Buyer

AKIRA • Chicago, IL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Buyer is responsible for driving sales growth and profitability within a designated category by building compelling, market-leading assortments across both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce channels. This role requires a strong foundation in specialty retail merchandising, sharp analytical skills, and exceptional operational execution.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record of developing winning merchandising strategies through strong vendor partnerships, exclusive product development, and a deep understanding of customer behavior. A consistent eye for quality, trend relevance, and urgency is essential in building assortments that resonate with the customer and deliver financial results.

Requirements

• 4+ years of buying experience, including product development
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field
• Proven success managing large, multi-category assortments with high SKU counts
• Strong ability to translate sales data, customer insights, and market trends into actionable merchandising strategies
• Established relationships with market brands and/or private label resources
• Demonstrated ability to identify high-impact opportunities and respond quickly
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and the ability to quickly learn new systems and tools
• Proven ability to drive revenue growth and improve profitability

Nice To Haves

• Has a strong passion for fashion, trends, and continuous learning around materials, construction, and product design
• Thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with a strong sense of ownership and urgency
• Is highly organized, detail-oriented, and effective at managing multiple priorities
• Is a confident, outgoing communicator comfortable presenting and building relationships in person, over the phone, and digitally
• Is collaborative, responsive, and motivated by team success
• Ability and willingness to travel if needed

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute detailed annual business plans, including sales, margin, inventory turns, and inventory composition, aligned with company strategy
• Own seasonal open-to-buy (OTB) planning; manage and reconcile receipts against plan
• Build and execute assortment and allocation strategies that optimize performance across channels
• Coach and mentor Assistant Buyers to drive improvements in sales, margins, and inventory productivity
• Identify and capitalize on emerging fashion trends early in their lifecycle to maximize selling opportunities
• Analyze business performance to identify opportunities to increase sales, improve margins, optimize inventory, and reduce markdowns
• Prepare and present financial analyses, including sell-through, margins, and key item performance; recap results versus plan
• Develop a deep understanding of the customer and leverage insights to inform product development, assortment, and allocation decisions
• Ensure financial objectives and timelines are met; proactively communicate actions to maximize profit and minimize risk
• Build and maintain strong vendor relationships; collaborate on exclusive product development and strategic opportunities
• Represent the brand professionally and enthusiastically in all vendor and industry interactions

Benefits

• AKIRA offers competitive benefits for full-time employees, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet Insurance, Life, LTD, FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA, Flex Transit (CTA), 401(k), and a generous employee discount.
• We're committed to internal growth, providing meaningful development and career advancement opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level