SR. MERCHANT FAST FASHION
CHICAGO, IL
BRICK EXECUTIVE SEARCH has partnered with a company that in just 21 years in business has become the nation’s fastest-growing and dynamic contemporary, fast fashion retailer. With both Brick and Mortar locations and an e-commerce presence, this company is the “GO TO” for those who want to BE SEEN. We are searching for a DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT who can work in lockstep with one of the owners to drive this business to a global scope.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Coordinate with Buyers, Planners, Accounting, Quality control, Receiving departments, and vendors to ensure production requirements are followed
- Communicate with vendors any revisions or changes to garments expressed by the Buyers
- Assists with the preparation process for the negotiation of product pricing with vendors and management
- Communicate any changes to existing orders to the Purchase Order department
- Work to consistently obtain Pre-Production and Top of Production samples on time
- Responsible for trying on production samples throughout the day as needed.
- Maintain a library of best-selling styles
- Manage the data and files for production matters
- Organize selling, pull reports for Buyers and ensure that all Purchase Order deliveries are made to the appropriate department
- Begin to effectively utilize the merchandising systems and understand the warehouse process
- Develop and demonstrate basic product knowledge through sharing information with Buyer as a result of competitive shopping
REQUIREMENTS / EXPERIENCE
- You have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- You must be highly analytical and data-driven. You must be able to take a spreadsheet of data on Excel and analyze it in a meaningful and impactful way
- You must arrive with a working knowledge of key merchandising concepts such as open-to-buy, sell-thru, inventory turn, etc.
- You must be highly motivated and driven to succeed. We want you to take ownership of your duties. We want you to proactively find areas of improvement and take leadership
- You must be excited about fashion, in particular ACCESSORIES. You must be excited about new trends and constantly learning about construction, material, and other concepts regarding design
- You are able to (and enjoy) regular travel and meeting with vendors, producers, and others in the fast fashion industry. You can represent the brand in a positive manner
- You are confident and extroverted and extremely comfortable with communication, whether in person, over the phone, Skype, or email. You have excellent follow-through
- You are a fashion leader. You follow all the style blogs and scour through Instagram for the latest and greatest looks. You are always one season ahead of the pack. You love and appreciate a wide range of different styles
- You are way above average, and only want to work at a place that is nowhere near average
- You thrive in a fast-paced work environment and embrace solving complex challenges
- You are a collaborative and hard-working problem solver, who leads by example.