Merchandise Administration Assistant

About Us
As a leader in luxury retail in the Middle East, Al Tayer Group's retail division, Al Tayer Insignia, hosts a portfolio of some of the world’s best luxury brands in the fashion, jewellery, home and department store categories. Complementing its position in luxury retail, Al Tayer Insignia has also built new frontiers in lifestyle retail, representing leading brands in the Beauty, Home, Fashion and Hospitality sectors. Our brands include Bloomingdales, Harvey Nichols and Armani to name just a few!

About the role

We are looking for a Merchandise Administration Assistant to support the team by providing administrative support and contributing to the merchandise process. This will be a key role to support the team drive the performance against sales and margin targets, maximizing in-season opportunities and affecting future inventory.

What You'll Be Doing

Functional Roles and Responsibilities:

• Ensuring all necessary records, files and databases are maintained accurately and updated in a timely manner.
• Creating new items, and purchase orders and maintaining cost and retail price changes
• Ensuring timely entering of all seasonal orders, to meet requested deadlines. In addition, checking and providing overviews/ summaries of all orders placed.
• Validating of order confirmations against invoices and orders.
• Maintain the product hierarchy; ensuring product data is accurate and consistent.
• Create the master file ensuring accurate and correct data enrichment.
• Ensure supplier setup is complete including estimated landed costs.
• Provide finance department with details for drafting letters of credit and submit for supplier approval.
• Check all supplier order confirmation details received are correct, support the Buyers to resolve any queries with the supplier, buying and finance in a timely fashion to adhere to any supplier deadlines.
• Manage all aspects relating to the shipments and logistical processing.
• Manage return to vendor requests (RTV's), ensuring effective communication to suppliers.
• Produce weekly % shipped report. Ensure PO shipment trackers are maintained, delivery dates managed, and deviances are escalated to buyers and planners. Highlight any possible risks and reasons for delays.
• Coordinate shipments with suppliers and Al Tayer logistics to ensure timely deliveries.
• Track and manage special orders and customer requests.
• Update delivery schedule and communicate to the buyers and planners on a weekly basis.

About You

The successful candidate should have the following key competency, skills and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in any related field.
• Minimum 2 years of buying merchandise / planning experience in fashion/luxury retail.
• Strong understanding of Merchandising financials.
• Advanced computer skills in Excel and MS Office.
• Numerate with strong analytical skills and financial acumen
• Excellent English communication, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Aptitude to function within deadlines, while working both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to recognize, analyze and quantify market trends.
• Ability to work independently and proactively, with excellent attention to detail
• Able to successfully manage and execute priorities in a timely manner within a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Demonstrate ability to build and foster productive working relationships with cross-functional teams and vendors.

Additional Requirements:

• Product / brand orientation with good knowledge of fashion industry and benchmarks.
• Stakeholder management skills to build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders and counterparts.
• Commercial skills with the ability to identify opportunities and potential business risks.