Senior Buyer - Womens Apparel

Senior Buyer – Women’s

POSITION BASED IN DALLAS, TEXAS

Department: Merchandising

Reports To: Director of Buying

Schedule: Monday – Friday | Core Business Hours | Onsite | ~10% Travel Required

Role Overview

As the Senior Buyer – Women’s, you will drive strategic assortment planning and product selection, curating fashion-forward collections that align with our brand aesthetic and customer preferences. You will manage the end-to-end product lifecycle—from concept to in-season execution—using data-driven insights, trend analysis, and customer feedback. This role requires strong commercial acumen, leadership capabilities, and deep knowledge of the women’s fashion retail space.

Key Responsibilities

Assortment Strategy & Product Selection

• Lead the development of seasonal category strategies to achieve sales and margin goals
• Build well-balanced assortments using data, market trends, and customer behavior
• Conduct in-depth attribute analysis to ensure optimal assortment breadth and depth
• Oversee high-volume SKU assortments and drive a consistent cadence of weekly product releases to sustain newness, customer engagement, and sales momentum
• Maintain accurate assortment plans, updating regularly based on performance and receipts
• Support marketing strategies by balancing hero and acquisition-driving products

Avara Exclusive Product Development

• Drive brand-aligned product development by translating trend insights and customer feedback into commercially viable styles
• Collaborate with Design, Product, and Sourcing teams to ensure cohesive development, margin optimization, and timely execution
• Utilize weekly selling data and seasonal hindsight to guide vendor requests and inform future assortments

Vendor Relations & Negotiation

• Build and maintain long-term, mutually beneficial vendor partnerships
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and exclusivity to improve profitability and delivery timelines
• Attend industry tradeshows and market events to evaluate, select, and source from wholesale lines while identifying new vendor and product opportunities
• Continuously evaluate vendor performance and onboard new partners as needed
• Conduct regular vendor meetings and ensure clear follow-ups

Sales Performance & Inventory Management

• Monitor category and product-level sales performance daily
• Conduct weekly sales recaps and identify key opportunities or risks
• Recommend actions such as restocks, markdowns, or marketing support
• Partner with Planning to manage stock levels and ensure receipt accuracy
• Use insights from product life cycles to refine future assortment strategies

Trend Forecasting & Market Awareness

• Stay informed on global fashion trends, consumer behavior shifts, and industry developments
• Conduct thorough trend analysis to support seasonal planning
• Monitor competitor assortments and share key findings with the team

Leadership & Team Development

• Manage and mentor Assistant Buyers through regular check-ins and developmental coaching
• Review workload, KPIs, and career goals, providing clear and constructive feedback
• Delegate new tasks and projects to support team growth and skill-building
• Ensure timelines and deliverables are met with a high degree of accuracy

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead internal product reviews with Creative, Marketing, and other departments
• Communicate product decisions with strategic rationale
• Flag at-risk styles or delays proactively to ensure timely resolutions
• Represent the merchandising point of view in company-wide meetings and projects

Financial Management & Analysis

• Develop and manage the buying budget to align with company goals
• Analyze margin performance, sales data, and inventory productivity
• Adjust buying strategies based on data-driven insights and market trends
• Partner with Finance and Planning to ensure targets are met

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Leadership & Mentorship
• Trend Awareness & Aesthetic Judgment
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Results Orientation
• Negotiation & Communication
• Adaptability in a Fast-Paced Environment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or a related field
• 6 years of buying or merchandising in the women’s fashion retail sector, preferably with eCommerce experience.
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills with a data-first mindset
• Effective communicator and cross-functional collaborator
• Skilled in inventory management software and Excel
• Experience mentoring and leading a team preferred

If you are interested in applying for the role, please email your resume to:

as@stylesearchers.com

If you are not interested, but know of someone to recommend for the role, I will gladly compensate you with a Finder’s Fee should that individual be hired for the role. Feel free to email me directly as@stylesearchers with any thoughts or questions you have.

Thank you for your time and consideration!