Buyer, Fine Jewelry
Moda OperandiModa Operandi is seeking a Buyer for our Fine Jewelry division. The Buyer is responsible for devising and executing the merchandise strategies for the Fine Jewelry division to meet or exceed financial plans; acts as a key leader with cross functional teams (Buying, Planning, Marketing, Operations). The Buyer, Fine Jewelry has the responsibility for driving business growth, and managing the overall sales forecasting, inventory management and buying decisions for the category. This role is responsible for generating seasonal merchandise plans, assortment strategies, and vendor negotiations to maximize and grow the business. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Work with VP, Non Apparel to execute top level strategic initiatives; partner with cross functional teams, along with direct reports, to drive these initiatives Meet or exceed department sales, gross margin and inventory plans Build strong relationships with vendors and strategically partner to deliver a differentiated product mix and meet seasonal profitability targets Resident expert on industry trends, consumer behavior and competitive landscape Collaborate with private client stylist teams to drive client engagement, retention, sales, gross margin and overall customer relationships Create and execute a merchandise assortment plan that supports the financial, merchandising, and marketing objectives set by senior management Partner with the Planning department to create buy plans that adhere to the company’s financial strategies in order to have an efficient assortment plan Coordinate with cross-functional partners such as marketing, editorial and studio teams, in order to make sure key messages and brand features are being executed and align with business priorities Train, develop, and mentor the Assistant Buyer and Merchandising Assistant WHAT YOU’LL DO Develop, manage, and continually analyze a financial plan (profitability margins, mark-up and receipt flow) to exceed sales goals in line with corporate strategies and KPIs Promote an environment that fosters the ideas of others and supports ongoing collaboration to execute business growth strategies In-depth knowledge and understanding of the Fine Jewelry market and global MO customer, developing and executing strategies to drive business and market share Develop seasonal merchandise plans for Fine Jewelry with management and the merchandising team Manage the buying process, including building assortments based on historical and current product performance, analyzing business and managing inventory flow Review and analyze business weekly, monthly, seasonally, developing appropriate initiatives Analyzing competitive pricing, product, presentation and timing Establish and maintain vendor relationships and attend market Negotiate buying terms with vendors (price, margin, quantity, delivery terms) Analyzing competitive pricing, product, presentation and timing Attend trade shows and market appointments Knowledgeable about the global customer, market and competitive landscape Identify new business opportunities, including new brands and product development Identify key opportunities to maximize sales and drive the process to meet financial objectives Proactively motivate selling teams through the communication of product knowledge such as collection notes, training and selling events Keep all cross-functional teams informed on performance, industry trends, new inventory and brand positioning Manage and develop the Assistant Buyer and Merchandising Assistant WHO YOU ARE: QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE: Experience: 2+ years of experience as a Buyer, Fine Jewelry experience required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in related field required Skills: Strategic thinker with ability to manage from high level to low level detail Balanced analytical mind with innovative, creative thought – from business operation and product standpoints Must be highly organized; ability to work in a dynamic, changing, fast paced environment. Proficient in MS Word, Ex…