Kipling: Senior Buyer, Retail & eCommerce

Senior Buyer, Retail & eCommerce (Kipling)

As the Senior Buyer, Retail & eCommerce, you will lead the buying and merchandising strategy for Kipling’s Outlet business across both retail stores and digital commerce channels in the United States.  You will be responsible for creating customer-focused assortments, driving sales and profitability, influencing product development, and ensuring the right products are available at the right place and right time. 

You will serve as a key cross-functional leader, partnering closely with Planning, Allocation, Merchandising, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Digital & Store Operations, Sales, Field Leadership, and Global Product teams to deliver compelling assortments that fuel growth and elevate the consumer experience.  The position reports to the Senior Manager of Buying and is a hybrid position working 3 days a week at our Jersey City, New Jersey office headquarters.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Merchandise & Assortment Strategy

• Develop and execute seasonal Outlet product strategies that align with Kipling’s business objectives, brand positioning, and DTC growth goals.

• Influence product development and assortment architecture through analysis of consumer demand, market trends, product performance, and competitive insights.

• Identify product segmentation opportunities, Outlet exclusives, and channel & store-specific product strategies.

• Manage SKU productivity, lifecycle planning, and assortment optimization from creation through end-of-life.

• Determine assortment breadth and depth by channel, location, store tier, and regional needs to maximize sales potential.

• Partner with creative team to ensure seasonal assortment strategies come to life in store and online. 

• Responsible for sample management. 

Buying & Financial Management

• Drive financial results by achieving revenue, gross margin, inventory turn, and productivity targets through rigorous analysis of key performance indicators and customer trends by channel.

• Develop preseason and in-season buy plans, forecasts, and inventory strategies across categories and channels.

• Manage open-to-buy (OTB), order placement, inventory flow, and product lifecycle decisions to optimize productivity and inventory turns.

• Own consumer-facing pricing and markdown strategies, including execution and accuracy, partnering with digital and store operations teams.   

• Continuously analyze business performance, reforecast sales and inventory, and implement corrective actions to achieve goals.

• Identify risks and opportunities within the assortment and recommend proactive strategies to maximize sales and profitability.

• Present learnings to Senior Leadership in weekly business reviews and quarterly product hindsight meetings.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Planning, Allocation, and Operations teams to ensure optimal inventory positioning and productivity across channels (stores & digital).

• Collaborate with Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Digital & Store Operations, Sales, and Field Leadership to create a seamless consumer experience across all Outlet touchpoints.

• Participate in seasonal Go-to-Market (GTM) milestones and represent Outlet business needs throughout the product creation process.

• Lead weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews and present recommendations that drive improved performance.

• Gather and leverage store, field, and customer feedback to inform assortment, pricing, and merchandising decisions.

Consumer & Market Insights

• Monitor consumer trends, competitive activity, and market dynamics that impact the Outlet assortments by channel.

• Utilize quantitative and qualitative insights to shape assortment strategies and identify emerging opportunities.

• Stay connected to customer needs and shopping behaviors to ensure product offerings remain relevant and compelling.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

We all bring unique experiences and perspectives to work, and we celebrate them every day.  While formal education is important, we are equally interested in your proven track record delivering results in buying, merchandising, planning, and retail leadership environments. 

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Fashion, Retail Management, or related field.

• 7+ years of retail buying, merchandising, or planning experience in an apparel, footwear, or accessories brand.

• Demonst