Neiman Marcus Assistant Buyer

About Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus is an established U.S. luxury department store renowned for a curated assortment of high-end fashion, accessories and lifestyle products and for creating exceptional customer experiences. The brand is positioned within the Saks Global portfolio and is recognized for elevated in-store activations, exclusive events and a service-led retail philosophy.

Role & Responsibilities

• Participate in vendor selection and partnerships.
• Provide information to support inventory productivity monitoring and vendor profitability analysis, and supply data and analysis for price changes; assist with entering price changes online.
• Liaise with Buyers, Associate Buyers and brand partners to gather and confirm order details, including item and shipping details, delivery schedules and order prioritization; update buy sheets and resolve discrepancies.
• Oversee offshore Merchandise Assistants’ creation and transmission of purchase orders to brand partners, ensuring accurate order details and timely delivery; oversee communications between Merchandise Assistants and brand partners and resolve or escalate issues.
• Provide allocation direction to the Planning Allocation team and help manage allocations for high-touch categories such as Designer.
• Communicate receipt-flow changes to the offshore team and ensure purchase orders accurately reflect ship windows, order quantities and on-order inventory.
• Prepare Buyers for Market by working with Planners to provide historical performance insights, including best- and worst-selling items by store, emerging trends and customer preferences; coordinate market appointments and periodically attend NY market.
• Support the Buyer in style-out sessions by coordinating logistics and preparing insights for assortment presentations.
• Initiate development of strategic product assortments to drive sales and brand growth.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for execution questions and feedback from brand partners, visual merchandising, site merchandising, stores, digital, marketing (including promotions) and planning (including pricing).
• Review business performance with Assistant Planners, communicate bottoms-up style insights to Buyers, recommend in-season actions such as requesting ATS from vendors for sold-out items, and help prepare for monthly OTB.
• Manage markdown cadence and oversee offshore execution of price changes, RTVs and related activity; resolve escalated issues.
• Collaborate with the offshore reporting team to generate custom Buying reports, maintain structural changes to report views and ensure offshore teams deliver on the expected timeline and cadence.

Qualifications

• Manages ambiguity effectively, is a self-starter and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates strong accountability and can multitask and prioritize independently.
• Generates a range of problem-solving approaches quickly, including new and novel ideas.
• Has strong interpersonal skills and communicates directly yet diplomatically, building trust quickly.
• Consistently exceeds goals and has a proven track record of driving positive outcomes through objectives and measures within a large, complex organization.
• Is open to new perspectives and willing to try new ways of working in an evolving business.
• Has strong knowledge of retail mathematics and can apply markup, margin planning, open-to-buy and inventory productivity measures, including WOS, T/O and GMROI.
• Has strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Has excellent computer skills, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Google Sheets, Docs and Slides.
• Is proficient in RFS, AMS, PCW and NuOrder.
• Has 1–2 years’ experience as an Assistant Buyer, preferably in a major department store.

Skills

Experience

1–2 years’ experience as an Assistant Buyer, preferably in a major department store.

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 54,000 to USD 72,000 per annum.

Benefits

Eligible employees receive medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, basic and supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, additional voluntary benefits including critical illness, hospital and accident insurance, and an employee discount. Eligible full-time employees receive a comprehensive benefits package.

Culture

Neiman Marcus emphasizes an elevated, customer-centric retail culture where meticulous service and attention to detail define the in-store experience. The retailer promotes a collaborative environment with clear pathways for career progression across retail, distribution, digital and corporate functions.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.