Associate Buyer

Saks • San Francisco, CA

2d • $62,400 - $80,200 • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Buyer is responsible for developing and executing merchandise strategies for focus areas to deliver optimal profitability. You will use merchandise strategies, have robust product and industry knowledge to deliver results for the company with the support of the Buyer. Within your focus area you will oversee buying for stores and digital with a focus on: selecting, negotiating and delivering the right product to drive key performance indicators.Communication will be a critical part of success with both internal and external partners.

Requirements

• BFA or BA in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or related field
• Must have 3-5 years of experience in a buying capacity, overseeing both the creative and financial aspects of merchandising
• Strong analytical skill set
• Strong ability to influence
• Entrepreneurial mindset and fast learner
• Comfortable to work up to 4 days a week in our Brookfield Place (NYC) Offices

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic vision for a defined portion of the Buyers portfolio.
• Using data to make prudent and effective business decisions.
• Anticipate business changes in a proactive manner and is adaptable to change
• Partner with Planning on managing OTB hitting key metrics and liquidity targets.
• Write buys based off of business analysis and assortment-planning tools.
• Work closely with vendors, monitor industry trends, evaluate competition, and attend markets.
• Analyze business and maximize opportunities.
• Manages receipts and flow of goods.
• Negotiates and collaborates with vendors.
• Drives execution of the merchandise strategy, focusing on in-season management to ensure optimal productivity.
• Continue to build and grow strong and meaningful vendor relationships.
• Analyze reports to help synthesize data from all aspects of the business and multiple data points to quickly size risks and opportunities.
• Work through ambiguity, while maintaining the agility and speed necessary to react to an off-price buying environment.
• Make all business decisions in their area of responsibility with the customer experience in mind, becoming a customer champion in all aspects of the buying process.
• Strong negotiator: Have knowledge of the price/value equation and anticipate the needs of the business.
• Negotiate and secure merchandise for seasonal opportunities both in-season and packaway.
• Develop a strong sense of current business at any given moment
• Monitor and reacts to inventory productivity
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Digital team by owning the Seasonal Marketing Calendar
• Have a pulse on the market trends and the competitive landscape.
• Work closely and works well with all cross functional teams
• Continues to gain knowledge of store landscapes and localization strategies
• Navigate through the nuances of online promotions and strategies
• Work with marketing teams on promotions and event pricing
• Identify business opportunities with planning team
• Have thorough understanding of open-to-buy, markdown management and financials
• Partner with Planning team with product assortments
• Action-oriented: Not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning. Seizes opportunities more than others. Armed with enough information to make good business decisions quickly.
• Embracing Ambiguity: Shifts gears comfortably. Can decide and act without having the total picture. Comfortable handling risk and uncertainty.
• Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly. Can anticipate future consequences and outcomes accurately
• Decision Making: Makes decisions in a timely manner, sometimes with incomplete information and under tight deadlines and pressure
• Perseverance: Able to push through to closure, even with business challenges or setbacks. Motivates team to maintain focus.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Builds constructive and effective relationships internally and externally. Maintains key vendor relationships and continually develops new resources.
• Learning on the fly: Able to learn quickly and be open to change. Able to grasp the underlying issue and path to resolution, especially in problem solving. Able to develop their own resources.
• Time management/priority: Uses time effectively and efficiently. Able to shift priorities as needed and manage multiple competing priorities at the same time. Can attend to a broad scope of activities.
• Career ambition/Self-development: Strong knowledge of self. Able to articulate and utilize strengths, while creating a plan to develop areas of opportunity. Able to size up situations and flex personal style as needed.
• Taste level: Knows how to buy for the customer. Maintains view of overall assortment and is able to quickly seize opportunities

Benefits

• medical insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• basic life insurance
• supplemental life insurance
• disability insurance
• a variety of additional voluntary benefits (such as critical illness, hospital and accident insurance)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees