Sr. Manager, Footwear Buyer

Fleet Feet; Carrboro (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading footwear retailer in Carrboro seeks a Senior Manager, Buyer of Footwear. This role involves developing strategies to enhance sales and optimize inventory across various locations. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of retail buying experience and strong analytical skills. The position offers a hybrid work schedule with 25% travel required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years in specialty retail buying or merchandise planning, specifically in footwear.
• Proficiency in analyzing sales data and managing inventory effectively.
• Ability to develop and execute strategies for sales and margins.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to create strategies that drive sales and optimize inventory.
• Lead footwear planning and business trend analysis.
• Oversee product launches and vendor interactions.

Skills

Retail buying experience

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Operational excellence

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Retail Management

Tools

NetSuite

Excel

Job description

The Senior Manager, Buyer of Footwear will play a pivotal role developing & driving the in season footwear strategies to enhance sales, improve margins and optimize inventory turnover across our company-owned locations. A successful candidate for this position is a strategic leader with extensive retail buying experience, strong analytical skills, and the ability to collaborate with internal teams across Supply Chain, Retail Operations, Finance, Information Technology, and our footwear suppliers to drive operational excellence and support our sales objectives.

This position is hybrid, with the expectation of being in the office three days per week. We are Fleet Feet, a large running retailer with more than 270 stores and a robust e-commerce site. We pride ourselves on an inclusive environment and delivering unmatched service and support when outfitting every customer. We like to keep things high-spirited, fast-paced and focused on helping our customers and our brand.

General Responsibilities

• Strategy Development: Collaborate with the team to create and implement strategies that drive sales, improve margins, and optimize inventory turnover while aligning to Fleet Feet customers\' needs.
• Operational Excellence: Lead the execution of footwear in-season planning and business trend analysis through data management and system / tool adoption. Propose improvements for more effective business management.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with various teams to share insights on assortment, pricing, marketing, and merchandising. Leverage in-season takeaways to inform and shape future strategies.
• Ecommerce Management: Oversee the integration of Fleet Feet\'s Ecommerce channel\'s buying and sales analysis into weekly business reviews.
• Seasonal Product Launches: Oversee in-season deliverables for new product launches and open order book execution, including coordination with Merchants on assortment strategies and financial targets.
• Operational Management: Ensure timely receipt of orders / products through partnership & collaboration with the Business Operations team. Handle seasonal assortment management, distribution center assortment and store groupings.
• Performance Analysis: Conduct performance reviews, analyze promotional success, and monitor product life cycles. Propose actions for high and low-performing SKUs, including markdowns or transfers.
• Inventory Management: Oversee management of the seasonal MAP and product launch updates and communication, in partnership with our vendor partners. Oversee execution of timely vendor reorders, open order / bulk consumption and ensure product movement aligns with planned rates.
• Vendor Partnership: Own in-season strategy in partnership with vendor partners. Oversee day-to-day vendor interactions, including new SKU and PO uploads. Lead end-of-season analysis and review size ratios and other seasonal opportunities.
• Sales Analysis: Analyze sales across brick-and-mortar stores, ecommerce, in-store apps, and drop-ship channels to identify purchasing opportunities and optimize inventory management.

Leadership & Development Responsibilities

• Process Optimization: Collaborate with the Director to regularly review and enhance processes for the corporate footwear business, ensuring they remain effective and scalable.
• Goal Setting & Strategy: Work with the Director to set goals and develop roadmaps that support the growth and evolution of the business.
• Team Accountability: Foster a culture of urgency and responsibility within the footwear buying team, focusing on product life cycle management, performance metrics, and vendor relationships.
• Coaching & Mentorship: Provide coaching to the footwear buying team, addressing issues promptly and encouraging continuous improvement.
• Change Management: Facilitate clear communication and alignment within the team when business changes occur, ensuring successful adoption and implementation of new strategies.
• People Management: Adhere to Fleet Feet\'s management guidelines, involving appropriate personnel for support and resolution of employee-related issues.

Accountable KPIs

• Sales vP (variance to plan)
• Inv % vP
• WOS (Weeks of Stock)
• Sell-Through %

Experience & Expertise

• Industry Experience: Minimum of 5-7 years in specialty retail buying or merchandise planning, specifically in footwear.
• Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to analyze sales data, forecast trends, and manage inventory effectively. Proficiency in NetSuite is preferable.
• Strategic Planning: Demonstrated experience in developing and executing strategies to enhance sales, margins, and inventory turnover.

Technical Skills

• Data Management: Advanced skills in data analysis and management tools. Proficiency in Excel and retail management software.
• Brick & Mortar / Ecommerce Expertise: Experience with managing and analyzing brick & mortar and ecommerce channels, including integration of the two into business reviews.
• Operational Proficiency: Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, seasonal planning, and operational logistics.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Ability to work collaboratively with various teams (e.g., Marketing, Operations) to share insights and develop strategies.
• Vendor Management: Experience managing vendor relationships, including strategy development, performance analysis, and day-to-day interactions.
• Team Leadership: Proven track record of fostering team accountability, providing coaching and mentorship, and driving organizational change.

Performance & Inventory Management

• Performance Analysis: Expertise in conducting performance reviews, analyzing promotional success, and monitoring product life cycles. Ability to propose actions for optimizing inventory.
• Inventory Control: Experience in handling seasonal MAP updates, vendor reorders, and ensuring product movement aligns with planned rates.

Communication & Adaptability

• Effective Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience facilitating team alignment and managing change.
• Problem-Solving: Demonstrated ability to address issues proactively and implement solutions effectively.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, or a related field. Advanced degrees or certifications are a plus.

Travel

• 25% travel required