Director of Omnichannel Buying

100% ONSITE

Summary
The Senior Director of Omnichannel Buying is a critical strategic leader responsible for developing and executing the merchandise assortment and inventory buying strategy across all directly managed retail channels, including brick-and-mortar stores, brand websites (e-commerce), and other direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms. This role ensures a seamless, profitable, and consistent consumer experience regardless of the shopping channel, maximizing sales, inventory efficiency, and margin targets for the portfolio of brands.

Key Responsibilities

1. Omnichannel Strategy & Execution

• Integrated Buying: Develop and lead a unified, end-to-end merchandise buying strategy that balances the unique speed and assortment needs of e-commerce with the volume and presentation needs of physical retail stores.
• Assortment Planning: Collaborate with Design and Merchandising teams to determine the optimal product mix, depth, and presentation strategies for each channel and regional market.
• Inventory Flow: Oversee the entire inventory lifecycle, including initial buy placement, in-season replenishment, transfers, and end-of-season liquidation strategies to minimize markdowns and maximize sell-through.

2. Financial Planning & Performance

• Open-to-Buy (OTB) Management: Own and manage the multimillion-dollar Open-to-Buy process, ensuring purchases align with financial plans for sales, margin, and inventory turnover goals.
• Forecasting & Analysis: Partner with Planning and Allocation to analyze historical data, current trends, and competitive insights to create highly accurate seasonal and monthly sales forecasts.
• Profitability: Identify opportunities to optimize product costs, reduce logistical expenses, and improve initial markup (IMU) and maintained margin (MMU) across all channels.

3. Leadership & Collaboration

• Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of high-performing Buyers and Associate Buyers, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and cross-functional excellence.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Serve as the primary liaison between Merchandising/Design, Supply Chain/Logistics, Marketing, and E-commerce operations to ensure alignment on product launches, promotions, and inventory readiness.
• Vendor Relations: Manage relationships and negotiations with internal and external product vendors, ensuring adherence to quality, delivery, and cost standards.

4. Market & Trend Expertise

• Competitive Landscape: Continuously monitor the retail landscape, competitive pricing strategies, and emerging technology trends (e.g., personalization, BOPIS, ship-from-store) that impact the omnichannel consumer journey.
• Data Translation: Translate consumer insights and performance analytics into actionable buying strategies that drive immediate sales results and long-term brand equity.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10 years of progressive experience in retail buying or merchandising, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing a large-scale OTB.
• Omnichannel Focus: Must have direct, recent experience leading buying strategy that successfully integrates both e-commerce and physical retail channels.
• Apparel Background: Deep understanding of the apparel industry, seasonal cycles, product development timelines, and the brand aesthetic.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or a related field.
• Travel: Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required for market analysis, vendor meetings, and store visits.

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional financial acumen, including strong command of retail math (GMROI, IMU, WOS, etc.).
• Proven negotiation skills and experience managing high-stakes vendor relationships.
• Advanced proficiency in retail planning software (e.g., JDA/Blue Yonder, SAP) and Microsoft Excel.
• Strategic, analytical, and results-oriented mindset with the ability to manage complexity and ambiguity.

Pay: $140,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• progressive experience in retail buying or merchandising: 10 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $140,000 - $180,000