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L.L.Bean is currently searching for a Corporate Merchant to join the Merchandising team located in Freeport, Maine.

Position Purpose: In this important position this person will achieve sales, gross margin, and brand positioning goals for a specific category through the planning, selection, pricing and merchandising of product to maximize the Company's return on investment. Develop and implement category strategy including analysis and appropriate reaction to sales and market trends in order to maximize business. Create the line plan and act as the final editor of the line. Provide direction and communicate with internal partners including Channel partners, Merchandise Planning, Product Creation, Inventory Management and Creative - reinforcing the division's goals and strategies.

Responsibilities:

Strategy

·         Assortment Planning: Develop & execute merchandising strategy, including assortment architecture/line plan, sales planning, pricing, and exposure strategies

·         Concept Ideation: Perform market research; assess the competition; bring forward new product ideas

·         Business Strategy: For assigned areas, ensure that assortment, pricing strategy, margins & quality align with overall brand vision and financial goals

Market Research

·         Utilize market research to assess competition and develop assortment & pricing strategy

Planning & Analytics

·         Use product performance reporting to make decisions - Analyze category, class, program, style and item/color/size level results, utilizing findings to develop future strategies

·         Identify trending and down-trending categories, and plan future assortments accordingly

·         Manage in season markdowns and product life cycle

For Assigned Business Areas

·         Responsible for the line plan

·         Identify opportunities & risks through analyzing sales performance and gathering marketplace information

·         Review sales, inventory & margin projections to maximize sales & minimize risks

·         Adjust strategies in season to react to customer and business trends

·         Manage small - medium sized demand centers

·         Facilitate cross functional communications and partnerships

·         Deliver presentations to leadership and cross functional partners

Competencies

·         Results Oriented – Self-starter, focuses on driving results, takes initiative

·         Leadership & Team Captain – Shows potential to motivate and inspire team, ability to develop followership.  Comfortable making the call and leading projects

·         Strong Merchant Instincts – Able to identify strong products and compelling, relevant merchandising concepts that relate to customer trends.  Understands competitive landscape.

·         Voice of the Customer – Understands target customer and buyer dynamics; can translate customer feedback into business & product strategy.

·         Relationships & Influence – Establishes strong relationships that drive results.  Ability to effectively collaborate with peers in Merch, Product Creation, Inventory, and others across the company.

·         Communication – Open, effective & transparent communicator.  Targets communications based on the situation and audience.  Strong presentation skills.

·         Analysis & Problem Solving – Uses analytics and logic to understand business dynamics; seeks creative solutions to difficult or complex issues.

·         Strategic – Able to identify category goals and priorities and achieve them through assortment strategy.

·         Versatility & Agility – Comfortable with ambiguity and embraces change; able to adapt to many different situations or different product categories.

·         High Production & Capacity – Can manage a high level of detailed work; able to simplify and prioritize work; able to handle detailed systems work in addition to higher level strategic work

Additional duties as assigned

Health and Safety Requirement: Every employee is responsible for contributing to a safe and healthy workplace. Employees are expected to be active participants in health and safety by following all safety policies and procedures, reporting unsafe conditions or at-risk behaviors to leadership, and conducting work in a safe manner. Those in a leadership role are also expected to model safe behaviors, evaluate risk, and ensure that risks are reduced to acceptable levels.

Education Level: 4-Year Bachelors Degree

Years of Experience: 4+ years

Skills and Qualifications:

·         Comfortable with role between individual contributor and full leadership

·         Merchandise and institutional process knowledge preferred

·         Mature oral and written communication skills

·         Exceptional organizational skills with extreme attention to detail

·         Ability to prioritize multiple tasks while effectively meeting deadlines

·         Work efficiently without direct supervision

·         Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, database utilization skills

·         Team player with ability to work effectively with diverse personalities

·         Must be able to handle difficult situations in a calm, professional manner

·         Creative problem-solving abilities

·         Flexible in ever changing, fast paced environment

If you care about the outdoors, joining L.L.Bean is a great way to feel good about what you do. Our benefits package makes a good thing even better, with programs and perks designed to support your health and financial goals. Plus, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and re-charging outside are all part of the plan. Because, when it comes to the outside—we’re all in. Visit llbeancareers.com to learn more.

Being outside brings out the best in us, no matter where we come from or what we believe. At L.L.Bean, we value individual differences and encourage our co-workers to be themselves – because  the uniqueness of each individual makes L.L.Bean better.