Control Buyer (Catalog), West Elm

COMPANY: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
ORGANIZATION: West Elm
FUNCTION: Inventory Management
JOB LOCATION: NY Brooklyn - Corporate
REFERENCE CODE: 5238BR
ASSOCIATE STATUS: Full Time TITLE

Control Buyer (Catalog)
 JOB DESCRIPTION

Plan and purchase inventory to maximize in-stock levels, and inventory turn while minimizing overstocks. Work with Sourcing and Merchandising to identify risks and develop strategies for mitigating them.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Analyze SKU sales performance to determine inventory liability.  Project sales for each catalog season. Placement of initial orders and reorders. Update system with vendor lead times and Safety Stock requirements. Analyze Alert Reports and Vendor Buy Plans to determine flow of merchandise to distribution center. Recommend disposition strategy for non-productive inventory. Work jointly with merchandising to determine departmental SKU level sales projections and product assortments. Escalate packaging, quality and vendor performance issues to appropriate owner. Oversee and ensure timely and accurate SKU/inventory data input into IF/SO. Participate in cross-departmental training. Review catalog proofs for presentation, pagination and layout. Interview candidates and make hiring recommendations. Provide direction and objectives to direct reports. Evaluate and appraise performance. Complete other duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervisor. Provide specific input on sales and inventory levels for Open to Buy, Catalog reviews, overstock review, etc. Identify and implement item curves where necessary. Must be able to clearly and concisely present analytical data and propose solutions in an organized manner to groups.

 

Positions with Direct Ship Responsibilities will also: Establish and maintain strong lines of vendor communication including, sales forecast, production capacity and shipping guidelines. Participate in the development and implementation of Direct Ship systems.

 QUALIFICATIONS?  BA/BS Required ?  3-5 years catalog inventory management exposure. ?  Strong technical and analytical skills.

 ** TO APPLY, PLEASE VISIT THE CAREERS SECTION OF OUR CORPORATE WEBSITE http://www.williams-sonomainc.com **