At Sportscene, we believe that we inspire the love of sneakers and street culture. We blend sports and street brands that matter, creating a unique environment for street-conscious youth where Sneakers are King.
An opportunity has become available on our buying team for a Buying Manager focused on Private Label Brands.
This position requires a high-energy, self-motivated individual with strong people management skills and the ability to develop and manage key strategic own-brand partnerships. The successful applicant must be comfortable with working in a fast-paced environment and be results-driven.
As a Senior Buying Manager, your key responsibilities will be:
Strategy Development and Execution
Develop and execute seasonal product strategies in line with the company strategy
Work closely with the Planning Manager to develop cohesive action plans to execute the brand strategy
Evaluate strategic progress and pivot where necessary to achieve strategic objectives
Identify key macro and micro-economic trends that will impact on the implementation of the buying strategy and plan accordingly.
Product Development
Own and manage the product development cycle from range conceptualisation to design, pre-production sample approvals and bulk production approvals.
Manage the range architecture and price tiering of seasonal ranges ensuring a credible and balanced assortment is on offer across store grids and online channels.
Ensure relevant global trends are well represented in the range and aligned to customer preferences
Ensure Authentic product execution in line with the brand ethos
Deliver a clear value proposition in support of the brand positioning.
Sign off product strategy at various review stages in the product development process
KPI and Trade Management
Display a clear understanding of the business against weekly, monthly and seasonal sales performance to plan.
Drive key action plans based on current performance to maximise sales, improve sales margin and minimize markdown.
Drive an In-Season trade mentality in your buying team that displays agility and quick decision making to shift the outcome of sales.
Manage key performance indicators including Sales, Sales Margin, Clearance and Stock Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication
Maintain a collaborative relationship with the planning, e- commerce, marketing and store operations teams to ensure cohesive execution of product strategies
Provide guidance and support to the marketing team on product launches, promotions and product initiatives
Supplier Management
Forge strategic partnerships with key suppliers by aligning the supply base to the business strategy
Evaluate and manage supplier performance on a regular basis and identify potential risks within the supplier loading.
Negotiate with suppliers to achieve margin targets and improve lead time efficiency
Maintain strong relationships with existing vendors and explore opportunities for new partnerships
Ensure Suppliers are compliant with the Group’s Social and Ethical requirements and contribute towards the brand’s sustainability strategy
Team Leadership and Talent Management
Ensure that assigned team is effectively resourced, directed, motivated and developed to enable team members to reach their full potential.
Drive and develop the performance of the team with a view to optimise delivery and achievement of objectives whilst effectively managing performance issues or concerns
Ensure learning and development opportunities are available to the team.
Cultivate a culture of high performance, accountability and continuous improvement within the team to optimise sales and deliver KPI’s.
Mentor, Coach and develop the team to support their career development
Manage various functions within the buying department, including buying, design and quality assurance, and ensuring alignment across these functions.
Critical Path and Lead Time Management
Ensure buying critical path aligns to the merchandise cycle to deliver the on-time launch of product.
Evaluate buying process efficiency and evolve process accordingly to support faster and more accurate decision making
Constantly identify opportunities to reduce lead times
Project Management
Participate and align business projects to group strategic projects
Implement and evolve key retail projects such as 3D, Sustainability and Quick Response
Market Analysis
Conduct regular store and market visits to understand the competitor landscape and identify new opportunities for growth
A relevant tertiary qualification
Minimum 3 years working experience at a management level, incl. people / team management
Minimum 10 years relevant buying / merchandise experience is essential
Proven track record in building and maintaining strategic supplier relationships
Proven track record and ability to drive a merchandise strategy by demonstrating innovative and creative thinking
Ability to persuade and influence both internal and external stakeholders
Ability to work well under pressure and deliver to aggressive deadlines, incl. problem solving
Exceptional analytical ability to effectively evaluate and drive functional KPIs, incl. sales growth, PIS, CSOH, input- and maintained margins, stock turn, clearance
Strong written and verbal communication at all levels of organisation
Proven leadership and People management ability
Preference will be given, but not limited to, candidates from designated groups in terms of the Employment Equity Act.