Sourcing Manager, Ladies Apparel

Ross Stores; New York (NY); On-site; USD 97,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Paid holidays

Employee stock purchase plan

Health and wellness benefits

Job summary

Ross Stores is seeking a Sourcing Manager for Ladies Apparel to provide sourcing and product development expertise from strategy to delivery. You will liaise between agents, vendors and merchant teams, drive on-brand quality and value, and support education and training of Associate Sourcing Managers.

You will manage cost engineering, monitor milestone calendars, and maintain strong internal and external partnerships while traveling domestically and internationally as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate required.
• 5+ years sourcing experience in Product Development/Merchandising within a large retail chain.
• Knowledge of product development and production processes; materials and machinery basics.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated negotiation and influencing skills.
• Fluency or experience with international partners is a plus; strong retail math.

Responsibilities

• Manages Sourcing and Product Development operations for designated product categories from concept to shipment.
• Anticipates problems; proposes solutions with directors and VPs as needed.
• Evaluates samples for aesthetic quality and practicality; ensures fit and finish.
• Owns product costing and cost engineering; understands HTS.
• Monitors milestone calendars; flags issues and informs the team promptly.
• Communicates with vendors/agents to ensure on-time shipments and issue resolution.
• Keeps product knowledge current by market research and competitive shopping; informs assortment decisions.
• Partner with leadership on onboarding of new suppliers/countries/factories.
• Provides data for PO issuance and ensures accuracy before sending to vendors.
• Supports development of workflows and tools in partnership with leadership.
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external partners.

Skills

Sourcing

Product Development

Merchandising

Negotiation

Retail math

Excel

International communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or commensurate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

Our values start with our people, join a team that values you!

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience.

As part of our team, you will experience:

• Success. Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
• Career growth. We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow
• Teamwork. We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
• Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

About this opportunity...

The Sourcing Manager for Ladies Apparel provides sourcing and operational expertise on all aspects of the Product Life Cycle from strategy to development to delivery. Reporting to the VP of Sourcing, this role is the liaison between the Agent/Vendor/Overseas office and the Merchant team that manages critical deliverables. The Manager will drive delivery of product that is in line with the brand aesthetic, quality and value that meets the Merchant objectives. The Manager will support education of merchants and as well training of Associate Sourcing Managers.

What you will do and what you will learn...

• Manages Sourcing and Product Development operational functions for designated product categories. Responsible for the development of products from initial design concept to placement to production to shipment of an item.
• Anticipates potential problems and risks; generates ideas, insights and solutions to resolve or avoid potential problems; proposes solutions to Director/VP.
• Demonstrates a critical eye for product and skill developing raw materials and finishes. Receives, organizes, and assesses samples for aesthetic and overall quality.
• Owns product costing and cost engineering leveraging knowledge of HTS.
• Monitors milestone calendars to ensure that deadlines are met, issues are flagged and updates to the team are timely.
• Facilitates effective communication with vendors and agents to ensure shipments are delivered on time; troubleshoots and resolves any issues that arise.
• Keeps product knowledge current by shopping the competition, Ross/dd’s stores, and the market; makes recommendations to the Ross/dd’s assortment mix based on learnings. Demonstrates understanding of price value relationship.
• Takes initiative to utilize product knowledge to research and develop new resources and creative methods of sourcing product to impact the assortment.
• Partners with Director/VP on the onboarding of new suppliers/ countries/ factories.
• Provides relevant data to merchants for PO issuance and ensures accuracy before sending completed PO to vendor.
• Owns continual development and refining of workflow, processes and tools in partnership with the Director/VP.
• Establishes and cultivates strong relationships with all internal and external business partners.

What you need to be successful...

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate required
• 5+ years sourcing experience, in Product Development/Sourcing/Merchandising within a large retail chain (Participation in a retail training program a plus)
• Knowledge of the product development and production process as well as technical aspects of the product (e.g., Materials, machinery and etc.)
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrated proficiency in negotiating and influencing skills
• Proficient in retail math
• Strong critical thinking with a solution focused approach; ability to independently analyze information and make recommendations
• Comfort and experience embracing change and adapting to shifting priorities in a multitask environment
• Professional and effective written and verbal skill; experience communicating with international partners. Fluency in Bengali, Hindi, and/ or Mandarin Chinese a plus.
• Strong PC/Microsoft Office skills, with an emphasis on share tools and Excel spreadsheet applications
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally

#LI-NM1

Perks and Benefits of joining our team...

Our Associates are at the heart of everything we do and we're proud to offer a range of benefits that reflect how much we value their contributions. Here's a peek into what you can expect as an eligible Ross Associate:

• A broad range of affordable health insurance options & personal medical plan concierge
  401(k) with employer match and Life insurance
• Ample PTO including accrued vacation, paid holidays, diversity day, summer Fridays and the ability to purchase additional vacation.
• Employee stock purchase plan*
• Access to health and wellness benefits such as BetterHelp and Headspace
• Charitable donations matched by Ross Stores Foundation
• And more....

*benefits vary by level and position and are subject to change

DISCLAIMER

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at management’s discretion.

Ross is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. We believe that it is an essential part of the Company’s overall commitment to attract, hire and develop a strong, talented and diverse workforce. Ross is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

The base pay range for this role $96,700.00 to $104,000.00. The base pay range is dependent on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. Other rewards vary by position and location.