Distribution Associate Ecommerce (Based in Watford Head Office)

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview
Using your people and commercial skills in equal measure you will support RLE, within the wider DTC Allocation team. You will work to establish Availability reporting for RLE, whilst ensuring accurate and timely allocation of stock to stores/customers, via JDA/RTN/Impact, to support sales growth and customer experience. Working alongside two other Associates, you will ensure synergies and best practice across DTC (PFS/RLS/RLE) with specific availability, operational and logistics performance measures.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

* Deliver best in class availability, ensuring all products maintain correct depth of display to promote in store /online standards, customer experience and maximise sales
* Build reporting capabilities for RLE inventory, eg availability, DC cover, out of stocks, future delivery volume to help decision making
* Incorporate Private Store Ecom transactions to all activity (reporting/ allocation/availability etc)
* Drive improvement and impact for key seasonal launches, ensuring focus on initials (depth) maximums and minimums at the lowest granular (sku) level.
* Manage and influence Paramter settings within Allocation tool for RLE (eg Weeks of Supply, Promotion builds/debuilds)
* Collaborate with planning teams to implement commercial strategy and improve communication flow around price/promotion and volume fluctuations
* Review BOSS (Buy on line, ship from store) process in partnership with Ops, Retail, Customer Services to reduce spend and /or improve efficiency
* Partner with key functions, Supply Chain, Inventory, Retail Planning, Product Planning to drive inventory optimization within channels, reducing carry over and increasing turn.
* Analyse daily/weekly sales reports and propose appropriate action to take in conjunction with divisional product planners
* Actively manage SKU count, ensuring old/ obsolete product is allocated/sold through as communicated. Review zero sellers report and work with buying to ratioanlise the RLE range.
* Ensure regular flow of volume to the DC and Retail stores/customer, resolving technical issues in a timely manner
* Undertake review of RLE returns process and provide recommendations to improve.
* Benchmark current practices and evolve 'in house' processes to become best in class
* Identify trends through analytics, build processes to accommodate fluctuations in volume
* Visit stores/DC/ Customer contact centre , understand impact of inventory flow - amend process / guidance accordingly
* Create effective working relationships with RLE teams, providing solutions in a concise and accurate format regarding stock availability issues.
* Work within a clear critical path to operate effectively

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

* Exhibited leadership and team management skills of indirect reports.
* Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage diverse activities simultaneously.
* Excellent presentation and communication skills, both written and verbal.
* Ability to think conceptually and strategically regarding business challenges combined with a bias for action and a proactive approach to problem solving.
* Ability to develop new strategies that expand, encompass or parallel corporate business initiatives and maximize profitability.
* Profit focused, skilled at finding opportunities to increase margin, net profit
* Flexible and adaptable to changing business needs
* Trading mentality - ability to work at pace, challenge results, drive for results
* Good interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with business partners at all levels.
* Impact and Influence, ability to present facts, opinions and proposals persuasively to colleagues, senior management and planning teams
* Experience working with retail business systems related to, Allocations and Logistics, Ecom,.
* Advanced skills in Excel
* Experience working within Ecom /B2C environment
* Allocation/ Product or Supply Chain experience