Associate Buyer Jobs

Job Summary
Associate Buyers are responsible for a select part of the Buyer’s overall business and must drive the merchandise strategy and assortments for this part of the business with the goal of meeting or exceeding sales, margin and turn targets. An Associate Buyer, with support from the Buyer, is responsible for the purchase and negotiation of merchandise for their business areas. Associate Buyers partner with Planners and Sourcing Managers to develop strategies to maximize business opportunities and manage the open-to-buy and analyze business trends.
Key Roles And Responsibilities

• Partner with direct sourcing on achieving margin improvement opportunities & negotiation of best costs
• Partners with Buyer/ Sr. Buyer and Planner on development of merchandise financial plans and by-door assortment strategy by providing regular and timely input
• Supports initiatives to develop and maintain best practices to constantly improve efficacy and efficiency of the merchandising organization
• Ensures deadlines and processes within the buying office are followed to meet company deadlines and timelines
• Develop and execute merchandise strategies and assortment plans in partnership with Buyer/ Sr. Buyer, Planner and Sourcing Manger, based on customer preferences, to deliver financial goals and business objectives
• In partnership with Buyer/ Sr. Buyer, responsible for product development and selection of merchandise supporting department strategy
• Review markdown candidates and make suggestions on additions/deletions in partnership with Buyer/ Sr. Buyer and Planner
• Optimize product partner matrix in partnership with direct sourcing
• React quickly and decisively to business opportunities to achieve and consistently maintain positive comp sales growth and increased comp margin
• Partner with Marketing and Digital to achieve strategic business objectives
• Leads development and implementation of reinventions, visual initiatives, EDLP + and collaborations including coordination with cross – functional partners
• Effectively manage inventory and identify risks in assortment in partnership with Buyer and Planner
• Identify business opportunities and risks in-season through analyzing sales performance and gathering marketplace information in partnership with Buyer and Planner; Implement strategies to ensure plans are achieved
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with product partners
• Travel to all necessary markets and identify product opportunities
• Partner with Buyer/ Sr. Buyer and Planner on open-to-buy process to manage business in-season and maximize opportunities

Qualifications And Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
• Demonstrates strong listening, written and oral communication skills
• Possesses a clear understanding of the supply chain: product development, sourcing, packaging and shipping
• Demonstrates leadership and decision-making skills
• Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities
• Ability develop/maintain strong working relationship with peers and cross-functional teams
• Develops creative solutions to business issues
• Demonstrate strong analytical, negotiating and problem-solving skills
• 3-5 years of retail buying, planning or related experience
• Identifies emerging trends and shops competition and market regularly
• Possesses strong merchandising, product and marketing skills
• Able to organize and prioritize workload to meet deadline
• Willing and able to travel for market and store trips
• Takes calculated risks to achieve results

Type : Exempt
When you’re a part of our team, you have the full support of a diverse, close-knit team in our stores. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local law. At Home is committed to knitting diversity and inclusion into the fabric of our culture; we respect, appreciate, and celebrate the experiences and qualities that differentiate everyone on the At Home team.
About Us
When you’re a part of our team, you have the full support of a diverse, close-knit team in our stores. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local law. At Home is committed to knitting diversity and inclusion into the fabric of our culture; we respect, appreciate and celebrate the experiences and qualities that differentiate everyone on the At Home team.