VP of Buying

About Our Company

For nearly 25 years, Lids has been the leading headwear and sports apparel retailer in North America, selling officially licensed product from professional sports leagues and headwear from today’s hottest athletic and fashion brands . We’ve done it through years of hard work, learning from our successes and failures, living at the intersection of fan and fashion, and staying true to our core values.

If you have a passion for sports, enjoy a fast-paced environment and ever-changing fashion trends, then perhaps this is the place for you. We’re always looking for our next big playmaker, so if you’re ready to lend your expertise to a like-minded company that’s exciting, fun and shares your passions, we want to hear from you.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and set short-term and long-term merchandise goals and metrics.
• Oversee the development of annual, seasonal, monthly & weekly merchandise plans across Lids.
• Manage weekly department level open to buy activities 
• Provide expert analysis on trends and recommendations to influence cancellations, future purchases, and assortment strategies. 
• Analyze historic performance to identify areas of opportunity or risk.  
• Prepare preseason promotional and markdown strategy through partnership with buying and merchandising.
• Directs buying to ensure adequate volume/inventory levels, integrity of quality and pricing, and to maximize all aspects of open to buy for the division. 
• Drives merchandise strategies behind business plans; works closely with planning to ensure all product opportunities are pursued and appropriately planned.
• Collaborates with global merchandising and supply chain to ensure that we have the right assortment at the appropriate target cost.

Additional Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Devises new and innovative business strategies for the division, driving bottom-line and top-line growth.
• Acts as product/market expert on competition and industry trends; works closely with design team to translate knowledge into innovative, relevant business opportunities
• Oversees assortment sku plans and final product selection for the division, ensuring costing goals are met while maximizing item impact and incorporating appropriate penetration of fashion. 
• Ensures brand consistency from design concept to in-store execution. 
• Visits stores regularly to review presentation, stock content/levels; identifies issues and solicits suggestions and comments from field team.
• Works closely with visual and merchandising teams to strategize initiatives and marketing campaigns.
• Ensures the buying department is organized and staffed to meet the objectives of the division.
• Manage career paths, development, and succession plans of divisional buying team.

Job Required Knowledge & Skills

• Experienced merchant leader with a diversified background in product assortment execution, budget planning, and visual merchandising
• 10+ years of multi-category management and merchandise buying
• Must have experience in driving a retail division in merchandising/buying
• Comprehensive knowledge of current fashion/retail trends; ability to introduce innovative business ideas to the team 
• Prior management experience required; must have experience in successfully developing talent

Additional Job Required Knowledge & Skills

• Strong communication skills and people development skills
• Strong Negotiation Skills
• Collaborative leadership style and strong cross-functional partnership abilities, particularly with design, marketing and planning
• Must exhibit open and encouraging leadership style, a defined point of view
• Strong presentation skills and ability to communicate brand strategy and vision across all levels of an organization
• A well-organized and self-directed individual who is a team player
• A high energy, roll-up-the-sleeves attitude with a positive approach to dealing with challenges
• Balance of strategic business/analytical skills, creating merchandising and tactical execution
• Proven track record of leading and growing a team
• Outstanding leadership and people skills. Ability to manage up, down, and vertically
• Ability to collaborate across functions and levels
• High taste level – Experience working in elevated brand(s)
• Must be able to multi-task in a fast paced environment
• Must have a strong sense of urgency and ability to quickly prioritize workload
• Excellent communication and analytical skills

Education