SPEED-TO-MARKET MERCHANTPosition Title: SPEED-TO-MARKET MERCHANT Position Type: Full Time / Salary Exempt Reporting To: Director of Buying Location: Z SUPPLY - Costa Mesa, CAWork Type: Hybrid - In Office 4 Days / Remote 1 DayJOB OVERVIEWWe are looking for a highly creative, fashion-obsessed merchant to lead our Speed-to-Market eCommerce business.
This role is for someone who genuinely loves product, lives for trend discovery, and gets excited walking stores, shopping websites, scrolling social, and identifying what's next before everyone else does. You have strong merchant instincts, a strong point of view on women's fashion, an exceptional eye for product, and the ability to translate emerging trends into commercially successful assortments. You are constantly shopping-whether in stores, online, on social media, or while traveling-and have a natural curiosity about product, brands, and consumer behavior.
As the merchant leader, you will drive product direction, development, and buying strategy from concept through customer delivery. Working closely with Design, Planning, Production and eCommerce partners, you will help shape the product vision while ensuring strong financial performance.
This is a highly influential role for a merchant who loves operating at the intersection of fashion, customer insight, and business strategy.
POSITION DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES- Drive the product vision, assortment strategy, and buying for the Speed-to-Market eCommerce business.
- Identify emerging trends, white-space opportunities, and customer demand signals to bring fashion-right product to market quickly and effectively.
- Partner closely with the SMU Design team to influence product concepts, silhouettes, fabrications, colors, and key seasonal trends.
- Serve as the voice of the customer, translating market insights, customer data and shopping behaviors into compelling product opportunities.
- Build and manage assortments that deliver a strong point of view while achieving sales, margin, and inventory goals.
- Analyze business performance and react quickly to trends, opportunities, and risks.
- Partner with Planning to manage OTB, inventory investments, and in-season opportunities.
- Shop the market relentlessly, monitoring competitors, contemporary brands, luxury brands, emerging labels, social trends, influencers, and consumer behavior.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to bring product to market with speed, quality, and profitability.
- Drive category performance through a combination of trend intuition, customer understanding, and data-driven decision making.
QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE / SKILLS / COMPETENCIES- 8+ years of buying, merchandising, or product development experience in women's apparel.
- Experience within premium contemporary brands or multi-brand fashion retailer strongly preferred.
- Deep understanding of women's fashion trends, the contemporary marketplace, and the competitive landscape.
- A true merchant and shopper at heart with a passion for product and a strong eye for emerging trends.
- Proven success developing and buying trend-driven assortments that resonate with customers.
- Strong understanding of retail math, inventory management, margin, and Open-to-Buy.
- Experience partnering closely with Design and Product Development teams to bring trend-right product to market.
- Ability to balance strong product instincts with analytical decision making.
- Naturally curious, highly collaborative, and energized by a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Z SUPPLY PERKSAt Z SUPPLY, departments work cross-functionally enabling everyone to further their knowledge and expertise in an inclusive, supportive environment that is committed to healthy work/life balance, peer mentorship, and community outreach. In addition to a collaborative and supportive culture, here are a few additional perks that are enjoyed by the Z SUPPLY team:
- Half-Day Fridays year-round
- Generous clothing discount
- New chic and modern offices located near top restaurants and shopping in Costa Mesa, CA
- Comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
- 401K with discretionary employer match of up to $2500
- Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, Paid Preventative Health Care Time Off, Paid Birthdays and various other company perks and benefits.
- Paid Maternity & Paternity leave following 1-2 years of service
- Collaborative, cohesive team environment focused on a thriving, progressive , inclusive & dynamic company culture
ANNUAL SALARY RANGE $120,000-$125,000At Z SUPPLY, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Want to join our growing team? Apply today.We hope we get the chance to work with you! 
