Assistant Buyer

Coach is a global fashion house founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive and courageous spirit of our hometown, we make beautiful things, crafted to last-for you to be yourself in.
Coach is part of the Tapestry portfolio - a global house of brands committed to stretching what's possible. Tapestry has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive. Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.
Primary Purpose: The Assistant Buyer will manage the strategic and operational execution of product investment for Coach retail product categories, driving in-season category performance against sales and margin targets for retail stores and ecommerce across Europe.
The successful individual will leverage their proficiency in Buying to:

• Support the seasonal buy process to ensure cohesive investments are reflective of regional price, match backs and silhouette/functionality, specific to regional performance and driving customer motivation to deliver AOP
• Contribute to retail buying strategies in product selections and door assortments
• Contribute and provide analysis in seasonal buy reviews, hindsight meetings, and manage the seasonal milestone calendar
• Contribute to weekly team WSRM and present financial overviews with clear strategic actions
• Manage assortments across channels for an omni customer experience, including Wholesale, Marketplace, Direct Stores and Ecommerce
• Drive performance against sales and margin targets through maximising in-season opportunities and minimising future inventory risk by proposing trading activities to optimise investments
• Analyse and interpret product performance, customer feedback, consumer trends, competitive landscape and local markets. Share insights with Global Merchandising teams to support regional opportunities
• Own RPAS/Cora activities for assigned departments and ensure they are delivered accurately and adhering to timelines
• Partner with Inventory Planning to review on hand inventory and own driving activities to facilitate meeting Global WOH/turn targets, propose actions with timelines to support. Meet annually and monthly to review AOP and discuss changes reflective of sales and markets trends and propose shifts for buys to ensure AOP targets are met
• Contribute to support go to market assets for retail doors in region
• Partner with Allocation to drive activity and prioritisation for category specific allocations, taking floor set launch dates and peak trading into consideration
• Create ad-hoc presentations and analysis to support trading decisions and future needs

The accomplished individual will possess:

• Minimum 2-3 years' experience in buying or merchandising, with proven experience in the fashion sector and a keen eye for trends and product
• Experience in a global company/brand and multi-channel environment
• Multi-category experience is highly desired
• Advanced skills in Excel, PowerPoint and retail planning systems
• Highly analytical and numerate with clear understanding of key financial factors for driving a business
• Highly organised, strong time management skills and the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Creative problem solving and strategic thinking skills
• Ability to use market/industry insights to inform strategies
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, able to build effective global partnerships and interact successfully with diverse individuals at all levels
• Effective presentation skills and experienced in delivering presentations to various business stakeholders

What Coach can offer you:

• Hybrid working (3 days working from the office, 2 days remote)
• Option to finish early on a Friday (Flex Fridays)
• 1 Paid Volunteering Day per year and opportunities to volunteer with global projects
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Internal mobility & career progression
• Regular Social Events - Seasonal & Cultural
• Equity Inclusion & Diversity initiatives which include employee resource groups & regional inclusion council

Other benefits include:

• 25 days holiday in addition to bank holidays
• Annual Incentive Plan (company performance bonus)
• Multi brand discount up to 50% off Coach, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman
• Private Healthcare with health assessment (Bupa)
• Bupa rewards - Financial wellbeing support and wellness discounts
• Free 24/7 support for family building, fertility and menopause with Maven
• Private Dental Cover
• Eyecare vouchers
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Gym discount
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Our Competencies for All Employees

• Courage: Doesn't hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and "actionable" positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
• Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn't upset when things are up in the air; doesn't have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
• Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
• Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.

Coach is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant's or employee's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law. Visit Coach at www.coach.com