Buyer, Skate Categories

Exempt- Full Time

Hybrid Position - Portland, Eugene

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Founded in 1999, Tactics is a leading specialty skateboarding and snowboarding retail brand with stores in Portland OR, Bend OR, Eugene OR, and Seattle WA, and a robust online business at tactics.com. Our recipe: 1) employ positive, passionate skaters and snowboarders; 2) ignore shiny distractions and maintain business focus on authentic skate and snow culture, year in and year out; 3) embrace change to prosper in a rapidly evolving retail environment; 4) seek continuous improvement. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The Buyer for Skate Categories is responsible for inventory purchasing for all Skate Hardgoods categories and brands. Job duties include Brand / Vendor relationship management, seasonal product selection, order entry / resolution, sales / inventory reporting, markdowns / repricing, and at-once order management. This person should care deeply about skateboarding culture and have their finger on the pulse of emerging trends.

An ideal candidate must be highly detail oriented, work with a sense of urgency, and understand the time sensitivity to create and adjust purchase orders. The ideal candidate will have some experience in Skate Buying from a comparable retailer. Tactics seeks to hire someone who wants to make their mark in skateboarding culture. This person should have robust knowledge of skate products and a strong product aesthetics acumen.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

• Product selection, forecasting, order entry, and buying responsibilities across all Skateboarding hardgoods categories including (but not limited to): Skate Decks, Trucks, Wheels, Bearings, Completes, Griptape, and Hardware
• Work with Buying Manager and company leadership to formulate budgets and goals for each season, including brand and category direction
• Utilize Vendor B2B systems and Tactics’ purchase order system to building purchase orders for submission to inventory suppliers / brand partners
• Be the primary contact for all vendor rep communication within the Skate Hardgoods categories, negotiate seasonal discounts, markdown $’s, and RTV as needed
• Meet with brands to view seasonal product lines and discuss trends, business results, and other related topics
• Attend relevant trade shows and industry gatherings to meet with current brands and scout for new brands and categories
• Track shipments and product flow each delivery window, follow up on late orders and negotiate additional discounts and terms
• Set up special release products, including launch and promotional embargo dates, set marketing picks and retail picks for respective categories
• Analyze sales data using reporting tools to spot trends and help formulate buys to improve category profitability
• Uses various sites and blogs to stay up to date on industry news and happenings
• Work with the Tactics DC, Accounting, Photo, Retail, Marketing, and Customer service teams to address any issues that come up within respective product categories, be the product expert for their respective categories within Tactics

HOW YOU WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

• Self-starter ability to work productively with limited supervision
• Understanding of retail math, sell-through metrics, inventory management, and buying related duties
• Strong product aesthetic acumen, good taste in helping to select products that meet our consumer needs and business goals
• Accurate Data Entry and attention to detail
• Demonstrated experience working within Microsoft Excel including planning templates, formulas, pivot tables, and other reporting / forecasting skillsets
• Experience with other Microsoft Office Suite tools, willingness to learn new tools including Smartsheets, Google Sheets, 3rd party vendor sites, plus other reporting & order entry tools.
• Ability to think critically and solve problems
• Comfortable working in cross-functional teams and passionate about the Skateboarding industry
• This position will be based in Eugene or Portland Oregon only

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

• 1-3 years’ experience in Buying, Assistant Buying, or Product Allocation positions
• Associate/Bachelor Degree in related field or equivalent work experience
• Prior experience working in Retail, Data Entry, and/or Customer Service positions is preferred
• Experience within the Skateboarding or Snowboarding industry is preferred
• Previous experience working in Tactics' administrative systems is preferred

WHAT TACTICS BRINGS TO YOU
- We have got you covered – Full Time Employees - Medical, Dental insurance options and Health Savings Account
- Planning for the future – Opportunity to enroll in the 401(k) program with employer contributions
- Give you a break – Paid Time Off and Holidays!
- Great Work Life Balance
- Opportunities for Growth and Development
- Employee Discounts
- Perk such as Gear and Lift Tickets
- Volunteer Paid Time Off

LEARN MORE ABOUT TACTICS

Tactics

Tactics Retail Shops

Tactics About Us