Senior Buyer

About The Company

Paul Fredrick is a menswear brand rooted in timeless style, quality craftsmanship, and a refined approach to dressing. We specialize in direct-to-consumer menswear, combining classic tailoring and elevated essentials with modern versatility. Our mission is to provide men with superior quality clothing that exudes confidence and style.

Position Overview

The Senior Buyer is responsible for leading the merchandising and buying strategy for assigned men’s apparel and accessories categories within a growing omni channel environment, with an emphasis on Ecommerce. This role owns the end-to-end product lifecycle, including assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, financial performance, and team leadership. The Senior Buyer drives sales, gross margin, and inventory productivity while ensuring a compelling and competitive product offering aligned with brand vision and customer demand. The Senior Buyer provides leadership, coaching, and development for an Associate Buyer and Merchandising Assistant. As a key cross-functional partner, the Senior Buyer collaborates closely with Planning, Creative, Marketing, and Operations to ensure successful execution of merchandising strategies and business objectives.

Mercanding Strategy & Ownership

• Lead development and execution of seasonal and annual product strategies for assigned categories.
• Define and drive assortment architecture, ensuring alignment with customer insights, trends, competitive landscape, and business goals.
• Own category-level financial performance including sales, gross margin, turn, and inventory productivity.
• Analyze historical performance and leverage data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions.

Buying & Product Development

• Make final buying decisions including product selection, pricing strategy, and order quantities.
• Oversee product development process, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and margin targets.
• Collaborate with design/vendor partners to deliver exclusive and differentiated product.
• Evaluate product performance and optimize assortments through in-season management.

Vendor Management & Negotiation

• Establish and maintain strong vendor relationships; act as primary point of contact for key suppliers.
• Lead negotiations around cost, margin, minimums, lead times, and delivery schedules.
• Identify and onboard new vendors to enhance assortment and drive innovation.
• Ensure vendor accountability in quality, delivery, and compliance.

Inventory & Financial Management

• Partner closely with Planning to develop and execute category-level financial plans.
• Manage open-to-buy and ensure alignment with sales trends and inventory targets.
• Oversee purchase order strategy, ensuring accuracy, timing, and execution.
• Lead in-season adjustments including reorder decisions, markdown strategy, and exit plans.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage, mentor, and develop an Associate Buyer and Merchandising Assistant, providing guidance on merchandising, analysis, and professional development.
• Delegate responsibilities effectively while maintaining accountability for overall category results.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Creative and Marketing teams to ensure cohesive product storytelling and go-to-market execution.
• Provide direction for product presentation, copy accuracy, pricing strategy, and promotional alignment.
• Participate in key milestone meetings including assortment reviews, catalog planning, and marketing presentations.
• Collaborate with Operations and Logistics to ensure timely delivery and product availability.

Trend & Market Analysis

• Continuously monitor industry trends, competitive landscape, and customer behavior.
• Translate insights into actionable assortment strategies and new product opportunities.
• Shop the market regularly to stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in men’s fashion.

Requirements

• Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or related field preferred.
• 5–8+ years of buying experience, preferably in ecommerce and menswear.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth and managing profitable product categories.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Advanced analytical and financial acumen.
• Deep understanding of men’s apparel and accessories trends and customer preferences.
• Strategic thinker with strong product instincts and creative vision.
• Excellent negotiation and vendor management expertise.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and merchandising systems.

Work Environment

This is a hybrid position: remote work and in-office at our headquarters in Wyomissing, PA.