Associate Buyer, Women's Contemporary/Designer

Location: New York, NY, US

Job Opened: August 12th, 2024

Job Number: R-108908

Remote: No

Category: Merchandise

Job Type: regular

Saks OFF 5TH is the premier luxury off-price destination. In its more than 100 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and online, at SaksOFF5TH.com, the company provides the best names in fashion at an incredible value through its merchandise authority, unparalleled brand access and seamless connection between ecommerce and stores. 

What This Position Is All About:

Saks OFF 5TH is the premier online luxury off-price destination. Through its website and app, Saks OFF 5TH provides a compelling assortment of brands to fashion-seeking customers at the best prices. The company is reimagining traditional off-price with a digitally-native model focused on customer experience.

What This Position is All About:
The Associate Buyer, Footwear, Seasonal/Modern/Designer is responsible for supporting the Buyer in developing an omni merchandise strategy with a focus on our customer. Relationship building is key with internal and external partners. In this role, you will use your negotiation and communication skills to build strong vendor relationships. The position will collaborate with cross functional teams in order to hit financial goals.

Who Are You:
• Action-Oriented: Not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning. Seizes opportunities more than others. Armed with enough information to make good business decisions quickly.
• Embracing Ambiguity: Shifts gears comfortably. Can decide and act without having the total picture. Comfortable handling risk and uncertainty.
• Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly. Can anticipate future consequences and outcomes accurately.
• Decision Making: Makes decisions in a timely manner, sometimes with incomplete information and under tight deadlines and pressure.
• Perseverance: Able to push through to closure, even with business challenges or setbacks. Motivates team to maintain focus.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Builds constructive and effective relationships internally and externally. Maintains key vendor relationships and continually develops new resources.
• Learning on the Fly: Able to learn quickly and be open to change. Able to grasp the underlying issue and path to resolution, especially in problem solving. Able to develop own resources.
• Time management/Priority: Uses time effectively and efficiently. Able to shift priorities as needed and manage multiple competing priorities at the same time. Can attend to a broad scope of activities.
• Career Ambition/Self-Development: Strong knowledge of self. Able to articulate and utilize strengths, while creating a plan to develop areas of opportunity. Able to size up situations and flex personal style as needed.
• Taste Level: Knows how to buy for the customer. Maintains view of overall assortment and is able to quickly seize opportunities.

You Also Have:
• Bachelor's Degree
• Must have 3-5 years of experience in a buying capacity
• Planning experience a plus
• Strong analytical skill set
• Strong ability to influence
• Entrepreneurial mindset and fast learner

As The Associate Buyer, Footwear, Seasonal/Modern/Designer you will:
Business Acumen:
• Accountable for developing strategic vision for a defined portion of the Buyers portfolio. Has a broad view of how business works. Uses data to make prudent and effective business decisions. Knowledgeable in key policies, processes, trends, practices. Anticipates business changes in a proactive manner and is adaptable to change.
• Feels comfortable chasing business and managing liquidity expectations. Comfortable with taking calculated risks.
• Partner with Planning on managing OTB hitting key metrics and liquidity targets
• Writing buys based off of business analysis and assortment-planning tool. Works closely with vendors, monitors industry trends, evaluates competition, and attends market.
• Analyzes business and maximizes opportunities. Manages receipts and flow of goods. Negotiates and collaborates with vendors.
• Drives execution of the merchandise strategy, focusing on in-season management to ensure optimal productivity
• Continue to build and grow strong and meaningful vendor relationships
• Analyze reports to help synthesize data from all aspects of the business and multiple data points to quickly size risks and opportunities
• Ability to work through ambiguity, while maintaining the agility and speed necessary to react to an off-price buying environment
• Makes all business decisions in their area of responsibility with the customer experience in mind, becoming a customer champion in all aspects of the buying process
Strong Negotiator:
• Strong working knowledge of price/value equation and anticipates the needs of the business
• Negotiate and secure merchandise for seasonal opportunities both in-season and packaway
Business Pulse:
• Exhibits a strong sense of current business at any given moment
• Monitors and reacts to inventory productivity
• Collaborates with cross functional partners to create business plans and develop promotional strategies
• Has a pulse on the market trends and the competitive landscape
Building Partnerships:
• Works closely and works well with all cross functional teams
• Continues to gain knowledge of store landscapes and localization strategies
• Navigate through the nuances of online promotions and strategies
• Work with marketing teams on promotions and event pricing
Planning Knowledge and Partnerships:
• Identifies business opportunities with planning team
• Thorough understanding of open-to-buy, markdown management and financials
• Partner with Planning team with product assortments

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $75,000 and $80,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if a candidate receives an offer of employment.
 

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Your Life and Career at Saks OFF 5TH:

  • Be part of an empowered, innovative team; work with an adventurous spirit and a customer-centric mindset; play a critical role in making decisions that will position us to win
  • Exposure to rewarding career advancement opportunities across different functions within our corporate offices, retail stores, photo studios, and distribution centers
  • A culture that promotes a flexible work environment
  • Benefits package for all eligible full-time employees (including medical, dental and vision)
  • An amazing employee discount and other exciting perks

Thank you for your interest with Saks OFF 5TH. We look forward to reviewing your application.

We believe that our differences not only make us stronger, but also guide our evolution and future growth. All associates are expected to create an inclusive environment free from harassment, discrimination, and bullying.Together, we celebrate, advocate for, and learn from our colleagues, customers and communities to create the best environment to shop and work for all.

Your Life and Career at Saks OFF 5TH:

  • Be part of an empowered, innovative team; work with an adventurous spirit and a customer-centric mindset; play a critical role in making decisions that will position us to win
  • Exposure to rewarding career advancement opportunities across different functions within our corporate offices, retail stores, photo studios, and distribution centers
  • A culture that promotes a flexible work environment 
  • Benefits package for all eligible full-time employees (including medical, dental and vision)
  • An amazing employee discount and other exciting perks

Thank you for your interest with Saks OFF 5TH. We look forward to reviewing your application.

We believe that our differences not only make us stronger, but also guide our evolution and future growth. All associates are expected to create an inclusive environment free from harassment, discrimination, and bullying.Together, we celebrate, advocate for, and learn from our colleagues, customers and communities to create the best environment to shop and work for all.