Senior Buyer
About the Company
Paul Fredrick is a heritage menswear brand with a mission to inspire men to express their personal style through our premium, high-quality menswear. Our clothes help our customers to stand out, earn compliments, and feel their best throughout all the moments of their active lives.
Our history began in 1951, when the Fleetwood Shirt Company was established as a respected maker of high-quality private label dress shirts for America’s premium menswear retailers. In 1986, we launched the Paul Fredrick brand to sell directly to consumers with a bold idea: deliver impeccably made dress shirts straight to the men who care how they show up. Since then, we have grown into a full collection of elevated essentials and fashion, all crafted with character and built to fit.
With an engaging and collaborative work environment, we embrace a culture of curiosity, customer focus, and continuous improvement. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Paul Fredrick brand, we are charting an exciting path to growth with new channels and marketing activations, and we are looking for passionate and curious people to join our team.
Position Overview
The Senior Buyer is responsible for leading the merchandising and buying strategy for assigned men’s apparel and accessories categories within a growing omni channel environment, with an emphasis on Ecommerce. This role owns the end-to-end product lifecycle, including assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, financial performance, and team leadership. The Senior Buyer drives sales, gross margin, and inventory productivity while ensuring a compelling and competitive product offering aligned with brand vision and customer demand.
The Senior Buyer provides leadership, coaching, and development for an Associate Buyer and Merchandising Assistant. As a key cross-functional partner, the Senior Buyer collaborates closely with Planning, Creative, Marketing, and Operations to ensure successful execution of merchandising strategies and business objectives
Essential Job Functions
Merchandising Strategy & Ownership
- Lead development and execution of seasonal and annual product strategies for assigned categories.
- Define and drive assortment architecture, ensuring alignment with customer insights, trends, competitive landscape, and business goals.
- Own category-level financial performance including sales, gross margin, turn, and inventory productivity.
- Analyze historical performance and leverage data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions.
Buying & Product Development
- Make final buying decisions including product selection, pricing strategy, and order quantities.
- Oversee product development process, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and margin targets.
- Collaborate with design/vendor partners to deliver exclusive and differentiated product.
- Evaluate product performance and optimize assortments through in-season management.
Vendor Management & Negotiation
- Establish and maintain strong vendor relationships; act as primary point of contact for key suppliers.
- Lead negotiations around cost, margin, minimums, lead times, and delivery schedules.
- Identify and onboard new vendors to enhance assortment and drive innovation.
- Ensure vendor accountability in quality, delivery, and compliance.
Inventory & Financial Management
- Partner closely with Planning to develop and execute category-level financial plans.
- Manage open-to-buy and ensure alignment with sales trends and inventory targets.
- Oversee purchase order strategy, ensuring accuracy, timing, and execution.
- Lead in-season adjustments including reorder decisions, markdown strategy, and exit plans.
Team Leadership & Development
- Manage, mentor, and develop an Associate Buyer and Merchandising Assistant, providing guidance on merchandising, analysis, and professional development.
- Delegate responsibilities effectively while maintaining accountability for overall category results.
- Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Creative and Marketing teams to ensure cohesive product storytelling and go-to-market execution.
- Provide direction for product presentation, copy accuracy, pricing strategy, and promotional alignment.
- Participate in key milestone meetings including assortment reviews, catalog planning, and marketing presentations.
- Collaborate with Operations and Logistics to ensure timely delivery and product availability.
Trend & Market Analysis
- Continuously monitor industry trends, competitive landscape, and customer behavior.
- Translate insights into actionable assortment strategies and new product opportunities.
- Shop the market regularly to stay ahead of emerging trends and innovations in men’s fashion.
Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or related field preferred.
- 5–8+ years of buying experience, preferably in ecommerce and menswear.
- Proven track record of driving sales growth and managing profitable product categories.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership and team development skills.
- Advanced analytical and financial acumen.
- Deep understanding of men’s apparel and accessories trends and customer preferences.
- Strategic thinker with strong product instincts and creative vision.
- Excellent negotiation and vendor management expertise.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and merchandising systems.
Work Environment
- Hybrid position: remote work and in-office at our headquarters in Wyomissing, PA.
