Manager - High Jewelry, Category Management

The Manager - High Jewelry, Category Management key responsibilities are:

• Managing product assortments. The CM Manager is responsible for defining assortments for High Jewelry in-store and event collection style offerings.
• Establishing pricing for product within this category that achieves target gross margin and/or sales objectives. IR pricing is determined at each carat weight/color/clarity or product/stone type option within each High Jewelry style offering. Extensive modeling and analytical skills are needed to produce and identify pricing scenarios that achieve core margin and sales objectives. The CM Manager is responsible for the regular review and reporting of pricing and executing and leading the implementation of IR price changes within this category when necessary.
• Initiating new product development and lifecycle planning within the High Jewelry product category. Developing new product to ensure that the High Jewelry offering remains robust and competitive. Identifying styles that need to be discontinued to continue to support newness in the category.

Additional Information:

Assortment Analysis

• Perform assortment analysis for select product categories and provide recommendations for product assortment changes and improvements to maximize sales and productivity; Identify global trends and make recommendations as needed.
• Analyze assortments by collection, classification and price point as directed to maximize productivity and project objectives including year-end and quarterly reviews.
• Develop reports and presentations, such as collection trend reports, style-outs, competitive analysis, auction comps that communicate a high-level view of new product introductions for meetings and conferences.
• Participate in competitive shopping visits to support key initiative information gathering and research as it pertains to the current assortment, research category trends in the market.
• Partner with DM to ensure the appropriate ratio of assortment count to SKU productivity.
• Partner with Global Commercial Team to recommend merchandise to support world-wide assortment strategies and sales opportunities.

Pricing:

• Establish and implement margin reviews to validate pricing structure based on sales volume and margin drivers, while analyzing gross margin department objectives through price change recommendations.
• Manage, execute and communicate formal price change process conducting analysis and gathering comparison SKU information to set retails for new and existing product, taking into account both margin targets and sales goals.
• Review current pricing systems to identify areas of improvement and proposed solutions

Lifecycle Management

• Conduct reviews and create analysis on a quarterly and monthly basis, to validate and provide direction for T-Flags and Obsolescence management.
• Partner with internal teams to establish strategies for managing overstock and aged inventory.
• Direct staff in resolution of off-cycle pricing errors or discrepancies.
• Direct staff to prepare and subsequently review price change submissions.
• Direct staff in managing accurate day to day item maintenance, re-classes and merges.
• Direct staff to make assortment changes and additions into necessary files (Image Grids, Master Trackers, etc.).
• Ensure project milestones are met on a timely basis including SKU creation and sign off, image grid maintenance and TPM updates.

New Product Development

• Analyze product assortments such as collection, classification, price point and sales trends, and make proposals for new merchandise based on findings.
• Create and maintain reports and image grids throughout various stages of development, ensuring accuracy of item detail.
• Create and maintain Event plans.
• Direct Staff in updating the Design Chart.
• Monitor color stone file, review loose stones, and assign stones to styles
• Partner with DM for re-orders for assortments and client sold orders.
• Manage and ensure team meeting representation and provide updates on positioning, assortment, pricing and distribution strategies.
• Coordinate "touch bases" with PD counterparts to ensure timely launch of all new product.
• Develop trend and key initiative reports and make recommendations for assortment additions or changes based on the findings.
• Manage communication flow of new product and assortment life-cycle planning information with cross-functional counterparts
• Facilitate cross function reviews product architectures/image grids and partner to ensure target cost, retail pricing and gross margin objectives for new product are met.
• Ensure project milestones are met on a timely basis including SKU creation, general maintenance and TPM/Pricing updates.

Cross-Functional Communication

• Communicate with both central and regional teams to address and support category assortment and new product plans via monthly or quarterly meetings.
• Partner with Global Education & HJ Marketing team to create and review talking points.
• Partner with HJ Comms team to manage all Marketing (catalogue, advertising, e-commerce) and PR (borrow, credit, Press Preview) initiative reviews, validate suggestions for fit and accuracy and ensure teams are meeting deadlines.
• Partner with cross functional teams to communicate and execute key initiatives, new product launches, assortments, discontinuations, reclass and pricing as needed.
• Partner with HJ Marketing and PR to maximize promotional support through product suggestions (Selections, Blue Book and Collections) and product placement (magazine, media borrows).
• Coordinate w/ internal teams to schedule and execute price changes.
• Partner with HJ Marketing and Visual Merchandising to provide guidance on collection and classification retail display strategies.

Staff Management

• Support Director with execution of departmental and cross-functional initiatives
• Manage staff; provide direction to prioritize their projects, ensure accuracy for project presentation, and develop for future growth.
• Prepare staff evaluations, coach staff through regular one-on-one and group staff meetings, follow company guidelines and PMP timeline.
• Ensure staff integration of new systems and all processes.
• Build personal and professional development through training opportunities and/or regular feedback sessions with staff and Director.

Required Qualifications/Primary Job Requirements:

• Overall knowledge/experience in the workings of retail business practices
• At least 4 years of merchandising experience
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) with adaptability to new software
• Must have strong analytical skills
• Must be able to think strategically - then implement steps to achieve goals
• Must have excellent organizational, communication and written skills
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing priorities (ability to multi-task is essential)
• Strong interpersonal skills - must be diplomatic
• Must be able to lead and develop a staff
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited University

Preferred Qualifications/Primary Job Requirements:

• Comprehension of the High Jewelry product
• At least 1 year of retail experience, preferably with some store line experience
• Working knowledge of MIPS and JDEdwards