Womenswear Merchant - maternity leave contract

Primary Purpose The Merchant (Womenswear) position is accountable for the Merchandise function across Australia and New Zealand and is principally responsible for the product assortment across Women’s Bottoms, Women’s Tops and Accessories. The Merchant will provide an educated point of view on the consumer, market dynamics, cultural influences, trend and competitor / marketplace intelligence.  These insights will deliver briefs for market requirements, drive the assortment, and deliver profitable, successful collections for ANZ. The Merchant further supports key operational requirements for Merchandising success, including but not limited to: Sample Management, Training & Tools and Briefings. Responsibilities The Merchant leads a range of Merchandising functions.  These include, but are not limited to: Create consumer right, future facing product assortments Execute Collection release activities (GTM, Sales Launch & Customer Meetings) Strategize and implement brand / product strategies Merchandising Ops - Sample Management (manage flow & ordering of samples, photoshoot and marketing support, sample sales, and sample room organization) Product Expert - materials, tools & samples to cross functional partners (Sales, Marketing & Planning) Staff Training & Roadshows / DTC Tools (Womenswear & Tier 1) Partner closely with the DTC team to monitor, strategize and execute success Drive Wholesale Assortments for continued momentum & growth Offer input to the Annual, Financial and Strategic Customer Plans Stay informed on local customer trends and what is selling both globally and regionally Very strong communication skills – includes presentation, influencing and negotiation skills Collaborates with partners to execute the brand vision Reporting Relationships The Merchant reports to the Merchandising Lead, ANZ. The Merchant will liaise extensively with: Senior Management Team Direct-to-Consumer Team Key Account Managers Planning & Allocations Marketing Team Regional & Global Merchandising Teams Role Requirements The Merchant will have a proven ability to demonstrate the following: Strong commercial aptitude Creative, strong interpersonal & communication skills Work collaboratively and cross-functionally to build brand-led future strategies Excellent planning and organizational skills Knowledge of cost of goods / product development (generalist) Ability to perform volume forecasting Demonstrates flexibility and initiative with minimal direction Works on problems of a diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors Proficiency with MS Office applications (Excel -advanced, Word & Powerpoint) Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in related discipline (5+ years combined college education and work experience may be substituted for a degree) LOCATION Level 7, 11 Eastern Road, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205 FULL TIME/PART TIME Full time Current LS&Co Employees, apply via your Workday account.