Buyer, Women's Plus Tops - Stitch Fix

About the Role

Are you an experienced merchandising buyer who is looking for an opportunity to leverage your strategic and product acumen in new and innovative ways? Do you have a desire to learn new ways of working and crave data-driven insights to help drive your business?

Stitch Fix is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Buyer I to join our dynamic merchandising team. As a Buyer, you will be responsible for curating and developing a compelling assortment of products that align with our client preferences. Your keen fashion sense, market knowledge, and analytical skills will be instrumental in driving our business forward and delivering an exceptional shopping experience to our clients. 

As part of the Merchandising organization, you will have full ownership of department-level strategies and support other organizational strategic projects as part of our long-range plan. The Buyer I will constantly analyze the business and execute actions based on learnings, involving calculated risks and bold decision-making. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to develop and nurture mutually productive relationships with both internal and external partners and is excited about using client feedback to create and execute merchandise strategies and assortment plans that deliver strong financial targets and delight our clients.

You're excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Drive the overall strategic business vision for a department category through competitive market analysis, a deep understanding of client and financial opportunities, and navigation of organizational roadblocks
• Develop long, mid & short term strategies to maximize departmental opportunities and support overall Stitch Fix strategic priorities
• Collaborate closely with the Planning team to develop and manage seasonal assortment strategies that align with sales forecasts and financial targets
• Utilize market research, trend analysis, and customer insights to curate a relevant, on-trend, client first product assortment
• Identify and source emerging brands and styles that align with our Stitch Fix vision and target client
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as Planning, Styling, Marketing, Algos, to align assortment strategies.
• Leverage the expertise of cross-functional Data Scientists and the vast amount of client & style-specific feedback in building a robust vision for your product categories
• Relish the challenge of managing a multi-branded and multi-channel (Fix and Freestyle) business, each with different objectives, success metrics and expected key results
• Cultivate effective partnerships with external brands that support long term goals and fuel short term results when needed
• Partner with internal Private Brands teams to define the strategies, processes and vision that will deliver Private Label growth in a changing consumer market while developing into data-led, client and brand right product
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing vendors and suppliers.
• Continuously evaluate vendor performance and negotiate favorable terms, pricing, and contracts
• Identify and lead onboarding of new strategic partners/brands and exit vendors who are no longer aligned to departmental strategies or productivity measures
• Analyze sales data, client feedback, and market research to inform buying decisions and present strategic next steps to the leadership team
• Identify opportunities and potential risks in the market and adjust strategies accordingly
• Participate in the open-to-buy process, ensuring appropriate inventory levels and timely product replenishment
• Support the Plus team through hands-on mentorship, coaching and development through clear and actionable feedback
• Provide guidance and hold team accountable to delivering product excellence, with a clear and consistent price/value relationship and client-first mindset
• Participate in cross-functional task forces in support of key strategic priorities as needed/available
• Support Merchandising Leadership Team with other projects and deliverables as needed
• Attend market meetings, trade shows or other vendor engagements as required
• Lead team discussions and initiatives to drive continuous improvement and innovation

We’re excited about you because…

• You have 5 years of industry experience, diversified across multiple categories, brands and/or channels (required).  Experience in private label, Plus sizes and/or DTC is strongly preferred
• You have a keen eye for fashion trends, market dynamics, deep understanding of client segmentation, and acute financial acumen
• You have a track record of driving profitable businesses, with a focus on curating balanced and on-trend assortments that serve your clients and broader business objectives in a strategic way
• You are an experienced mentor and excited to support coaching and development of  others in their career journey
• You are versatile, having a range of experience buying across different aesthetics, price points, size segments and age groups, and can adapt product strategies accordingly
• You are an excellent negotiator and build relationships that are rooted in trust and partnership
• You think outside of the “retail box” and thrive in an environment where testing, reacting and taking calculated risks help drive financial performance
• You have proven ability to leverage data, both structured and unstructured, as well as client feedback to drive assortment decisions and properly weigh risk versus opportunity
• You can learn new ways of working and embrace innovation, both transformational and incremental
• You are detail oriented, organized and possess effective time management skills and have proven you can thrive in a fast paced, nuanced environment where bold and proactive decision making is essential
• You are an excellent story-teller, communicating product vision and financial impact in an engaging and clear manner
• You prioritize team development and have a track record of identifying and growing talent from within the organization
• You are proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel/Word/PowerPoint) and love learning new systems
• You are able to travel up to 15-20% of the time 
• You understand that this role is "Commutable" and you live within a commutable distance from San Francisco, CA and can travel into the office 5-9 days a month
• Above all else, you are Bright, Kind and Motivated by Challenges

Why you'll love working at Stitch Fix...

• We are a group of bright, kind people who are motivated by challenge. We value integrity, innovation and trust. You’ll bring these characteristics to life in everything you do at Stitch Fix.
• We cultivate a community of diverse perspectives— all voices are heard and valued.
• We are an innovative company and leverage our strengths in fashion and tech to disrupt the future of retail. 
• We win as a team, commit to our work, and celebrate grit together because we value strong relationships.
• We boldly create the future while keeping equity and sustainability at the center of all that we do. 
• We are the owners of our work and are energized by solving problems through a growth mindset lens. We think broadly and creatively through every situation to create meaningful impact.
• We offer comprehensive compensation packages and inclusive health and wellness benefits.

About Stitch Fix

We're changing the industry and bringing personal styling to every body. We believe in a service and a workplace where you can show up as your best, most authentic self. The Stitch Fix experience is not merely curated—it’s truly personalized to each client we style. We are changing the way people find what they love. We’re disrupting the future of retail with the precision of data science by combining it with human instinct to find pieces that fit our client’s unique style. This novel juxtaposition attracts a highly diverse group of talented people who are both thinkers and doers. This results in a simple, yet powerful offering to our customers and a successful, growing business serving millions of men, women and kids throughout the US. We believe we are only scratching the surface and are looking for incredible people like you to help us boldly create our future.