ASSOCIATE BUYER

About the role

The Associate Buyer will have direct responsibility for a portion of the aggregate category as designated by the Buyer.  Responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of business processes to maximize sales and gross margin objectives, while managing inventory objectives for specific categories. Works actively with the Buyer and cross functional team in developing strategic objectives to ensure long term sustained growth. This is a developmental position. This is a hybrid role reporting into the Support Center at Legacy West in Plano Texas.

Responsibilities

• Collaboratively builds and executes strategic business plans for the total omni channel to ensure overall success of the category to achieve company objectives.

• Works collaboratively with vendor and cross functional teams to maximize first to market approach of on trend products, and promotional and pricing strategy for the assigned category.     

• Supports category management process by researching, analyzing and drawing conclusions from customers, data, vendors, needs, and task analyses to provide a concise, logical merchandising focus. Identifies and promotes new products and trends in a timely manner to maximize sales potential. 

• Contributes to and supports the category management process to achieve sales and margin objectives. Drives the go-to market strategy. Ensuring that all deadlines are met.

• Ensure promotions are effective.

• Partner with pricing team to ensure competitive position.

• Works independently and/or supports category team in the negotiation with vendors to reduce costs and increase margins. Negotiate special terms, discounts, allowances and payment dating in all appropriate opportunities.

• Manage product lifecycle through profitable exit strategies, including vendor participation of slow selling items, discontinued items, package changes and poor promotional sell through.

• Attends vendor meetings and tradeshow presentations where appropriate, to identify sales opportunities through new products, trends and competitive strategies.

Knowledge, skills & abilities requirements

•    Bachelor’s degree. Degree or equivalent experience.
•    2-4 years Merchandising, Planning and Allocation, or Finance experience in related field. 
•    Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint
•    JDA experience would be a plus
 

Competencies & attributes

• Passionate Learner – learns from different situations; asks questions to gain further understanding; receptive to feedback; applies leanings to their role; shares learnings; allocates time to learning; seeks additional responsibility to develop skills and/or support others in learning

• Flexible & Agile Adapter – responsive and positive to change; works well with little direction; looks for solutions to achieve plan/task; keeps calm while under pressure; doesn’t dwell on past

• Talent Builder – shares knowledge and builds skills within the team; actively involved in talent process; considers how to include others to create sense of involvement; invest times as informal/formal coach or buddy; looks for ways to acknowledge, motivate, and value the team

• Effective Communicator – articulates well when sharing information; self-aware of impact/style to engage others; effective in adapting style where necessary; shares information timely; encourages others to express views and opinions demonstrates active listening and uses probing questions

• Team Builder – understands importance of teamwork; shares information; provides support and collaborates with a wide number of colleagues/teams and customers; humble when operating within team; understands importance of collaboration and inclusion

• Customer Focused Partner – demonstrates solid understanding of the customer; uses customer insights to help improve; seeks to improve customer journey/experience; advocate of the customer; holds self (and others where relevant) to a good standard of customer service

• Strategic Thinker – brings new, strategic thinking and ideas to leader/team for consideration; contributes to ensure effective delivery of strategic plans; provides ideas and suggestions to improve upon strategies/plans to improve business performance and/or operations

• Big Picture Thinker – understands how the department and other key departments operate; contributes to and champions change plans to improve processes; knows how decisions could impact other departments

• Results Driver – holds self and team to good standard of delivery; gives ideas on how to make improvements; effective with own/team time management; focuses on the right priority; self-motivated; adapts easily to change and demonstrates grit and determination

• Problem Solver & Decision Maker – uses the right information to make good decisions; gathers and examines relevant information; make recommendations and takes actions to solve problems; considers important/impact of decisions on department/operations and others

Working conditions & physical requirements

This will be a hybrid role required to be onsite at the corporate office on specified days. The work environment generally involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, retail stores, and residences or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals, etc. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and occasionally requires carrying, moving and setting up of computers, for example desktops, monitors, printers, and other small hardware in the testing lab.

Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and outstanding benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, paid vacation and sick days, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement and 401(k) with company match. In addition, associates of SBH may take advantage of our in house salon with complementary services and a varied selection of food options at our corporate campus. Also, featured at our corporate campus, is both a Sally Beauty and CosmoProf Professional onsite store, where associates enjoy a great merchandise discount!

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