Buyer Assistant

Follett Higher Education•Westchester, IL

12d

About The Position

The Buyer Assistant supports category management and vendor relationships. The role prepares and analyzes sales reporting, helps maintain SKU and pricing information, coordinates product and assortment details with Planning and Allocation, supports online assortment execution, and processes purchase orders for test and seasonal programs. It also responds to field operations inquiries about product assortments for current and new retail locations. The position corresponds with prospective and existing vendors, communicates product and commercial requirements, and distributes assortment plans, term sheets, and correspondence. It verifies pricing and vendor information in systems, proofreads vendor correspondence, and maintains samples for approved assortments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
Work experience in a retail environment is required.
Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
Superior oral and written communication skills.
Strong analytical skills, including understanding of retail math.
Ability to work cross-functionally and build relationships with other departments.

Nice To Haves

Educational background in business, marketing, or retail merchandise preferred.

Responsibilities

Prepare weekly sales reports for distribution to GM and Operations management teams.
Analyze sales using reporting tools such as MMS and RetailIDEAS for assortment and vendor reviews, presentations, test programs, and other reporting that supports sales and merchandise strategy.
Work with the Merchandise Control team to maintain SKU and pricing information.
Communicate vendor and product information, assortment plans, and lead times to the Planning and Allocation team.
Support online assortment execution by gathering images and proofreading copy.
Execute purchase orders for test programs and seasonal programs.
Respond to field operations inquiries regarding product assortments for existing and new retail locations.
Correspond with prospective vendors and communicate their status in the review process.
Communicate with vendors about products, pricing, minimums, terms, shipping, labor code compliance, digital imagery, and other vendor-related concerns.
Update and distribute assortment plans, term sheets, and correspondence letters to vendors.
Verify pricing and vendor information in the system and proofread correspondence letters.
Maintain and organize vendor samples for approved assortments.