Director of Buying

Perry Ellis International•Miami, FL

About The Position

As the Director of Buying, you will serve as a "working manager" and strategic leader for Perry Ellis International’s retail stores and e-commerce platforms. You are responsible for the total lifecycle of the product assortment—from high-level merchandising strategy and margin planning to the hands-on execution of buys for specific accounts or categories. You will lead a team to ensure a consistent brand image while relentlessly monitoring business metrics to deliver and exceed sales and inventory turn goals.

Requirements

4-year Bachelor’s degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field.
7+ years of buying experience in a retail or wholesale environment, with proven success in a leadership role.
Experience in both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce is essential.
Proven ability to manage a team while maintaining personal responsibility for a significant portion of the business deliverables.
Expert-level mastery of Microsoft Excel, Word, and retail math.
Extensive knowledge of the product development process, brand management, and the competitive apparel landscape.
Proven track record of managing Open-to-Buy (OTB), margin plans, and complex inventory turns.
The ability to pivot seamlessly between high-level strategy and granular, detail-oriented data entry and analysis.
Clear and persuasive communication style, capable of presenting to C-suite executives and mentoring junior staff.
Can interpret complex sales data to forecast trends and translate them into commercially successful, profitable assortments.
Superior time-management skills necessary to balance team management with individual account responsibilities.
A self-starter with a high sense of urgency and a "can-do" attitude toward solving financial or merchandise issues.

Responsibilities

Lead the team in executing merchandising strategies and seasonal line plans to build profitable assortments that achieve internal margin and revenue goals.
Act as a "working manager" by directly managing the buying process for assigned categories, including recommending product assortments by delivery date and ensuring buys are placed on time.
Develop and oversee high-level Daily, Weekly, and Monthly reporting for key metrics; monitor assortments to maintain consistent brand image while delivering on turn and revenue targets.
Deeply understand the PEI target consumer; lead the team in competitive analysis and retail market research to enhance brand strategies and identify growth opportunities.
Partner with Planning, Marketing, Design, and Store teams to ensure "one brand, one vision" at the point of sale, providing the visual tools (line lists and merchandising books) necessary for success.
Coordinate and lead "buy" meetings, setting the master calendar for the buying team to ensure all milestones from development to delivery are met.
Act as the primary resource for sales staff, providing comprehensive product information and merchandising strategies to maximize retail performance.