Merchandise Buyer

Buyer

Location: On-site – Northern Chicago, IL

Salary: $70,000–$80,000

Our client is a growing and dynamic wine and spirits company with a global footprint. We are now seeking an experienced Buyer to join their merchandising team based in Illinois. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong procurement, supplier management, and inventory planning skills who thrives in a fast-paced, product-driven environment.

This is a full-time, on-site role (five days per week) based in Illinois.

Key Requirements

We are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented Buyer to join our Merchandising team with proven experience managing purchasing operations across diverse product categories, including apparel, displays, barware, and other goods for the wine and spirits industry.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• 3–5 years’ experience in a buying or planning related position
• Strong experience in supplier negotiation, with a proven track record of managing vendor relationships both domestically and internationally (any experience of sourcing consumer goods via Asia is beneficial but not essential)
• Proficiency in inventory and purchase order management, including use of ERP systems (NetSuite preferred)
• Excellent skills in Microsoft Excel – including VLOOKUPs and Pivot Tables
• A strong eye for detail and accuracy, especially in reporting and catalogue maintenance
• Confident communication skills, both written and verbal
• A Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, procurement, or a related field
• Ideally you will come from a consumer goods background but this is not essential

Role & Responsibilities

As Buyer, you will play a central role in procurement planning, inventory control, and supplier negotiation to ensure high-quality, cost-effective purchasing across the business.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing purchasing aligned to a bi-annual forecasting and distribution schedule
• Maintaining up-to-date inventory reports and conducting regular analysis on levels, pricing, and inbound stock status
• Recommending continuations, withdrawals, or new additions to the product assortment based on stock movement and sales feedback
• Sourcing and managing communications with both domestic and international suppliers, ensuring pricing is competitive while maintaining production standards
• Ensuring complete alignment between the internal item catalogue, ERP system, and warehouse records

Additional Information

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to sit at a desk and use a computer for extended periods of time

Benefits:

• Medical, 401k, dental, vision
• Merit increases in salary
• 2 bonuses – company and performance based of approximately 10-20% paid yearly
• Fun environment, very employee focused

Interview process:

1. Interview with Director of Merchandising (TEAMs call)
2. DISC assessment
3. Onsite meeting with HR Manager and one of the Owners

If you’re ready to take ownership of the buying process in a global and quality-driven business, we’d love to hear from you.