BUYER (LEVEL I) - BEAUTY CARE

Navy Exchange Service Command; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 72,804 - 92,449; Full time

Job summary

Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) in Virginia Beach is seeking a Buyer I – Beauty Care to build an exciting beauty assortment for servicemembers and families worldwide. You will influence product selection from skincare to personal care, driving sales, margins, and stock turnover while collaborating with global vendors and internal teams.

The role offers hands-on buying experience in a large retail organization with opportunities for professional growth and exposure to trend analysis,

Qualifications

• 7 years total experience across merchandising, procurement and related areas.
• Up to bachelor’s degree substitution allowed for general experience.
• 4 years progressive procurement/merchandising experience with open-to-buy, sourcing and promotions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement business strategy for assigned category to meet sales and margin goals.
• Lead and develop a team including an Assistant Buyer and a Merchandiser.
• Analyze trends to optimize stock assortments and seasonal plans.

Skills

Merchandising

Vendor relations

Forecasting

Inventory planning

Negotiation

Category management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Data Warehouse

Category Scorecard

Job description

Job Description - BUYER (LEVEL I) - BEAUTY CARE

Job Number: 260001RE

Organization: NEXCOMHQ

Pay Range: $72,804 - $92,449 (Based on Experience)

Love discovering the latest beauty trends and products? Here's your chance to turn that passion into a career!

The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) is seeking a Buyer I – Beauty Care to help build an exciting assortment of products our customers love and rely on every day. From skincare and cosmetics to hair care and personal care essentials, you'll play a key role in selecting merchandise that enhances the shopping experience for service members, retirees, veterans, and their families worldwide.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands‑on buying experience with a global retail organization while working alongside experienced merchandising professionals. You'll develop valuable skills in merchandise planning, vendor relations, assortment management, trend analysis, and retail strategy.

This position is currently being advertised as a one-year interim assignment, with the potential to become a permanent position based on organizational needs.

Job Summary: Maximizes sales and profitability for assigned group of businesses through the development and implementation of strategy analysis and appropriate reaction to sales trend.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads the development and implementation of business strategy for a category of responsibility to achieve departmental sales, gross margin, and turnover objectives for a worldwide omni‑channel retail organization.
• Responsible for the leadership, supervision and development of a staff consisting of an Assistant Buyer and a Merchandiser.
• Analyzes market trends and offerings to develop, execute and maintain merchandise stock assortments, business strategies and goals and seasonal plans for assigned merchandise departments.
• Negotiates with vendors to obtain most favorable prices and allowances to achieve sales and profit objectives for basic and seasonal merchandise.
• Global sourcing for private label, seasonal and basic merchandise as appropriate.
• Works with other cognizant codes to develop space allocation, adjacencies, seasonal merchandise, visual guidelines and planograms for store sets and renovations.
• Develops and executes marketing plan for assigned departments. Oversees order placement and tracking to ensure timely receipt of merchandise.
• Works closely with the Divisional Merchandise Manager, Inventory and Financial Planning Teams to plan sales, gross profit and stock turn both seasonally and annually, as well as maintaining an in‑season forecast on a monthly basis.
• Analyzes financial performance using tools such as, but not limited to, Data Warehouse and Category Scorecard to ensure established goals are being met and takes appropriate corrective action when necessary.
• Determines and executes automated methods of replenishment in collaboration with the Divisional Merchandise Manager, Inventory Planning teams.
• Determines optimal order size, inventory levels and allocations needed to achieve merchandising and financial goals.
• Prepares merchandise information and training for Communication Guide through Weekly Retail Focus, Seasonal Trend Directives, Merchandise Adjacency and Presentation Guides, Special/Unadvertised Buyer Promotions, new Products and Vendor launches, Flex Zone Directives, Return to Vendor Directives, Pricing Errors Directives, Product Hold updates, Ad Flyers Errors, In Stock Issues.
• Conducts store visits as appropriate to evaluate merchandise presentation, customer demographics, stock assortments and inventory levels. Works closely with store management to address and maximize business opportunities.
• Responsible for the supervision and development of a subordinate staff to include, but not limited to, providing associate training seminars as appropriate.
• Attends trade shows and markets as appropriate.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Maintains collaborative partnerships with vendors and internal and external colleagues.
• Works under the general supervision of the Divisional Merchandise Manager. Operates independently within the Framework of NEXCOM policies, procedures, and regulations. Exercises independent judgment and approach in routine and non‑routine situations. Consults with supervisor on such issues as policy matters, deviations from normal procedures or unusual circumstances. Performance is evaluated on operational performance, skills evaluations, customer service, collaboration and teamwork, leadership and established individual performance objectives.

The incumbent of this position must file a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE) Form 450, as required.

Experience Requirements

1. Total of 7 years of experience consisting of the following:
   • GENERAL EXPERIENCE: 3 years of general experience in administrative merchandising technical or other responsible work which enabled the applicant to gain knowledge of merchandising and procurement practices and the ability to exercise mature judgment.
   • SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: 1 year of education above the high school level may be substituted for 9 months of experience up to a maximum of a 4 year bachelor’s degree for 3 years of general experience.
   • SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: 4 years of progressive experience which provided background in procurement practices, methods and procedures developing and maintaining open‑to‑buy, selecting sources of supply, comparison shopping, review of merchandise for pricing markdowns and stock rotation planning and developing sales promotions and other merchandise controls or similar work which demonstrated the knowledge and ability within the procurement operational area.