Merchandising and Buying Lead

Contract - Merchandising and Buying Lead

Reports to: Fractional Head of Planning/Merch

Based in Sausalito and handcrafted in Spain, Frēda Salvador is an artisan brand that is both modern and streamlined in its approach to footwear & accessories. The brand is both approachable and effortless, offering a sought-after versatility that makes it the go‑to for everyday occasions.

We are a fast‑paced startup that hustles every day. We are driven. We are small, but mighty, with strong values in teamwork, a positive and supportive work environment, and building our community from the ground up. We are looking for a passionate, analytical, and footwear/accessory obsessed Merchant/Buyer to join our team. This is a key role in the company that will report into the leader of Inventory Planning, with a direct relationship to the CEO, Founders, and the business units and leadership teams.

Supports Frēda's mission, vision, and values by exhibiting the following behaviors: excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, respect, personalization, accountability, ownership, and a commitment to our community and a diverse and inclusive work environment.

The Omnichannel Merchandiser & Buyer is the central authority for Frēda Salvador's product engine. This role is responsible for driving sales and profitability by translating the company's creative vision into actionable merchandise and inventory plans. By overseeing all channels — E-Commerce, Retail, and Wholesale — you will ensure that our assortment and inventory investment is optimized to meet demand, maximize margins, and support the brand's rapid growth.

• Omnichannel Bridge:
  Coordinate daily between Retail managers, Wholesale leads, and the Digital team to ensure inventory is balanced across the ecosystem based on real‑time selling
• Support Line Planning:
  Partner with Design and Leadership to build seasonal line plans that balance the FRĒDA aesthetic with commercial viability and financial goals
• Product Management:
  Participate in product milestones and own all merchandise attribution and record keeping. Manage log of follow ups and action items after each milestone
• In-Season Optimization:
  Constantly analyze product performance to identify "hero" styles and misses. Make real‑time recommendations for replenishment, pivots, or promotional activity
• Pricing & Margin:
  Manage rollups of IMU through buy plan and line plan process to ensure profit targets are met
• Process Driver:
  Ensure strong Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. Ensure Design, Marketing, and Production stay on track to meet all critical inventory and launch milestones
• Support the creation of monthly/quarterly business hindsight reporting and partner in managing OTB monthly meeting and action plans
• Understand and analyze the competitive landscape, share trends that impact our consumer
• Retail Management:
  Oversee retail allocation and ensure assortment and allocation tools reflect the strategy. Recommend in‑season shifts based on performance and feedback from stores

• Financial Planning:
  Support receipt reconciliation and management of the OTB. Track sales and receipts against targets
• Forecasting:
  Use historical data and current market trends to determine buy strategy
• Make recommendations for promo pricing and markdown pricing. Rollup recommended actions and report expected margin outputs. Communicate approved pricing plans to cross functional teams to execute

• Buy Architecture:
  Build a seasonal data driven "Buy Plan" (quantities, style/color mix, delivery drops). Align this plan with leadership to ensure it supports the design vision and the P&L
• PO…