Buying Manager - Women's

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Buying/Merchandise Manager plays a crucial role in creating the best product offerings for Fashion Nova's customers. They develop and execute buying strategies, manage product assortments, and ensure financial targets are met.

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 on 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 backup
• 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

Monday – Friday | Core business hours | Onsite

BENEFITS

• New state-of-the-art HQ upcoming in 2025!
• Formalized career paths for continued professional growth
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Comprehensive health insurance across Medical, Dental and Vision
• 401k match, with immediate vesting upon eligibility
• Weekly catered lunches & fully-stock kitchen pantry!
• Opportunities to travel for trade shows and vendor meetings
• Summer Fridays Early Departure
• Team bonding events and programs
• Atrtractive employee discounts!