Merchandise Assistant in New York, New York at Rowan

We’ve built Rowan by rethinking the ear piercing experience from the ground up—prioritizing safety, clinical expertise, and a customer experience that feels both celebratory and trusted. Every piercing is performed by licensed nurses and guided by our Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard® and paired with our hypoallergenic products, setting a clear standard that is differentiated from traditional retail models. Our goal is to create a destination where customers feel confident, cared for, and excited to participate.

The Merchandise Assistant supports the execution of Rowan’s jewelry and ear piercing assortment
strategy through strong organization, reporting, sample management, and cross-functional coordination.
This role reports directly to the CSCO and plays a critical role in supporting product launches, assortment
updates, inventory tracking, vendor communication, and merchandising operations.
The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, organized, analytical, and passionate about fashion, jewelry,
and customer experience. This individual will help ensure smooth execution across vendor product
development, merchandising, studio communication, and assortment management while gaining
exposure to buying and product strategy.

Responsible for new item and SKU creation and setup, ongoing item maintenance and updates,
ensuring data accuracy across systems, seasonal PO creation and management, PO revisions
and vendor coordination, cross-functional communication with merchandising, planning, sourcing,
and operations teams, and supporting launch readiness and inventory accuracy.
Support execution of seasonal assortment launches and product rollouts across studios and
ecommerce.
Assist in coordinating with vendors on product development timelines, deliveries, costing updates,
and sample tracking.
Maintain accurate product information, assortment trackers, launch calendars, and merchandising
documents.
Review studio ramp photos to ensure assortment and merchandising compliance for new
launches.
Support weekly communication updates to studio operations, marketing, and creative teams
regarding deliveries, replenishment timing, and assortment changes.
Assist with inventory monitoring and replenishment tracking to help maintain in-stock levels.
Track and organize product samples, ensuring the sample closet remains organized, accurate,
and accessible at all times.
Support vendor outreach and sourcing initiatives for new suppliers and product opportunities.
Assist with managing sample budgets and tracking development expenses.

Partner closely with marketing and creative teams to coordinate product selection for campaigns,
launches, and promotional assets.
Prepare product knowledge decks, launch materials, and studio communications for new
collections.
Support preparation of executive presentations and assortment recaps for leadership meetings.
Coordinate with studio teams to gather customer feedback and assortment insights from the field.
Participate in studio visits and competitive shopping to better understand customer preferences
and market trends.

Stay informed on jewelry, piercing, and fashion accessory trends.
Monitor competitors, emerging brands, and customer preferences to support merchandising
recommendations.
Research materials, metals, and jewelry trends to support future assortment opportunities.

Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
1–2 years of experience in merchandising, buying, retail operations, or fashion/accessories.
Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Analytical mindset with comfort working in spreadsheets and retail reporting.
Proficiency in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Gmail, Calendar) and Excel.
Strong communication and cross-functional coordination skills.
Passion for jewelry, fashion, and customer experience.
Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Familiarity with Shopify, NetSuite, DOMO, or other retail systems is a plus.
Interest in jewelry materials, piercing trends, and merchandising strategy preferred.

Competitive salary and bonus structure.
Unlimited PTO for full-time employees.
Medical/Dental/Vision Health Plans for full time employees.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources.
401k and Roth IRA Plans.
Generous employee discounts on our amazing products and services!
Team Member Referral Bonus plan for Studio positions.

About Us: Rowan is an innovative ear-piercing and hypoallergenic jewelry brand that brings safety to the forefront with our team of licensed nurses—and celebration to every guest with our joyful approach to piercings and jewelry. Our brick-and-mortar locations across the US also provide a long-overdue alternative to the standard mall piercing. At Rowan, we believe that every ear piercing is a milestone and it should be celebrated. We believe in “Piercing for All”.

Check us out on the TODAY Show on NBC — How 1 woman is reinventing the ear piercing experience (today.com)

Important note: Rowan believes in teamwork, collaboration, and diversity. We know our team is stronger together and we commit to staying true to these values as we grow. In a remote setting, interviewing at Rowan may include phone interviews, virtual “on-site” interviews, and on-the-job mock cases. We are committed to run a thorough process for candidates with whom we identify a potential match, and we will do our best to follow-up with each and every applicant! If you’re on the fence, just give it a try! We are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage everyone to apply!

Rowan is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, national origin (including language use and possession of a driver's license issued to persons unable to prove their presence in the United States is authorized under federal law), ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity (including transgender identification), gender expression, age for individuals over forty years of age, military and veteran status of any person, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws (“protected characteristics”).