Merchandising Admin Assistant (Industrial Placement 12 months)

Who are we?

Here at N Brown we serve our customers through distinct brands; JD Williams, Simply Be, Jacamo and we are experienced, gained from over 160 years of trading; Inclusive as we believe in fashion without boundaries; sustainable as we strive to make as little impact on the planet and focused on the future as we are ALWAYS looking for ways to develop our business and serve our customers better.

Our Vision as a business is that by ‘Championing inclusion, we’ll become the most loved and trusted fashion retailer’. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is, therefore, central to our culture. We’re committed to both building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. 

The Role:

We are looking for passionate placement students to join various Merchandising teams across Fashion and Home for a 12-month period from September 2024, fulfilling an Admin Assistant position.

At N Brown Group, merchandising means having the right stock in the right place at the right time. Our teams are responsible for estimating the amount of product we will sell and work closely with buying teams to produce statistical analysis that will drive the shape of our product ranges. Our Merchandisers continually make decisions; they decide how many items to buy, place orders with suppliers and progress orders to meet agreed delivery dates. They react to trends in sales, and other variables, to effectively trade the stock throughout the season and will monitor progress regularly to provide accurate reporting information to the business.

What’s in it for you?

• Hybrid working and staggered start times to give you the flexibility you may need
• A range of financial wellbeing support 
• Pro-rated annual leave (plus 8 bank holidays) with the option to buy an additional 10 over the year
• Mental Health support both internally and externally via our wellbeing champions and counselling services 
• Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution
• Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance
• Colleague discount across all our N Brown Group brands and onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts!
• Annual bonus scheme
• Paid volunteer time – N Brown offer all colleagues a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice 

What you’ll do as an Merchandising Admin Assistant?

• Assisting with compiling initial estimates for your department across all relevant channels.
• Managing commitment date and intake to help maximise stock availability across all channels.
• Identifying through analysis of data, trends and adjustments that need to be made to the stock position.
• Keying estimates and markdowns.
• Regular communication and ensuring that a balanced, commercial relationship is maintained.
• Participating in regular team reviews to ensure deadlines and targets are met.
• Helping to deliver the trading plan for the season to ensure optimum stock availability for all channels.
• Providing statistics and historical trading information to support the Buyers with planning and building ranges.

What experience will you have?

We’re looking for current students on a related degree level (or equivalent) course such as Fashion Merchandising, Business, Economics, Mathematics or Psychology, who are able to commit to a full-time placement of 12 months.

You’ll be a confident user of Microsoft Office, ideally with previous experience working with MS Excel to create reports and tables. You’ll be highly analytical with strong mathematical ability and be comfortable analysing data and processing complex numerical information to highlight trends or issues and recommend appropriate actions. We’re also looking for excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail, along with the ability to manage and prioritise a busy workload.

A true passion and drive for a career in retail and the ability to demonstrate a sound understanding of the role of a Merchandising function within a business is essential. Previous retail experience would be advantageous.

Our promise to you:

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

How to apply:

If you meet the criteria above and you’re considering a career in Merchandising, then we want to hear from you! To apply please upload (as one document) your CV, cover letter and your answers to the following questions (no more than 300 words please).

1. Why do you want to be a Merchandiser?
2. What skills and qualities will you bring to the N Brown team?

Please note: you will only be able to upload one document on your application. Your answer to the question above should be attached as the 1st page on your CV.

Applications will close on 24th November 2023. If your application is successful, then you will be invited to a face-to-face assessment centre. This will be in early December and following this, you will be notified of the outcome within 2 weeks.