Ralph Lauren Assistant Buyer

Ralph Lauren; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A global lifestyle brand based in London is seeking an Assistant Buyer to support the Womenswear Polo Wholesale team for a 9-month contract. This role involves managing buying responsibilities, conducting market research, and preparing documentation for strategic meetings. Ideal candidates will have a keen interest in the premium apparel sector and possess strong analytical and organizational skills. An understanding of retail mathematics and proficiency in Microsoft Excel are essential for success in this position.

Qualifications

• Awareness of product trends and current state of market.
• Good understanding of Ralph Lauren as a brand.
• Able to demonstrate problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily, weekly, and seasonal buying responsibilities.
• Conduct research on competitive pricing and styles.
• Prepare documents for major calendar meetings.

Skills

Attention to detail

Logical analysis

Communication skills

Microsoft Excel

Organizational skills

Job description

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 offering a 9-month temporary contract for an Assistant Buyer on our Womenswear Polo Wholesale team. This role will be based at our Ralph Lauren Head office located in New Bond Street, London. The successful candidate will provide integral operational support to the buying team, to ensure we achieve our department financial plans, and our seasonal strategies are realized from inception all the way to implementation in store. The candidate should have an interest in product within the premium apparel market and be keen to understand the end‑to‑end buying process within Ralph Lauren.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Meticulous data integrity and management of daily, weekly, and seasonal buying responsibilities; sample management, pricing, assortment updates, and general admin support.
• Ability to navigate required tools and systems, as well as troubleshoot any issues and identify better ways of working to improve efficiency.
• Demonstrate and communicate awareness of retail landscape; conduct research on competitive set including pricing, style, and key messages and translate findings into actions.
• Support in preparing necessary documents and resources for major calendar meetings, including Hindsight, Strategic Summit, Sign Off & Line Opening meetings.
• Agile Outlook and email management to maintain department critical path.
• Able to analyse business reports with support from manager to broaden knowledge. Develop the ability to draw top‑line conclusions and actions from analysis to influence future buys.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• Awareness of product trends and current state of market.
• Good understanding of Ralph Lauren as a brand within the market.
• Commercial and Analytical.
• Able to demonstrate logical analysis and problem‑solving skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Able to work on own initiative and be pro‑active.
• Able to organise, prioritise tasks and manage time well to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrates good listening, written and oral communication skills, effectively and clearly communicates.
• Able to build and maintain productive relationships within team environment.
• Strong Microsoft application skills, particularly Excel.
• Show ability or aptitude in retail mathematics and able to learn technical applications quickly.
• Able to demonstrate resilience and remain positive during challenging periods.