Merchandising Administrative Assistant

Oliver Bonas Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a vibrant fashion team as a Merchandising Administrative Assistant, where your analytical prowess and organizational skills will shine. This role offers the chance to collaborate across departments, ensuring optimal stock management and contributing to sales success. With a focus on teamwork and effective communication, you'll play a vital part in driving the business forward. Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid working, generous employee discounts, and a supportive environment that values diversity and inclusion. If you're passionate about retail and merchandising, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a forward-thinking company.

Benefits

Generous employee discount up to 50%

Free access to employee assistance programme

Flexible holiday (30-35 days)

Annual discretionary profit-related bonus

Free membership for health cash plan

Auto-enrolment into pension plan

Free access to onsite gym

Cycle to work scheme

Quarterly free lunch

Enhanced parental leave policies

Qualifications

• Experience in retail and administrative roles is beneficial.
• Strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage stock allocation and optimizations to maximize sales.
• Provide sales analysis and administrative support to the merchandising team.
• Liaise with suppliers to ensure timely stock deliveries.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Numerical Skills

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Retail Experience

Administrative Experience

Time Management

Education

High School Diploma

Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Calendar

Job description

We are looking for a Merchandising Administrative Assistant to join Team OB in our Fashion team on a 12 month fixed term contract.

As a clothing Merchandising Administrative Assistant at OB, you will work collaboratively with other departments such as Buying, VM, Supply Chain, and Retail to maximise sales through stock management – including allocations and optimisations.

Providing support and leading by example to all the MAA’s, you will ensure that the Merchandising team is provided with sales analysis and admin support as well as carrying out stock management and supply chain co-ordination.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

More about the role …

An OB Merchandising Administrative Assistant will:

• Set up of allocation plans, ensuring store minimums are correct and there is enough stock to fulfil the requirement.
• Accurate allocation of stock to all channels: Stores, Web, and Marketplace.
• Utilization of system functions to manage stock levels effectively during peak trade – for example, increasing/decreasing stock minimums and targets.
• Completing weekly optimisations on the department – using the stock movement process to maximise sales and reduce risk, making considered and effective decisions.
• Manage Warehouse stock appropriately, including free stock and returned stock.
• Timely and accurate allocation of stock to new and glow-up stores, monitoring stock levels during the build, and trading stock once opened to ensure correct mix of stock vs. sales.
• Review and understand weekly trade information, offering suggestions on where to make improvements.
• Provide analysis for store grading and profiles, understanding differences between departments and customers.
• Awareness of current and changing trends, identifying potential, generating action plans, and presenting proposals to the Merchandiser.
• Action re-orders thinking commercially, maintaining and forecasting line flows.
• Maintain department range plan and cat fulfilment excel files, with all key dates and intake information.
• Manage packing lists with suppliers to ensure accurate shipment of units by size.
• Liaise with Suppliers and Freight Forwarders to ensure the correct quantity is delivered on time, ensuring booking cut-offs are not missed.
• Understand the implications of late/incorrect deliveries and follow up with the relevant teams (i.e., Goods In/QC) if there are delays to orders being booked in or passing quality checks.
• Ensure delivery dates are maintained through attending critical path/shipping meetings and following up with suppliers if there are any risks to agreed delivery dates.

Bonas Benefits:

• Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products.
• Free access to our 24-hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional, and vocational support.
• Flexible holiday – 30 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service.
• Annual discretionary profit-related bonus scheme.
• Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical.
• Auto-enrolment into our pension plan.
• Free access to our onsite gym.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Refer a Friend incentive.
• Quarterly free lunch.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team.
• Mental Health First Aider support.
• Education and support throughout Looop eLearning platform.

What we look for:

• Previous administrative experience is advantageous.
• Retail experience.
• IT literate with intermediate Microsoft Office skills – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Willing to learn and a genuine interest in the industry and merchandising itself.
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Use Microsoft Calendar to manage time and meetings effectively.
• Ability to work both independently and across a large team.
• Awareness of the Oliver Bonas brand.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB

At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included, and most importantly, can be themselves at work.

It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role; however, we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities.

Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme.

To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: https://www.oliverbonas.com/meet-the-team/diversity