Assistant Merchandiser £20K Global Fashion Manufacturer Watford

The Business
A global supplier of readymade garments, apparel, manufacturing, sourcing and marketing, this company has 40 offices in over 15 countries with over 2,800 employees and an annual turnover in excess of one 1 billion USD. Their UK team is based in Watford with over 150 employees where they have been based for over 20 years.

The Job
You will join the Merchandising Team as a team assistant to offer support across several key areas including fabric sourcing, logistics and order processing.

This is an excellent entry level job for someone looking to start a career in fashion merchandising or establish themselves in the fashion industry more widely.

Job Breakdown
• Liaise with factories for fabrics
• Support Sales Team in finding the right source for any given product.
• Support the sales team in sending detailed weekly Critical Paths to the customer and have regular meeting with them to review the progress
• Monitor Critical Path on daily basis.
• Update Critical path on a weekly basis to the customer
• Daily communication with the Far East and India factories or suppliers for sourcing, delivery negotiations, production and shipping follow up
• Vessel planning and delivery into warehouse for both landed shipments and customers’ warehouses
• Fabric testing
• Maintain the order management log alongside the Merchandiser General Manager
• Order confirmations with factories
• Order execution including approval of fabrics, trims, fit and washes
• Support Sales Team in order placement, critical path management, shipping tracking and record keeping
• Involved in order processing alongside the sales and tech team
• Work closely with finance team for creating invoices
• Inputting orders onto the SAP system to manage delivery dates
• Assist with data entries and SAP updating (internal computer system)
• Assist with the correct packaging information for factories shipping

Who Fits the Bill?
• Educated to degree level
• A demonstrable drive to work in the fashion sector, in particular merchandising through previous work experience or education
• Drive and determination to work towards targets
• Someone with the ability to develop strong customer relations
• Excellent communication and someone who would enjoy negotiating with buyers in the UK and suppliers or factories in Asia and the Far East
• Highly organised and capable of working to and managing tight deadlines as part of a team
• Ability to work flexible hours as and when required due to the nature of the business
• Happy to travel in the UK and potentially to the Far East

Bonus Points For
• Experience in product area will be an added advantage
• Good knowledge of Excel (spreadsheet), Charts for data analysis and working knowledge of power point would be desirable
• Knowledge of fabrics and the production process would be a bonus

Benefits
• 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Healthcare (after probation)
• Pension
• Eye-care vouchers