Merchandising Assistant - California Buying Office (75162) - Full-time

Are you ready to explore the corporate side of retail?

The TJX Companies, Inc. is the leading off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the U.S. and worldwide, operating four major divisions -- Marmaxx (T.J. Maxx and Marshalls) and HomeGoods in the United States; TJX Canada (Winners, HomeSense and Marshalls); and TJX Europe (T.K. Maxx and HomeSense). In late 2012, we acquired Sierra Trading Post, an off-price, Internet retailer of apparel and home fashions, bringing it into our family of businesses.

Our buying organization, which numbers over 900 individuals in 13 buying offices in ten countries, sources from more than 60 countries with a vendor universe in excess of 16,000. With over $27 billion in revenues in 2013, more than 3,200 stores, and approximately 191,000 Associates, success is always in style at TJX. We at TJX understand that both our customers and the talent pool from which our Associates come are increasingly diverse.

Our core values of respect, integrity and fairness are inherent in the relationships we build with each other, our vendors and our customers. We are committed to leveraging the differences among our Associates and customers to create both a diversified mix of talent within TJX and a diversified mix of merchandise within our stores. We consider the unique views and opinions of our Associates to be key to our growth and success in the future.

What is the role of a Merchandising Assistant at TJX?

Our Merchandising Assistants support 2-4 Buyers and an AVP, Merchandise Manager on a variety of administrative and clerical functions. They communicate with approximately 50+ vendors between all merchants they support. They monitor and edit domestic and import purchase orders and follow up on allocations and late vendor shipments. Our Merchandising Assistants also Interface with all levels of management and communicate with multiple internal and external contacts on a routine basis. They coordinate all travel arrangements for assigned merchants and set up vendor and agent visits in the home office. They also create and maintain spreadsheets to monitor weekly spend for merchants as necessary. We also expect our Merchandising Assistants to support their peers and merchants outside of their area to include corporate buying offices as needed.

Responsibilities:

Purchase Orders

• Prepares and writes domestic and import purchase orders.
• Enters and reviews electronic PO's via the Buyer Worksheet application.
• Revises purchase orders daily and follows the purchase order change process.
• Ensures all necessary signatures are obtained for a letter of credit PO.
• Partners with Planning & Allocation to expedite PO entry.
• Follows through with P&A to ensure electronic PO's are addressed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensures accuracy and integrity of ASN/EDI PO information including identifying ASN/EDI orders and contacting vendors for required information when needed.
• Pulls late lists weekly and follows up on all late PO's with vendors.
• Reviews ship dates and cancel or make revisions as necessary.
• Receives authorization from Buyer to approve vendor shipping extensions and renegotiate costs as needed.
• Follows up with traffic/transportation departments as needed.
• Tracks all PO's generated through the buyer worksheet system to ensure final PO has been received.
• Copies and obtains Buyer and AVP, MM signatures on all PO's to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley.
• Assists in merchandise shipment follow up and problem solving for over/under shipments and vendor charge-backs/cost discrepancies.

Vendor Communication and Vendor Samples

• Communicates daily with vendors via telephone and email regarding purchase orders, allocations, problem solving, etc.
• Plays an integral role in enhancing and maintaining strong working relationships.
• Fields and screens telephone calls for PO and non-PO related matters to include prospective vendor inquiries, scheduling vendor appointments and allocation inquiries.
• Initiates calls to vendors to solicit contact and address information to ensure vendor databases are accurate and updated.
• Coordinates and sets up vendor and agent visits at the home office.
• Assists in pre-production/production sample process to include tracking receipt of samples, setting up displays for buyer approval and creating and maintaining binders, etc.
• Opens and organizes all sample packages for buyer review.
• Requests samples from vendors for strategy meetings and ensures samples are received and returned in a timely manner. Organizes and maintains sample room and purges samples as needed.
• Maintains a pre-ticket address database and follows-up with the Planning department and vendors to resolve pre-ticketed merchandise problems.

General Office Duties

• Faxes, files and photocopies PO's and other departmental forms.
• Develops effective organizational techniques to support merchants and operations such as filing and binder systems.
• Organizes reports for Buyers on a weekly basis to include Buyer Control File and On Order Inquiry.
• Coordinates all travel arrangements weekly for 2-5 merchants and completes Merchandise Manager/Buyer itinerary paperwork including scheduling market appointments.
• Assists and supports MAs and merchants outside of own area to include corporate buying offices as needed.

Requirements:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Some College preferred
• Independent, requires minimal supervision
• Demonstrates flexibility and ability to adapt to an ever-changing and diverse environment
• Strong verbal and written communication with ability to assess and tailor communication style to different personalities/needs
• Strong attention to detail; strong organizational and follow through skills
• Strong ability to multitask in a high volume and fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor
• Good data entry and math skills
• Basic computer skills required to include Excel and Word
• One year of office or equivalent experience required

TJX is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity.

Posting Notes: Los Angeles || California