Buyer (100% Remote)

Founded in 1938, our Customer is a retail and outdoor recreation services corporation. They bring you top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, and rental equipment - while inspiring stories of life outside and outdoor experiences. They work closely with partners all over the globe, allowing them to make a larger impact across the outdoor industry. From seeking better ways of making goods, to advancing fair trade manufacturing practices, to putting profits to good use, they make it easier for customers to shop their values.

We are seeking a Buyer on a contract basis to help support our Customer's business needs. This role is 100% remote.

This role is accountable for the financial performance and operational management of an assigned category. With guidance from senior leadership, responsibilities include contributing to business planning and driving sales, inventory turn, margin, and in-stock goals to support overall business performance.

The position is responsible for end-to-end product lifecycle management, including assortment planning, promotional product selection, and contributions to retail and marketing storytelling initiatives. Additional responsibilities include managing internal workflows through collaboration with vendors, planning, replenishment teams, and cross-functional partners.

The role also oversees style plan management and partners with merchandising data specialists to coordinate product data creation and maintenance. Success in this position requires building and maintaining strong vendor relationships to support shared sales and profitability objectives while aligning with organizational values and mission.

Responsibilities:

• Create assortment strategies aligned with specialty shop objectives, financial targets, market trends, and vendor performance.
• Partner with the Category Planning Manager to develop initial sales forecasts for assigned product categories.
• Build customer-focused assortments by considering product attributes, activity levels, pricing strategies, and market trends.
• Reconcile style plans and marketing continuities with financial and space plans at class and department levels.
• Set retail pricing based on market conditions, customer needs, and vendor and corporate guidelines.
• Review and resolve in-season assortment requests and product-related issues.
• Partner with Visual Merchandising on product presentation opportunities and execution.
• Communicate assortment direction, pricing, cost, terms, distribution, and marketing information to cross-functional teams.
• Coordinate dissemination of product information to Marketing and Retail teams through established communication processes.
• Build and maintain vendor relationships to support profitability and business growth.
• Negotiate vendor costs, terms, discounts, freight, co-op agreements, and marketing support.
• Identify and evaluate new vendors and innovative product opportunities.
• Support vendor inventory and terms initiatives.
• Coordinate vendor collaboration efforts and marketing fund agreements.
• Understand and apply specialty shop product strategies and business objectives.
• Contribute to short- and long-term strategic and business planning initiatives.
• Monitor competitive, industry, and specialty retail trends.
• Coordinate forecasting activities related to new products, product life cycles, service levels, and delivery schedules.
• Manage category workflow timelines in partnership with planning and replenishment teams.
• Collaborate with visual merchandising and digital teams to execute category strategies.
• Support digital selling opportunities and marketing initiatives.
• Conduct competitive and operational analysis as needed.
• Coordinate vendor and product data implementation activities.
• Resolve cross-divisional and vendor operational issues.
• Maintain vendor MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policy information.
• Manage product sample organization and tracking.
• Partner with Merchandising Data Specialists and Forecast Analysts to manage open orders.

Skills and Qualifications:

• 4-year college degree or equivalent experience.
• 2-3 years of merchandising experience.
• Familiarity with tactical buying processes, including vendor meeting preparation, business reviews, assorting processes, SKU management, and pricing strategies.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience with product inventory analysis, acquisition, allocation, and management across multiple stores and direct sales channels.
• Understanding of merchandising math principles, including initial markup, gross margin, markdowns, shrinkage, damages, inventory turnover, and open-to-buy.
• Familiarity and interest in outdoor retail products, activities, and services.
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills across cross-functional teams.
• Flexible mindset with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and organizational direction.
• Strong business judgment and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to consolidate information from multiple sources to make sound business decisions.
• Strong customer-focused decision-making abilities.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
• Ability to execute effectively while managing deadlines and communicating progress.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to influence others and drive organizational goals.
• Ability to challenge the status quo and support change initiatives.

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Contractor benefits are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements)

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.