Lead Buyer, Direct-to-Consumer (Footwear & Apparel)

Brooks Running • Seattle, WA

14d • $110,571 - $165,857 • Onsite

About The Position

As the Lead Buyer, Direct-to-Consumer (Footwear & Apparel) at Brooks, you are strategic and consumer obsessed with the ability to shape the product assortment strategy for our footwear and apparel categories across our owned digital and physical retail channels. This role will establish new processes, define cross functional operating rhythms, and build the foundational infrastructure for a scalable DTC buying discipline. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who is excited to build cross-functional partnerships and processes and define how buying contributes to our direct-to-consumer success.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or related field; equivalent years of experience can be considered in lieu of degree(s)
• 7+ years of experience in buying in footwear or apparel; omnichannel experience preferred
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel and merchandising systems
• Deep understanding of retail metrics (sell-through, margin, AUR, UPT)
• Proven ability to build and execute consumer-informed assortment strategies
• Experience standing up new processes, tools, or operating rhythms within a growing or evolving organizational structure preferred
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building new processes from the group up
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Passion for product and the consumer experience
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!

Responsibilities

• Assortment Strategy & Buying Create repeatable seasonal assortment frameworks and decision-making processes to support a growing, multi-channel DTC business.
• Lead seasonal assortment planning for footwear and apparel across BrooksRunning.com and retail stores, balancing brand vision with consumer demand.
• Manage assortment plans across multiple seasons and the product lifestyle.
• Use historical data, competitive insights, and market trends to inform future buys, identify whitespace opportunities, and optimize current assortments; includes exploring and defining channel-right segmentation, exclusives, launch sequencing, and seasonal product hierarchy.
• Partner with eCommerce and Retail Merchandising to bring assortments to life across digital and physical marketing and merchandising touchpoints.
• Tailor store assortments to local needs and seasonal transitions.
• Performance & Inventory Optimization Analyze sales performance, margin, sell-through, and consumer feedback to guide in-season adjustments and future planning.
• Collaborate with the eCommerce Merchandising and Marketing teams to communicate priority products and lines.
• Collaborate with Planning and Demand teams to ensure demand plans are in order and can be passed to Market Supply Planning to ensure inventory supports business goals and minimizes excess.
• Lead in-season business management (sell-through analysis, markdowns, accelerations) using real-time DTC insights.
• Represent DTC business in UMAP and markdown planning sessions with Wholesale and Planning teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process Building Build strong relationships with Retail Planning & Analytics, Demand Planning, Product Merchandising, eCommerce Merchandising, and Marketing.
• Define cross-functional operating model for DTC merchandising, aligning Product, Planning, Creative, Marketing, and eCommerce Merchandising around seasonal DTC priorities.
• Represent DTC through GTM milestones (e.g., seasonal assortment reviews, preline reviews, pricing/UMAP inputs, etc.) and lead DTC seasonal product briefs and align Marketing and eCommerce Merchandising.
• Advocate for the consumer across all touchpoints, ensuring assortments reflect both brand vision and customer needs; serve as Brooks’ subject-matter expert on DTC product needs, representing consumer expectations and channel-specific opportunities.
• Apparel Growth Strategy Identify and lead opportunity planning to grow the apparel category through testing, consumer insights, and performance analysis.
• Champion new styles and refine assortments based on learnings to improve sales performance and category profitability.
• Develop test-and-learn frameworks for apparel in DTC, shaping how Brooks pilots new styles, colorways, and merchandising strategies in owned channels.

Benefits

• Benefits - including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.
• Paid Time Off - Brooks offers generous time off including three to five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.
• Bonus -in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.
• Perks - including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.

What This Job Offers

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