Buyer, Womens Advanced Designer

060 SAKS & CO LLC; New Mexico; On-site; USD 87,000 - 148,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Employee discount

Job summary

Exemplar Luxury Group is seeking an experienced Buyer to drive merchandising strategy and product direction for assigned categories, ensuring a customer-centric assortment that aligns with our luxury standards. You will lead purchasing, negotiate with brand partners, and mentor a team of Associate Buyers, Assistant Buyers, and Coordinators to achieve sales and financial goals.

You will collaborate with Planners on pre-season and in-season planning, manage market activities, and travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent retail experience.
• 5+ years of experience in a buying office with a strong understanding of buying operations and retail strategy.
• Expertise in retail math, including markup, margin planning, OTB, WOS, T/O, GMROI, and assortment planning.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management capabilities in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong internal and vendor relationships.
• Strong customer focus with a results-driven mindset and the ability to manage ambiguity.
• Highly organized with strong planning, prioritization, and conflict management skills.
• Strategic thinker with the agility to adapt to changing business needs.
• Willingness to travel, including internationally, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Assortment Strategy: Provide input on category and pre-season planning strategy in collaboration with Planners based on past performance and knowledge on trends/brand insights, and execute on the strategy throughout the season.
• In-Season Management: Review daily performance reports and work closely with Planner counterparts to gather insights on trending products, categories, brands, etc., pull in-season levers to optimize performance and prepare for monthly OTB meetings to provide bottoms-up context and elevate opportunities and risks to Leads.
• Leadership Development: Provide mentorship and hands-on training to Associate Buyers, Assistant Buyers, and Coordinators, equipping them with the business acumen and practical skills needed to become successful future Buyers.

Skills

Negotiation

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Travel internationally

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent retail experience

Job description

Job Description:

WHO WE ARE: Exemplar Luxury Group is the largest multi-brand luxury retailer in the world, comprising Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks OFF 5TH. Powered by our talented colleagues, we are redefining luxury shopping by offering each customer a personalized experience across our store network and e-commerce platforms. Through strong partnerships with the world’s most esteemed brands, cutting-edge technology and the industry’s most comprehensive luxury customer data, Saks Global is shaping the future of retail.

YOU WILL BE:

As Buyer, you will be responsible for the overall merchandising strategy and product direction within assigned categories or departments, aiming to meet or exceed sales, margin, and financial objectives. This role focuses on curating the most distinctive and high-quality merchandise that reflects Saks Global’s exceptional standards and aligns with customer needs and preferences. Leveraging competitive intelligence, customer insights, and business analysis, you will ensure a customer-centric assortment that drives performance. In addition to leading the purchasing and negotiation of merchandise, you will partner with Merchandise Planners to develop and execute strategies that maximize business opportunities. As the Buyer, you will also manage and mentor a team of Associate Buyers, Assistant Buyers, and Coordinators, fostering collaboration and ensuring alignment with business goals.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Assortment Strategy: Provide input on category and pre-season planning strategy in collaboration with Planners based on past performance and knowledge on trends/brand insights, and execute on the strategy throughout the season. Build customer-centered assortment framework and allocation strategy based on customer and trend insights from Stores, Digital, CACI and Fashion and provide guidelines for allocation teams to follow. Set strategies for product display and flow (e.g., launch dates, weeks of full-price selling, cross-sell opportunities, collection considerations) in alignment with guardrails from Planning and Marketing Market Activities. Lead market prep activities and attend market to select the best product in alignment with guardrails from Planning (e.g., Checkbook, OTB) and category direction from BP & Buying Leads (e.g., omni strategy, banner differentiation). Coordinate buys with brand partners, collaborate on exclusive merchandise, manage day-to-day communication around in-season brand performance, trending styles, chase opportunities and resolve escalated order management issues.
• In-Season Management: Review daily performance reports and work closely with Planner counterparts to gather insights on trending products, categories, brands, etc., pull in-season levers to optimize performance and prepare for monthly OTB meetings to provide bottoms-up context and elevate opportunities and risks to Leads. Serve as the owner of their business, constantly negotiating with Brand Partners throughout the season to improve performance (e.g., style swaps, capsules, RTVs, matrix expansion, markdowns).
• Leadership Development: Provide mentorship and hands-on training to Associate Buyers, Assistant Buyers, and Coordinators, equipping them with the business acumen and practical skills needed to become successful future Buyers.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:

Required Qualifications (Minimum Requirements):

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent retail experience.
• 5+ years of experience in a buying office with a strong understanding of buying operations and retail strategy.
• Proven business acumen with strong financial, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
• Expertise in retail math, including markup, margin planning, OTB, WOS, T/O, GMROI, and assortment planning.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management capabilities in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong internal and vendor relationships.
• Strong customer focus with a results-driven mindset and the ability to manage ambiguity.
• Highly organized with strong planning, prioritization, and conflict management skills.
• Strategic thinker with the agility to adapt to changing business needs.
• Willingness to travel, including internationally, as needed.

YOUR LIFE AND CAREER AT SAKS GLOBAL:

• Opportunity to work in a dynamic fast paced environment at a company experiencing growth and transformation.
• Exposure to rewarding career advancement opportunities across the largest multi-brand luxury retailer from retail to distribution, to digital or corporate.
• Comprehensive benefits package for all eligible full-time employees (including medical, vision and dental).
• An amazing employee discount.

BENEFITS:

• Medical insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Basic life insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance.
• Disability insurance.
• A variety of additional voluntary benefits (such as critical illness, hospital and accident insurance).

Exemplar Luxury Group is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

Salary Range $87,400 - $148,000* Compensation for this role varies by geographic location. The listed range reflects multiple markets, including higher-cost areas. Actual starting pay will be determined based on work location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Exemplar Luxury Group is a world-renowned luxury ecommerce destination. The company’s unique approach combines a focus on the digital customer experience with a strong connection to a network of extraordinary stores that extends that seamless experience into the real world. On its website and app, Exemplar Luxury Group offers an unparalleled selection of curated merchandise across fashion for women and men, beauty, jewelry, home décor and more. In addition to the shopping experience, customers come to Exemplar Luxury Group for inspiring editorial content, access to digital stylists, lifestyle experiences and other world-class services. The company is currently in the midst of a dramatic expansion, driven by significant enhancements to its platforms and offerings, with the goal of becoming the preeminent destination for luxury internationally.