9+ years of experience in apparel buying, preferably in eCommerce fashion
Minimum 2 years team management experience
Strong knowledge of fashion trends and passion for the industry
Vendor negotiation experience, focusing on product quality and costs
Excellent prioritization and organization skills with strong analytical ability
High proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Workspace
Bachelor's degree in Fashion, Production, Design, or equivalent experience
Responsibilities
Develop and execute buyer strategies for trend-driven product assortments
Conduct market research to forecast emerging fashion trends
Lead negotiations with suppliers to optimize pricing and margins
Manage weekly sales performance and maintain alignment with inventory levels
Collaborate with cross-functional teams for timely product launches
Utilize data to continuously optimize product offerings
Mentor and develop the buyer team in vendor relations and negotiation skills
Benefits
State-of-the-art headquarters set to open in 2025
Defined career advancement paths
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) options
Comprehensive health insurance including Medical, Dental, and Vision
401k matching with immediate vesting
Weekly catered lunches and a well-stocked pantry
Travel opportunities for trade shows and vendor meetings
Early departures on Summer Fridays
Team bonding events and programs
Employee discounts on products
Full Job Description
ROLE OVERVIEW
Under the guidance of the VP of Buying, you as a Buying/Merchandise Manager on the Men's team, 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
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
