Assistant Buyer I - Burlington, MA

Assistant Buyer I

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience. As part of our team, you will experience:

• Success. Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
• Career growth. We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow
• Teamwork. We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
• Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

The Assistant Buyer is a learning role that allows you to build a foundation of skills for your future career as a merchant. As an ABI, we invest in you through structured training and one on one apprenticeship with a skilled Buyer. You will begin to build your product knowledge, operational expertise, concepts of off-price retail, personal leadership skills and understand the customer! The base salary for this role is $68,000. The salary listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards vary by position and location.

What you will do and what you will learn:

• Perform support activities for the buying team, such as purchase order management and processing markdowns, while building foundational merchant skills and learning the keys to becoming a successful merchant.
• Provide basic analysis of key business data to the Buyer, including the use of retail math to understand the business, monitoring of regional merchandise reports, Open-To-Buy, stock analysis and other ad hoc analysis to project sales and inventory levels.
• Learn the elements of negotiation and how we build relationships with our vendors. Develop effective relationships with vendors by participating in in person meetings. This includes following up on shipments and resolving problems to ensure product is delivered and processed as directed by the Buyer.
• Begin to effectively utilize and understand the merchandising systems and warehouse process.
• Develop and demonstrate foundational product knowledge through in person shopping at Ross Stores and at the competition. Utilize product knowledge to communicate to the Buyer new resources.
• Track planned receipt flow on a consistent basis. Display awareness of when merchandise is being received and make call outs to Buyer.
• Support Buyers in preparation of key business meetings (i.e. vendor appointments, style-outs, assortment planning) including formatting of reports.

What you need to be successful:

• Strong communication skills: You can "read the situation" you actively listen, ask clarifying questions, and demonstrate the ability to build relationships.
• Flexibility: You can pivot, are adaptable, and receptive to feedback.
• Results Driven: You are tenacious, and achievement focused. You can prioritize your work and deliver it with accuracy.
• Intellectually curious: You can analyze and draw conclusions, are a critical thinker, and see the big picture.
• Resilient: You are persistent and persuasive. You stay focused on your goals and finding creative solutions to problems.
• Enthusiasm for the product and retail business. Product is the center of what we do.... you must have an enthusiasm for the retail business and the product.
• Analytical Mindset: Helping to run a business depends on analysis and retail math.
• Bachelor's Degree required.

Perks and Benefits of joining our team:

• Our Associates are at the heart of everything we do and we're proud to offer a range of benefits that reflect how much we value their contributions. Here's a peek into what you can expect as an eligible Ross Associate:
• A broad range of affordable health insurance options & personal medical plan concierge
• 401(k) with employer match and Life insurance
• Ample PTO including accrued vacation, paid holidays, diversity day, summer Fridays and the ability to purchase additional vacation
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Access to health and wellness benefits such as BetterHelp and Headspace
• Charitable donations matched by Ross Stores Foundation
• And more....