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!
