Assistant Merchandise Planner - Watford, United KingdomPosition Overview Ref # W173607 State/Region Hertfordshire Department Merchandising & Planning Location United Kingdom City Watford 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 The assistant merchandiser supports the merchandising team in planning, analysing and executing product strategies that drive sales, margin and product inventory. The assistant merchandiser plays a key role in supporting with reporting and trackers so the department can ensure the right products are available at the right time and in the right quantities to meet customer demand. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Operation/Financial Update reports on a weekly, monthly, and ad hoc basis. Actualises the departments WSSI weekly. Attends and prepares for weeklytrade meetingsandable to formulate and deliver a trade message independently. Providesaccuratedata to support analysisfor key seasonal meetings including hindsight and sign offs. Updates and forecasts department line cards to maximise sales potential and optimise stock availability across channels. Systematically updates seasonal recodes. Owns department stock delivery schedule and communicates updatesto team. Responsible for actioning seasonal markdowns& communication to stores. Commercial Awareness Participate in regular store visits, collating store reports prior andassistingin creating follow up presentations. To undertake competitoranalysison a regular basis andpresentany relevant points. Training and development To adopt a positive and proactive approach totheir owntraining and developmentas well as that of their peers. Proactively promotes improvements to working practices and systems. Participates in company initiatives asappropriate. Communications & Partnerships Creates andmaintainsstrong working relationshipswithin cross-functional teams: Buying, Allocations,ECOMandthe retailstore teams. Liaises withAssortment Planningand Buying partners to review andassistin the formation of the seasonal lessons learnt. Influencing future Buys, using analysis and historical data to ensure commercial decisions are made. EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE Commercial and Analytical. Effective communicator - able to communicate messages clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences. Able to work autonomously. Able todemonstrateslogical analysis andproblem-solvingskills. Able to organize, prioritise tasks and manages time wellin order tomeet deadlines Able to build andmaintainproductive relationships withinteamenvironment. Competentin using Microsoft excel Attention to detail. Show ability or aptitude in retail mathematicsand able to learn technical applications quickly. Able todemonstrateresilience and remain positive during challenging periods Desire to have fun at work and an appreciation forproduct. Allocation experience preferred