Ralph Lauren Merchandise Planning Associate, Men's DTC

Ralph Lauren; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ralph Lauren in New York is seeking a seasoned assortment planning professional to develop and execute profitable merchandise plans for multiple categories.

You will lead financial planning, assortment and inventory management, collaborating with buyers and planners to deliver strategies that meet corporate targets. The role requires strong analytical, cost accounting and communication skills, with a track record of cross-functional leadership.

Qualifications

• Proficient in retail math and cost accounting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent listening, written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to multi-task and stay organized with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Develop assortment plans to meet corporate profitability goals.
• Lead in-season and pre-season assortment and inventory planning.
• Manage and forecast inventory at style level; align with cross-functional teams.
• Drive process leadership and cross-divisional collaboration.

Skills

Retail math

Cost accounting

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Organized / detail-oriented

Tools

Microstrategy

Microsoft Office

GFE+

Impact Analytics

O9 Planning

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

Responsible for developing assortment plans that deliver corporate objectives. Responsible for development and implementation of strategic vision to maximize profitability both in-season and pre-season; inclusive of Sales, GM, Inventory.Align merchandise assortment strategy with financial goals. Contribute to corporate projects resulting in improved departmental systems and efficiencies. Determine investment at SKU level.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Financial Planning

• Deliver financial results through assortment strategies using current/ historical trends; store research.
• Create and maintain complete style plans in buy tools/ key item planning tools for in-season & pre-season Retail Sales/ GM/ inventory.
• Communicate financial strategies for key programs pre-season meetings.
• Oversee and approve allocation strategies to support financial goals.
• Meet with cross functional team to ensure departmental strategies align to short and long term objectives.

Assortment Planning

• Quantify and ensure assortment supports financial targets in partnership with planner.
• Collaborate with buyer to work through assortment gaps/challenges.
• Execute to store clustering and attribute analysis.
• Ensure accuracy of GFE projections.

Inventory Management

• Accountable for executing receipt management, reconciliation and reflow opportunities.
• Analyze and forecast sales and inventory at a style level.
• Communicating with production on receipt flow needs.

Process Leadership

• Model the Ralph Lauren way.
• Partner closely with team leaders to align cross-functional objectives and best practices.
• Coordinate efforts of direct reports to ensure consistency of planning and distribution.
• Develop and maintain cross-divisional peer relationships.
• Communicate opportunities where management support is needed on initiatives and strategies.
• Foster a collaborative, creative, results-oriented work environment.
• Adapt to new technologies.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

Systems & Tools

• Microstrategy
• Microsoft Office Suite
• GFE+
• Impact Analytics allocation system
• O9 Planning systems

Required Skills

• Proficient in retail math and cost accounting.
• Display analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates strong listening, written and communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and accurate.
• Able to develop and maintain effective cross-functional relationships.