Candidate brief Site merchandiser

Amazon opened its virtual doors in July 1995 with the vision of becoming Earths most customer-centric company; a place where customers can find and discover anything they want to buy online. We work hard to offer customers the widest possible variety of products at the best prices, along with an unparalleled online shopping experience. Site merchandisers (also, know as online content managers), product managers, buyers and vendor managers in each category focus on driving sales, improving vendor relations, increasing selection, and maximising the customer experience. They work closely with departments around the company, from Design and Marketing to Legal and Customer Services, and with their counterparts in other Amazon locations around the world. Amazon divides its products into the following categories. Each product line has at least one site merchandiser: HARDLINES Home & Garden, Health & Beauty, Consumer Electronics, Tools & DIY, Toys & Baby, Consumables SOFTLINES Clothing, Shoes, Jewellery & Watches, Sports & Leisure MEDIA Music, DVD, Software, Video Games, Books

JOB PURPOSE: Site merchandisers are responsible for merchandising their categorys products on the website. They use a combination of editorial and marketing skills to increase traffic and sales through catalogue management, search engine optimisation and compelling, commercial content. Most site merchandisers work closely with specific music labels, film studios, publishers and product manufacturers in order to maximise their sales, developing effective site placements and activities for new releases, back-catalogue items and promotions. Site merchandisers use our in-house content management systems to: 1. Maximise detail page content: Data quality: ensuring key titles have top quality images, synopses, reviews, track listings and product specifications. Data integrity: ensuring titles, contributor and format detail, release dates etc are correct. Item findability: ensuring titles are well represented in search and browse.

2. Promote items across the website: Maximising new releases, back-catalogue and promotional titles through smart merchandising. Building and managing promotional pages and editorial features. Cross-promoting products in other relevant product areas. Identifying and implementing new promotional opportunities. Ensuring content conforms to site standards, marketing commitments and promotional requirements.

3. Promote items in customer emails: Creating and quality checking single-title emails. Planning, targeting and building multi-title emails.

4. Perform analysis and report on performance: Monitoring and tracking item and category performance. Analysing site placements and conversion. Regular reporting on promotion performance, marketing activity (emails, promotional campaigns etc).

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES: Improving discovery and sales of products. Maximising quality of product detail pages. Using in-house reporting systems to identify areas of opportunity to grow Amazon's business. Using learnings from reporting and analysis to refine and optimise promotional campaigns, as well as testing new initiatives. Ensuring content conforms to site standards, marketing commitments, and promotional requirements. Driving sales and traffic through website and email activity. Ensuring contractual obligations with vendors are met. Building and developing strong working relationships with vendors.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: Essential: Excellent written English. High computer literacy, with ability to learn new systems fast. Quick thinking skills. An ability to think commercially and analytically. A high level of responsibility, self-motivation and enthusiasm. Expert communication skills that will allow you to represent Amazon at high-profile external meetings.

Desirable: Previous experience in a related job. Some knowledge of a wide variety of products within a category. Experience of account management/managing third party relationships.

LEVEL OF DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY: Site merchandisers have ownership of content and merchandising, on the site and in emails, for their category. They have a reasonable degree of autonomy, assuming that marketing commitments are met and Amazon house style is adhered to. They are expected to champion ideas to grow Amazon's business, and are encouraged to develop any ideas considered to be practical and/or valuable. RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SITE MERCHANDISERS: Amazon offers on-the-job training for the role. Training courses are available for specific software packages, eg: Excel. Bespoke systems for content management and reporting. Weekly 1:1 meetings with your manager. A supportive team.

Working Hours: 40 p/w between 08:00 18:30 (working hours to be agreed with your manager) Our Recruitment Process: The recruitment cycle at Amazon is currently as follows:

1
Apply with Cover Letter, CV and Copywriting Sample

Final Decision

30 minute Phone Interview (if required)

2nd Loop Interviews

1st Loop Testing & Interviews (Passing of test permitting)

1 Stage Testing & Interviews: The format of the interview will be as follows: 30 minute copyedit test. You will be given a piece of copy to proofread and edit. 45 minute promotions test. The promotions test involves an Excel spreadsheet, with a list of products which you should analyse in order to establish the products you feel make sense to put into two or three promotions. It measures your analytical and commercial acumen, rather than your knowledge of Excel, and cannot be prepared for.

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10 minute debrief if you pass the test you will remain for the following interviews, if you fail you will be free to leave
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30 minute interview with Hiring Manager 30 minute interview with Recruiter

2 Stage Interviews: Meeting the Buyer, Vendor Manager and Category Lead

When you meet with the interviewers, they will expect you to show that youve researched Amazon as an organization. Youll also need to demonstrate your passion to work for Amazon and your ideas about how you would improve the website. Evidence of strong commercial and business acumen will be sought during the

interview. Well ask you for solid examples to prove your competencies, so do come prepared. Also, dont forget to ask as many questions as you can about the role and company at the end of the interview. The interviewer will use this as an indication of your level of interest. Amazon is an equal opportunities employer. We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. We value your passion to discover, invent, simplify and build. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.