Rip Curl:
Merchandiser/Assistant Product Manager - Men's Job in Costa Mesa, CA

Rip Curl is a brand for, and about, the crew on The Search. The products we make, the events we run, the riders we support, and the values we strive to uphold… this is all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on.
Rip Curl, the Ultimate Surfing Company.

THE ROLE //
The role is a Men's Merchandiser position and is located at our office in Costa Mesa. It reports into our Men’s Chairperson. The role is responsible for all merchandising activities of the Men’s product division. The key focus of the role is to manage the range development process inc initial research), ensure quality products are delivered on time and work closely with the design team, supply chain, marketing, sales & retail team to achieve divisional budgets. The role’s main responsibilities include:

Research//

• Market Research - Conduct thorough market research each season to identify how, why and when customers go about making their buying decisions.
• Look for opportunity through your research to capitilize for future seasons.

Range Development//

• Completion of all range planning and review documents
• Range Planning – develop a line plan that will meet the needs of each segment of customer and is considered to be a large enough segment that it justifies a style (or styles) within the range structure.
• Range Structure – decide on the product groups to include, as well as product segmentation you need in each product group.
• Initializing range plan/design brief seasonally. Managing style/sku count
• Work closely with global counterparts: PM’s, Global Planning Merchandiser and purchasing/sourcing teams.
• Organize and own Approval Meetings; range planning (RR1) and final range review (RR2).

Product Development//

• Responsible for managing Product Developer’s on all aspects of Quest.
• Ensure all Photoshoot and SMS Samples are on time
• Ensure starting margin is 58% for RCU and 56% for RCC
• Maintain all Men’s categories Style and Sku count as per global and regional targets.
•

M3/Repspark/Quest Style Master/RDC//

• Integration: Work with IT to ensure all style information integrates into M3 accurately and on time.
• Complete 3 way check between Quest, M3 and Repspark
• Maintain style master through end of season and update styles as needed
• Owning and chairing the RDC calendar

SMU//

• Point person on all SMU requests. Responsible for all requests from concept to completion.
• Coordinate with Developer, Buyer and Production so that all SMU’s are processed correctly and in a timely manner.
• Maintain weekly SMU tracker

Planning and Purchasing//

• Create seasonal projections prior to integration
• Participate in weekly buy meetings: review buys to ensure they are accurate based off current sales and that no styles are missed.
• Participate in weekly inventory meetings to review over solds and production issues.
Sales
• Partner with VP of Sales and Sales reps to identify opportunities with major accounts
• Sales Meeting – this is an important time to sell the result of many months of work to the sales force and to outline driver styles and key styles for the season.
• Line Release – attend key account line showings to understand the buyers needs and their reaction to the product line as time permits
• Review Weekly in season sales reports
• Send out seasonal Hi-Low sales reports to all key stakeholders
• Review Monthly Wholesales Report
• Review Monthly Margin
• Provide seasonal sell in reports

Marketing//

• Catalog – Facilitate seasonal catalogs from concept to completion

Finance//

• Partner with finance and supply chain to minimize margin dilution
• Review monthly P&L to ensure targets are met

Inventory//

• Create and Send weekly ATP reports
• Working with Buyer to ensure seasonal inventory levels are correct.
• Provide Outlets and Sales team with inventory lists to facilitate movement of product.

Qualification & Experience Requirements//

• Clear understanding of merchandising from concept to completion
• Strong understanding of market trends
• Excellent organizational skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Proactive approach to work, and adherence to deadlines
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and adapt to various situations
• Good judgment and analytical abilities
• Ability to cope with pressure, and multiple deadlines with competing priorities
• Strong computer skills, must be efficient in excel program
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with fellow co-workers
• Committed to maintaining high personal ethics and standards
• Minimum of 3 years in product management
• Minimum of 5 years industry experience

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