Buying Manager - Women's

ROLE OVERVIEW

Under the guidance of the VP of Buying, you as a Buying/Merchandise Manager, will work to create the appropriate merchandise mix based on emerging trends, and manage the assortment strategies established by your team leaders. You will also be responsible for managing your category product assortment and delivering on financial targets while also managing a team of buyers. Your role is essential to ensuring Fashion Nova has the best product offerings for our customers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive Assortment Strategy: Develop and execute buying strategies to curate trend-driven product assortments that align with customer preferences and seasonal trends, while achieving optimal SKU count and balancing newness vs. replenishment inventory 
• Trend Forecasting: Stay ahead of fashion trends by conducting market research, keeping a pulse runway trends, and analyzing social media and competitors to ensure a competitive and forward-thinking product mix. Utilize research to work with in-house production team and suppliers to drive on-trend newness 
• Cost Negotiation & Margin Optimization: Lead pricing negotiations with suppliers to secure the best cost structures while maintaining product quality, ensuring profitability, and maximizing margins in a highly competitive market
• Financial Management: Manage weekly sales performance, open-to-buy budgets, pricing, margin targets, and inventory levels, ensuring alignment with sales goals and profit margins, while optimizing the balance of newness and replenishment, and minimizing markdowns
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with production, replenishment, planning, and creative teams to ensure timely deliveries, fast replenishment of high-demand styles, successful promotions to maximize sales opportunities, and cohesive product launches
• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilize sales performance data, customer reviews, and market insights to continuously optimize product assortments and increase profitability
• Mentor buyers in vendor relations, attending all vendor meetings to help strengthen their negotiation skills and teaching them how to maximize our vendor base
• Organize and present your areas’ big ideas on orders so all cross functional teams are aware of key incoming trends
• Attend and participate in weekly marketing meetings, voicing needs for your categories
• Review and approve all extension requests, prices, and colors including lab dip approvals and fabric confirmations for your areas
• Cover the area when the Category Director is unavailable, functioning as their back up
• Strategically scout and evaluate new vendors to support business needs

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• 9+ years of experience in Buying for apparel, ideally within an eCommerce fashion brand, with at least 2 years of experience managing a team of buyers 
• Strong understanding of current and emerging fashion trends, with a deep passion for the fashion industry
• Experience working with vendors and negotiating product quality, costs, and delivery dates with vendors
• Excellent prioritization, project management, organization skills, and attention to detail, in addition to strong analytical skills to support data-driven decisions
• High Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Workspace
• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Production, Design or related field, or equivalent work experience
• English, additional language(s) an advantage
• Schedule of this position: Monday – Friday | Core business hours | Onsite