Assistant Merchant, June 2025 Executive Development Program

Carter's - Atlanta, GA

Full-time - Entry Level

Atlanta, GA

Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers

About the position

As an Assistant Merchant in the June 2025 Executive Development Program at Carter's, you will play a crucial role in supporting the needs of families with young children. Carter's Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing well-known brands such as Carter's, OshKosh B'gosh, Skip*Hop, and Little Planet. This position is based in our Buckhead office, where you will work in a hybrid environment, spending four days a week in the office. The role typically reports to a Merchant, Sr. Merchant, or Director, and involves a variety of responsibilities that contribute to the overall success of the merchandising team. In this position, you will be the owner of style set-up in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, which requires a strong understanding of database complexities and their impacts on other systems. You will need to demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and the ability to keep up with line changes in the system. Analyzing and reporting on business performance, including key findings and opportunities, will be a significant part of your role. Additionally, you will develop an awareness of the competitive landscape and report on your learnings to help inform strategic decisions. Sample management will also be a key responsibility, where you will organize and manage all samples effectively. You will partner with your manager to develop and manage the seasonal line structure aimed at driving growth, identifying new trends, and ensuring that you meet all corporate calendar deadlines. Supporting your manager with preparation for milestone meetings will also be part of your duties. Furthermore, you will be involved in costing, pricing, and margin management, ensuring that all financial aspects align with the company's goals. Team development is essential in this role, as you will need to build and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional teams, including sourcing, design, forecasting, and planning. This collaborative approach will help ensure that all aspects of the merchandising process are aligned and executed effectively.

Responsibilities

• Owner of style set-up in PLM, understanding database complexities and impacts to other systems.
• Analyze and report on business performance, including key findings and opportunities.
• Develop awareness of competitive landscape and report on learnings.
• Organize and manage all samples effectively.
• Partner with manager to develop and manage seasonal line structure to drive growth.
• Identify new trends and have an eye for product.
• Manage to all corporate calendar deadlines and support manager with prep for milestone meetings.
• Involved in costing, pricing, and margin management.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional teams (sourcing, design, forecasting, planning).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (3.2 GPA or higher strongly preferred).
• Required to have graduated within 6 months of class start date.
• Demonstrated knowledge of retail metrics and sales.
• Strong working knowledge of Excel reports and PowerPoint presentations.
• Detail-oriented and organized.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and lead a team.
• Ability to hit concurrent deadlines and manage own workload.
• Strong presentation and influencing skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Merchandising, retail sales, buying experience or internship strongly preferred.

Benefits

• Career development programs including Carter's University and mentorship programs.