Company 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, 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
We are recruiting an International Merchandising Operations Manager (IMO) to join our Childrenswear team. As a Manager, you will be responsible for formulating key strategies that support hitting performance targets, meeting the company and your department KPIs, as well as the overall brand direction. You will be partnering with key stakeholders to execute these strategies and reach your goals: Buying, Planning, Production & Sourcing, Allocation & Fulfillment departments. The successful candidate will continuously manage, coach and inspire the team on their professional and personal development, as well as setting a culture of care and excellence, to drive an engaged, empowered and efficient team.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
1. Team & People Management: Drives personal and professional development of direct reports via regular touch points throughout the year. Seeks advice, support and opportunities from other resources to expand learning and growth opportunities. Adopts an open and authentic approach through regular feedback to gain trust and optimise working relationships. Champions cross-functional ways of working to accomplish success across the total ecosystem, avoiding a "me vs you" mentality. Consolidate team spirit by providing high level of communication, promote department and corporate initiatives. Leads team in running of department, driving the most effective ways of working, via solution-based thinking and liaising with peers to share best practice and continuously evolve ways of working. Contribute to team well-being, ensure the best work-life balance, sponsor support back-ups. Leads team with unconditional support in lead-up to Key Milestone meetings, providing guidance on their presentation preparation.
2. Buy Management and Wholesale Market Management: Define upstream an inventory and investment strategy, as well as a flow of goods strategy, in partnership with the relevant stakeholders. Provide and drive costing updates and analysis, as well as flexibility insights to key stakeholders, in order to assess all markets risks and help making the most appropriate decisions. Actively communicate on potential risks or issues with relevant stakeholders and peers. Coordinate calendars and key actions in the different systems with relevant partner to successfully drive wholesale markets. Work upstream with global partners to define global calendars. Maximize sales and opportunities during wholesale markets by analysing and assessing demand. Focus on the consumer and trends. Maximize International fulfilment through best availability and direct shipments, working directly with International peers. Coordinate and communicate market key milestones. Sets seasonal strategic priorities in partnership with Buying and Planning partners and in line with long term strategies from Leads and Heads. Communicates shifts in strategy with key stakeholders to ensure alignment and most efficient end-to-end execution.
3. Tracking of KPIs and Business Performance: Continuously monitors wholesale performances with direct stakeholders, performing analysis to seize opportunities and make the right decisions. Continuously have a cross-channel approach to assess and define buy strategies, analysing risks/rewards. Take initiatives to improve current processes and systems to gain efficiency and obtain best results. Manage continuous improvement activities. Utilizes expert knowledge of supply & inventory planning and mathematical planning tools to develop buy simulations & scenarios. Perform constraint analysis and rapidly communicate significant supply issues. Liaise and communicate to the corresponding stakeholders.
4. Inventory and Purchase Order Management: Provide the right level of buys, maximizing sales opportunities ensuring actual and future demand fulfilment. Monitor the level of inventory in line with the company direction and strategy. Liaise with other stakeholders to track purchase order creation, on-time deliveries, air-shipment risks. Assess and define cancellation and chase needs and/or opportunities. Work with relevant peers on aged inventory.
Experience, Skills & Knowledge
* Minimum 5-7 full strategic cycles in one or more of the following areas: inventory, supply planning, forecasting, manufacturing, procurement, materials, logistics or order management.
* Strong analytical & critical thinking skills, with problem solving mindset.
* Remains resilient and positive through an ever-changing environment.
* Outstanding interpersonal and relationship management skills.
* Strong understanding of Supply Chain concepts, processes and procedures with the ability to coach/mentor others.
* Strong communication, leadership, organization, project management skills.
* Excellent written and verbal English communication skills to be able present ideas, concepts and proposals with a wide range of audiences at all levels both internal and external to the department.
* Strong Customer focus.
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