lens of the customer. A day in the life… Develop an understanding of the needs, wants and expectations of the customer Build an understanding of the market and competitors in their category Establish a clear understanding of the seasonal department merchandise strategy Partner with assistant buy planner on market preparation Contribute to negotiations of exclusive offerings, terms, pricing, vendor funded markdowns, return-to-vendor agreements, drop-ship programs, co-op, etc. Function as liaison to online and/or stores as assigned; including effective communication of the selling agenda Contribute to inventory management in season; including driving markdowns and exit strategy Be a student of the business regarding effective analysis and decision making to improve department performance Collaborate with, and respond with a sense of urgency to regional merchandisers regarding customer needs Partner with assistant buy planner to improve the depth and precision of location-level inventory content Participate in business reviews to develop greater understanding of how specific actions impact overall department results

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Merchandising or equivalent work experience
Experience in retail merchandising, planning or analysis required
Experience supporting a high sales volume category (high SKU count, heavy seasonality, high revenue ($20M+) preferred
Experience in a relevant merchandise category preferred
Demonstrated understanding of retail and the service environment of Nordstrom required
Proficiency in MS Office suite required
Clear and effective written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills required

Responsibilities

Develop an understanding of the needs, wants and expectations of the customer
Build an understanding of the market and competitors in their category
Establish a clear understanding of the seasonal department merchandise strategy
Partner with assistant buy planner on market preparation
Contribute to negotiations of exclusive offerings, terms, pricing, vendor funded markdowns, return-to-vendor agreements, drop-ship programs, co-op, etc.
Function as liaison to online and/or stores as assigned; including effective communication of the selling agenda
Contribute to inventory management in season; including driving markdowns and exit strategy
Be a student of the business regarding effective analysis and decision making to improve department performance
Collaborate with, and respond with a sense of urgency to regional merchandisers regarding customer needs
Partner with assistant buy planner to improve the depth and precision of location-level inventory content
Participate in business reviews to develop greater understanding of how specific actions impact overall department results