Buyer, Custom Home - San Diego SSC

Event Network•San Diego, CA

3d•$80,000 - $85,000

About The Position

The Buyer turns merchandising strategy into compelling product by discovering, developing, sourcing, and managing assortments that are relevant to guests, authentic to partners, and commercially strong. The role builds vendor relationships, makes well-developed recommendations, manages products from idea through execution, and collaborates with Division Merchandise Managers, General Merchandise Managers, Creative, Planning, and support teams. For the custom Home department, the Buyer develops bespoke, location-specific giftables, including soft home textiles, tabletop products, collectible ornaments, and figurines. The Buyer translates broader content direction from the GMMs into product assortments and works with the DMM, vendor partners, and Product Development to create products that balance creative vision with aesthetic, quality, and sales objectives. The role also explores innovative, on-trend products that can drive the business and scale through custom execution across cultural attraction and lifestyle retail locations. The Buyer owns product discovery, development, vendor management, and buying execution within established categories and portfolio strategies. The role uses data and market intelligence to make decisions and ensure products are brand-right, financially sound, on time, and ready to perform.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience in buying, merchandising, product development, retail, or a related field; equivalent combinations of experience and demonstrated capability may be considered.
Experience managing assortments, developing products, working with vendors, analyzing performance, and coordinating cross-functional initiatives.
Strong project management skills, including organizing priorities, managing timelines, tracking dependencies, and moving multiple initiatives forward.
Proficiency with Monday.com or similar project-management platforms, including maintaining project status, ownership, milestones, and deliverables.
Advanced Excel skills, including building reports, maintaining data, analyzing performance, identifying trends, and translating findings into actionable recommendations.
Strong understanding of merchandising, sourcing, vendor management, product development, negotiation, cost analysis, and cross-functional collaboration.
Proficiency creating polished presentations in Canva and PowerPoint that communicate product strategies, assortments, financial insights, and recommendations.
Ability to frequently sit, stand, walk, and handle products or samples; occasionally reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, or lift and move merchandise samples and materials.

Responsibilities

Source, develop, and manage product assortments aligned with portfolio strategy, partner identity, guest needs, category direction, and financial goals.
Research and discover products, vendors, brands, materials, trends, and market opportunities through competitive shopping, trade shows, showrooms, stores, and industry relationships.
Bring a clear point of view to assortment reviews, respond constructively to editing and direction, and develop custom or proprietary products with Creative and Product Development.
Build vendor relationships and lead day-to-day sourcing, product development, negotiation, and commercial communication for assigned categories.
Negotiate cost, terms, minimums, lead times, delivery, and quality within established category strategy.
Own execution from approved concept through order placement, partnering with Assistant Buyers and Merchandise Coordinators to ensure accurate information, clear handoffs, and timely follow-through.
Escalate material opportunities or risks to the DMM.
Monitor sales, per-cap, cost of goods, inventory productivity, SKU and category performance, and new-product results; use performance data to identify opportunities and recommend actions.
Partner with Planning and Replenishment to understand inventory risks and tradeoffs, balancing guest relevance, differentiation, cost, quality, timing, and productivity.
Partner with GMMs, Senior Merchandise Managers, and the DMM to understand strategy, partner context, assortment guardrails, product priorities, vendor opportunities, negotiation priorities, and enterprise leverage.
Collaborate with the Creative Center of Excellence, Planning, Purchasing Operations, and Store teams.
Share successful products, vendor capabilities, market intelligence, and learnings so strong ideas can scale where relevant.
Travel as needed for stores, markets, trade shows, vendors, and product development.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Basic life and AD&D insurance
Long-term disability
Voluntary benefits, including voluntary life and AD&D insurance, short-term disability for employees outside specified states and territories, accident insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and pet insurance
401(k) retirement plan
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Vacation accrual and sick leave
Nine paid holidays
Profit Sharing Bonus Plan
25% employee discount at company stores
Discount program offering savings on brand-name products, services, travel, entertainment, tickets, and more