Purchasing Assistant - temp

Perry Ellis International, Inc. represents a diverse portfolio of lifestyle apparel brands. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries owns and licenses nationally and with a brand portfolio of over 40 Brands domestically and internationally recognized brands including: Perry Ellis®, Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist® and Farah®. The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike®  for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel.

About Us:

Perry Ellis International, Inc. represents a diverse portfolio of lifestyle apparel brands. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries owns and licenses nationally and with a brand portfolio of over 40 Brands domestically and internationally recognized brands including: Perry Ellis®, Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist®, and Farah®. The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel.

Position Summary
As the Purchasing Assistant, you will provide essential, comprehensive support to the Purchasing Agent, managing critical purchasing operations across multiple customer accounts and product brands. In this role, you will ensure seamless workflow execution, maintain data integrity across core enterprise systems, and act as a vital communication bridge between internal departments and overseas offices to facilitate timely product delivery.

Key Responsibilities
Order Processing & Data Management: Review Make Up Orders (MUOs) submitted by sales and planning teams to ensure data consistency and proactively identify potential issues. Process, revise, and maintain Purchase Orders (POs) in Jesta and PLM for any updates related to style, color, or delivery.
Workflow Coordination: Track and follow up on required department approvals (including factory approvals, FOB prices, OTB thresholds, and LDP prices) to ensure official orders are processed smoothly through Jesta and PLM.
Cross-Functional Communication: Serve as a key point of contact, extensively communicating with overseas offices and internal teams (Compliance, QC, Sales, Planning, Sourcing, Product Coordinators, and Merchandising) to quickly resolve operational issues and packaging inquiries.
Document & Administrative Management: Prepare, print, and organize essential documentation including MUOs, worksheets, Buying Confirmations, and POs. Manage and prioritize a high volume of incoming daily emails based on urgency.
Specification Compliance & Order Adjustments: Request technical sketch updates to align precisely with customer specifications. Dynamically manage order adjustments by updating systems for shortages, overages, delivery date changes, and cancellations.
Sourcing & Delivery Support: Coordinate order bookings with overseas offices under Sourcing's guidance, and routinely review Buying Confirmations (BCs) to verify that delivery dates strictly meet deadlines set by the Sales team.
Team Collaboration: Assist with the onboarding and cross-training of new employees within the purchasing department.

Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business Administration, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
Experience: 1–3 years of experience in purchasing, production coordination, or supply chain support, ideally within the apparel or retail industry.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in PLM software and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems—Jesta experience is a major plus. Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
Industry Knowledge: Understanding of the apparel production lifecycle, including basic knowledge of pricing structures (FOB, LDP) and vendor management.

Personal Attributes
Excellent Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the cultural awareness and clarity required to collaborate extensively with overseas offices and diverse internal teams.
Detail-Oriented & Analytical: Sharp attention to detail with an ability to spot data inconsistencies across complex worksheets and system entries.
Exceptional Organizational Skills: Ability to prioritize urgent administrative tasks, manage multiple shifting timelines, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.