Allocator (Annapolis, MD)

Company Overview

Originating as a small surf shop in 1968, South Moon Under has evolved into a national fashion retailer. We are building a vibrant, diverse team of creative, friendly, skilled, and passionate people who want to work hard and win even harder. We value our employees, and we enable them to deliver their best work. If you want to work for a company where we drive for success every day, without compromising human connection, you’ve found your Team!

At South Moon Under, our mission is summed up in four words – love. create. drive. imagine. We love this team - We create and curate beautiful things - We drive to be our best and we inspire others to tap into their power - We imagine and execute on our visions every day. Our Team is filled with smart, skilled, dynamic, creative, and passionate employees who drive to be better every day. Our customers are our inspiration. We personally curate our products to make our customers look and feel good. When our customers walk into our stores, we aim to connect and spread the love. 

General Summary

The Allocator is responsible for supporting the Buying and Planning team initiatives in driving and optimizing sales, margins and inventory productivity through effective allocation of merchandise to retail stores. This person will support the Merchandise planning team in building inventory plans that support overall company financial sales plans and buyer's assortment vision, supporting right product, right place, right time mentality. 

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

· Develop and implement allocation and replenishment strategies 

· Analyzes and identify selling trends, acting to maximize selling potential and minimize risk to inventory objectives and profitability

· Support the development of annual, seasonal, monthly & weekly merchandise plans

· Construct inventory flow plans, with the goal to maximize inventory turn 

· Analyze trends and recommendations to influence cancellations, future purchases, and assortment strategies.

· Analyze historic performance to identify areas of opportunity or risk. 

· Develop, maintain, update, and automate set of tools & reports to support the needs of the business.

· Establish appropriate process & tools to review product assortments and store allocation notes; providing data & analysis to support decision making.

· Maintain business processes and serve as subject matter expert for process improvements.

· Partner with supply chain teams to implement consistent and profitable in-season replenishment strategies and practices.

· Develop enterprise wide risk mitigation plans and execute when appropriate.

· Test multiple business strategies simultaneously, quantifying & communicating business impacts and be able to report results clearly and concisely to Executive management.

· Manage SKU & style intensive businesses.

· Manage location intensive assortments.

· Communicate effectively, and at times persuasively, with employees at all levels of the company.

· Support and adhere to all company policies, procedures, and guidelines.

· Other duties as assigned.

Job Required Knowledge, Skills and Education

· Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field.

· 2+ years of allocation or planning experience preferred, or 3+ years of retail store experience.

· Understanding of retail math. 

· Proven ability to perform independently with minimal supervision.

· Ability to operate a computer and maneuver relative software programs.

· Analytic Skills: Ability to think objectively and interpret meaningful themes from quantitative and qualitative data

· Financial and Business Acumen: Ability to evaluate financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results.

· Problem Solving & Decision Quality: Able to use rigorous logic and methods to solve problems with effective solutions

· Relationship Management: Able to build constructive and effective relationships with a broad and diverse group of business partners, both internally & externally.

· Dealing with Paradox: Ability to balance conflicting & competing priorities. Delivering a set of options, detailing impacts for each while driving to a single recommendation.

· Presentation Skills: Effective in a variety of presentation settings including one-on-one, small and large groups, and with peers and Executives

· Planning and Priority Setting: Demonstrate an ability to set objectives and goals and organize work appropriately to meet and exceed goals

· Process Management: Can identify and articulate the processes necessary to get things down efficiently and align resources effectively complete activities

· Systems and Tools Acumen: Moderate capabilities in Microsoft Excel, Proficiency in Microsoft Access, PowerPoint and Word. Must also have aptitude to learn technical applications quickly.

· Risk Management: Anticipate risks and identifies contingency plans and processes to prevent disruptions when risks occur
 

Physical/ Travel Requirements:

· In order to perform the essential functions of this job, an employee must be able to meet the following physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; talk; or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger; handle; or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop; kneel; or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and depth perception

· This position requires less than 10% travel

· Ability and willingness to travel overnight for training and/or business meetings

This is a non-management position
This is a full time position