Buying Manager

Job Summary: Overall business management of assigned (Furniture) product category/department and will ensure the development, implementation and management of the business plans to maximize sales and profits ROLE PROFILE / RESPONSIBILITIES • Category Growth and Profitability Drive sales from the assigned category by developing comprehensive category business plans Drive and monitor gross margins for the category and ensure alignment with the organization’s position, business plan and budgets. • Category Merchandise Planning Prepare annual plans for the assigned category and provide inputs to the Merchandising Development and Buying Head to assist in creation of overall merchandizing budget Study trends from historical data around product category sales and market research to assist in the overall planning process Ensure adherence to financial plan in all key areas - sales, markdowns, margin & average inventory Discuss, decide and freeze the merchandise plans (pricing, promotion, assortment etc.) for the category with the Merchandise Planning department Ensure effective in season management across territories (stock balancing, markdown management, stock analysis, stock vs sales performance) • Category Design and Quality Ensure optimum utilization of customer research information to guide category management decisions, including decisions on the introduction of new products, product assortment, shelf layout, promotion and pricing of products in the store Formulate design and development plan in consultation with the Design Head with specifications on product features, functions, packaging and resource requirement across categories Ensure all design and development activities are carried out within budget Ensure the merchandise procured and received meets the quality standards • Order and Vendor Management Create an adequate vendor base for the organization through active scouting and negotiation / renegotiation Maintain relationships with key vendors who are critical for the long term success of the business Review the financial and credit services agreement with the key vendors in order to maximize profit and positively contribute to cash flow Determine buying requirements and formulate buying plan and budget for the assigned category Monitor Orders based on the buying plan and follow-up to ensure merchandise delivery as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement Pursue cost reduction measures through centralized bulk buying and/ or selecting appropriate vendor mix, scanning the environment for benchmarks and constantly improving the purchase process • People Management Monitor team development and facilitate complaint resolution Set KRA's for direct reports and conduct performance appraisal Oversee staff deployment and drive motivation levels of the direct reportees. • Competition Research Acquiring market intelligence through various sources & analyze trends which may impact our business. Map competition prices / products and provide qualitative inputs to the business Qualifications Preferred Post graduate or Graduate, 8+ years’ of relevant experience in the Home Retail Industry.