Senior Category Buyer
Location : On-site - Fort Wayne, IN
Level : Salaried
Division / Department : Merchandising
Reporting to position : VP of Merchandising
About the role : The Senior Category Buyer is responsible for leading, directing, and developing one or more teams within Merchandising to develop and deliver to members programs and products to keep members competitive, profitable, in stock, and at the forefront of change and innovation. Keeps the teams focused on vendors, products, promotions, and pricing related activities to benefit members.
Responsibilities :
- Strategic Planning and budgeting for assigned areas
- Strategic Planning specifically on : Sales strategies for departments and product categories
- Product Assortment strategies for departments and product categories
- Negotiations and program development with vendors
- Managing, directing, and developing staff
- Achieving Annual Performance Targets for each department on sales, margins, turns, and service level
- Oversight and guidance on supplier selection and negotiations
- Oversight and guidance on landed cost and pricing calculations
- Oversight and guidance on RSC product assortment
- Oversight and guidance on private label product assortment
- Oversight and guidance on item selection for promotions
- Oversight and guidance on Market programs and specials
- Oversight and guidance on Member visits, sales opportunities, and communications
- Oversight and guidance on work with the Alliance
- Other related responsibilities as assigned
- Participate on special projects (as assigned or self-perpetuated). Set objectives, determine action plans and set target completion dates.
- Assume a leadership role in the Division and the Company
- Assume a leadership role related to Merchandising topics with members and vendors
- Develop sales, gross profit and stock turn goals for departments annually
- Develop annual Key Initiatives for each Merchandising team
Education and Experience : Minimum
4 year college degree in business or related field8-10 years business experience (purchasing focus ideally)Proficient in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, Access)Home Improvement industry experiencePast record of accomplishments2-5 years Management ExperienceDesired
Retail experienceRetail financial planning and assortment planning experienceInternational or Global Sourcing experience including foreign supplier visitsExperience on a national perspectiveSkills and Abilities :
Ability to work effectively in a team environment.Ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently; flexibleAbility to effectively communicate complex and controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audienceAbility to partner with, collaborate with and influence internal and external team membersComplete assignments in a timely mannerStrong communications, organizational and project management skillsAbility to coach and develop team membersStrong analytical skills and attention to detailsSelf-starter with ability to draw conclusions and find solutionsDemonstrate a professional and positive demeanorBenefits available to you :
Full insurance benefits package including Medical, Dental, & VisionPaid time off to foster work / life balanceProfit sharingBonus Pay opportunitiesRetirement funding opportunitiesEducation reimbursementHealth club reimbursementCareer advancement opportunitiesAbout Do it Best :
At Do it Best, we take pride in being the only U.S.based, member-owned hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. Our philosophy is to serve thousands of member-owned locations in more than 50 countries by offering a full menu of exceptional merchandise and services, allowing member owners to be independent retailers to best serve their community's needs with competitive pricing. Our success in reaching over $5 billion in annual sales stems from our mission to make the best better, and our goal to help our members grow and achieve their dreams.