Assistant Buyer

The Assistant Buyer provides essential operational and administrative support to the Special Capsules Buying team, helping to deliver departmental financial plans and seasonal strategies from product inception through to market launch. The role supports EMEA execution across sports partnerships, brand-driven programmes, regional initiatives and Travel Retail, ensuring accurate product information, effective coordination and alignment with global strategy and local market needs. The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in these areas and a desire to develop their understanding of the end-to-end buying process at Ralph Lauren.

• Provide day-to-day administrative and operational support to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the department.
• Support EMEA execution of global sports partnerships, including Wimbledon, the Olympics, US Open, MLB and Golf initiatives such as Ryder Cup, St Andrews and Evian.
• Assist with distribution lists, assortment plans, pricing and market availability for partnership-related and brand-driven product launches.
• Support system readiness, including EU pricing, PLIR setup and accurate product information across GFE, PriceSmart, SAP and related tools.
• Coordinate product orders for Marketing initiatives, including officials’ uniforms, player gifting, suit-guest programmes and CYO blanks for pop-up activations.
• Track orders, deliveries, samples and inventory flow, escalating risks or delays to the Buyer and relevant cross-functional partners.
• Support Brand, Marketing, Wholesale, Retail, E-commerce, Customer Service, Fulfilment, Creative, Buying and Planning teams to enable aligned and timely execution.
• Assist with regional activations and projects by maintaining product information, tracking actions and supporting special-product assortments.
• Prepare documents, reports, product information and presentation materials for key milestones, including Hindsight, Buy Review, Sign-Off, Market Opening and launch meetings.
• Monitor weekly business performance, including sell-in, sell-out, gross margin and key KPIs, with guidance from the Buyer.
• Develop the ability to identify top-line trends, risks and opportunities from business reports and translate findings into clear actions that can inform future buys.
• Research the retail and competitive landscape, including pricing, product, trends and key market messages, and summarise relevant findings for the wider team.
• Support assortment and product presentations, helping to communicate strategy, rationale and commercial expectations clearly.
• Manage emails, calendars, meeting actions and deadlines efficiently.
• Develop confidence using key tools and systems, troubleshoot issues where appropriate and identify opportunities to improve ways of working.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships across the Buying team and wider cross-functional network.
• Take ownership of assigned tasks, manage priorities and communicate progress clearly.

• Good understanding of Ralph Lauren and its position within the market.
• Commercial awareness, with an interest in developing analytical and retail-mathematics skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Organised and able to prioritise tasks effectively to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, resourceful and comfortable working independently while seeking guidance when needed.
• Logical approach to analysis and problem-solving.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to share updates and contribute to product presentations.
• Collaborative approach and ability to build productive working relationships across diverse teams and functions.
• Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to learn new systems and technical applications quickly; familiarity with GFE, PriceSmart or SAP is beneficial but not essential.
• Resilient, adaptable and able to maintain a positive approach.
• Global mindset and cultural awareness; international exposure through work or study is beneficial.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage.
• Commitment to inclusive ways of working, teamwork and direct, transparent communication.
• Previous experience in retail, buying, merchandising, planning or a related environment is beneficial but not essential.