Assistant Buyer, Wall Decor & Garden - West Elm

West Elm - Who we are 
Born in Brooklyn. At home in the world. West Elm has been helping customers express their personal style at home since the launch of our first catalog in 2002. Our home base is nestled down under the Manhattan Bridge in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, right above our flagship store. We are a dynamic, fast-paced brand with an exciting growth strategy. We value imagination, diversity and giving people the opportunity to explore, grow and shape our future. We look for innovative, smart, and hard-working individuals who enjoy creative thinking and ingenuity. Help us carry out our mission of being a source of inspiration to our customers, creating a global community and tirelessly seeking ways to evolve our brand. 

This is an onsite position, hybrid, in Brooklyn, NY.
Assistant Buyer Position Summary

The buying/merchandising team is responsible for developing and managing the right product assortment to drive sales, inventory, and profit objectives. The team operates as a central hub that interacts with nearly all cross-functional teams within the organization, but most closely partners with the design, sourcing, planning + distribution, visual, and marketing teams to develop and market the assortment for our stores, online and catalog. This role contributes directly to supporting initiatives that will ensure West Elm sustains long-term growth as a leader in specialty retail.
The Assistant Buyer will be responsible for supporting the Buyer in managing and overseeing multiple classes within Tabletop for West Elm, as well as analyzing sales, sharing insights and identifying opportunities with the Buyer and the DMM. The Assistant Buyer collaborates closely with the rest of the merchandising team to build an assortment that is aesthetically balanced, profitable and diversified across the Consciousness initiatives that are part of West Elm's DNA. 

 

Essential Functions

• Work with the Buyer to develop the seasonal assortment plans to define product requirements for on time delivery and commercially viable product
• Work with Design and Sourcing counterparts to manage product from spec out to PO placement
• Provide administrative and operational support including line list updates, database and system updates, compiling product information and promotion and markdown execution. 
• Maintain PLM and line lists throughout seasons to ensure accuracy
• Order and tracking samples and manage coordinating sample needs with catalog, ecommerce, PR and early floor set teams
• Communicate annual and seasonal strategies by providing Planning and Allocation teams with final assortments, inclusive of sku counts and estimated IMUs, target flow cadence and exit strategies, and floor plan location for developing purchase projections and buy plans
• Manage in-season optimization through business reporting and analysis
  Correspond with cross-functional partners. Resolve, handle and escalate difficult issues to Buyer, Call Center and Store teams
• Perform market analysis, competitive shop and analyze industry trends to identify emerging trends and white space opportunities
• Responsible for reviewing catalog proofs and website testing for each season (product details, pricing, naming)
• Partner with Visual to communicate category strategies and mark-downs. Work with signage team to develop in-store signage congruent with Big Bets and promotional strategies
• Lead end-of-season hindsight analysis and prepare recommendations for future seasons based on findings
   

Criteria 

• 2-3 years Merchandising experience
• Bachelor's Degree strongly preferred 
• Strong Excel skills
• Financial acumen
• Ability to read sales trends and apply learnings
• Passion for product
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Strong understanding of brand customer and aesthetic
• Experience in a cross-functional role
• Ability to perform work onsite in the Brooklyn corporate office 

 

Benefits

Once you are here, you can look forward to a wide variety of benefits designed to help you grow, personally and professionally, to keep you healthy, to prepare you for the unexpected, to care for your family and to build a secure future. Depending on your position and your location, here is a look at what you might be eligible for:  

• A generous discount on all Williams Sonoma Inc. brands through multiple shopping channels 
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities 
• Paid vacations, holidays and other time-off programs 
• Health benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance; health and dependent care tax-free spending accounts; medical, family and bereavement leave; same-sex domestic partner benefits; short- and long-term disability programs; life and travel insurance; an employee assistance program 
• Tax-free commuter benefits 
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health 
• In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University  
• Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities 
• Location specific sample sales 
• A business casual work environment 
• San Francisco based bike share program 
• Time off to volunteer 
• Matching donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations 
• Company-sponsored community involvement 
• Various discounts on local businesses 

The expected starting pay range for this position is $65,000. Applicable pay ranges may differ across markets. Actual pay will be determined based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. In addition to competitive pay, compensation may include a variety of other components like benefits, paid time off, merit, and bonus opportunities.

WSI will not now or in the future commence an immigration case or "sponsor" an individual for this position (for example, H-1B or other employment-based immigration   

This role is not eligible for relocation assistance. 

 

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Our Company
Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home in the United States. Our family of brands are Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn teen, pottery barn kids, Rejuvenation, Mark & Graham, West Elm, or Outward. These brands are among the best known and most respected in the industry. We offer beautifully-designed, stylish and functional products for every area of the home, including the kitchen, living room, bedroom, home office, closet, laundry room and even outdoor spaces. We've seen some big changes since our first brick-and-mortar store opened more than half of a century ago. What hasn't changed is our passion for high-quality products, functional design, outstanding customer service, and enhancing the lives of our customers and the communities where we operate. Today, we're a multi-brand, multi-channel, global enterprise supported by state-of-the-art technology and some of the most talented teams in retailing - and we're always looking for new energy and ideas.