Job Purpose: Responsible for managing the brand philosophy and the product life cycle, inclusive of designing, buying, retail planning and creativity, thereby optimizing sales, maximizing profitability, and enhancing brands reputation.Minimum criteria:- FDDI/NIFT Graduate- 8 - 10 years of work experience.- Experience of Buying and product knowledge for sports category.- Expertise on MS Excel- Knowledge and ability to visualize and anticipate the needs of the business.- Knowledge and understanding of fashion, trends, market shifts etc.- Buying process and practices including multiple critical path management.- Understanding the planning and merchandising functionKey Accountabilities- Buying & Category ManagementLead and manage the entire buying process in order to ensure right and commercially viable product ranges, customer satisfaction, improvement on year-on-year sales, margins, and stock levels. Oversee category management in order to ensure maximization of sales and profitability. Manage financial goals including pre-season plans, in-season projections, open-to-buy etc. in order to support retail requirements, whilst maintaining alignment with financial parameters. Lead the process of aligning the merchandising planners with the OTB to ensure that the right assortment is delivered to the stores.- Product DevelopmentOversee and guide sneakers throughout the entire product creation process, ensuring alignment with key deliverables and milestones to meet specified factory deadlines. Essential to thoroughly analyze and evaluate briefs, design tech packages, models, and samples. Additionally, identifying potential concerns related to construction, materials, fit, or cost is a crucial aspect. Playing a critical role in team coordination, managing relationships, facilitating reviews, overseeing delivery, and securing approvals. As an integral member of the sports team, involvement in providing valuable insights, suggestions, and information to ensure the timely delivery of quality products at the right cost is essential.- Stock & Cost OptimizationManage the inventory and maintain optimum stock levels in order to ensure that retail requirements are met within the given financial parameters. Manage centralized bulk buying, margins, markdowns etc. as well as select vendor mix in order to optimize costs.- Analysis And IntelligenceAnalyze and monitor reports, MIS analytics, based on actual sales, forecasts, inventory checks, replenishment needs etc. in order to accurately forecast and meet the needs of the business. Analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats vis-a-vis competition and market conditions in order to identify business opportunities. Analyze customer buying trends, competitors, and market activities in order to predict future trends and seasonal product requirements.- PromotionsProvide strategic as well as operational inputs on the expected margins, possible price points and other parameters in order to drive promotions within product categories. Analyze the effectiveness of the promotions in terms of timing, product etc. in order to achieve targeted levels of sales and margins.- Vendor and Order ManagementEstablish and manage relationships with vendors and suppliers in order to ensure financially beneficial partnerships through maximizing the ranges, sales, profit margin and delivery within budget. Establish and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, leading to collaborations, in order to meet the changing needs of customers. Place orders and ensure the merchandise is delivered on a timely basis, and in line with the service level agreements in order to ensure compliance with buying plans.- Retail & VM CoordinationSupport the alignment of VM standards in the stores, in line with product and company standards, in order to maintain the look and feel of the stores and the brand. Support launches and implementation of new floor range stock, in coordination with sales, marketing and VM, in order to ensure successful execution.- Quality ControlManage and uphold quality standards across buying, in order to ensure product standards and customer expectations are maintained and met respectively.- People ManagementDrive motivation and employee engagement by focusing on people through mentoring, training etc. in order to ensure a loyal and committed work force.Qualifications-
