Senior Buyer

About the Team

It's no surprise people are passionate about the health and happiness of their pet and our Merchandising (buying) team is no different. When it comes to the products and solutions in our stores, our incredible teams of merchandising associates have everything covered – from head to tail! From keeping up with the top trends to developing new, innovative solutions, our buyers help ensure every pet parent can find exactly what their pet needs n our team and show your love for pets by creating products as special as pets themselves!

Collaborative Work Environment:At Pet Smart, teamwork and connection are core to how we thrive. This role is based at our Phoenix Home Office, with an expectation of working a minimum of four days in the office each week. In a standard work week, associates may work up to one remote “flex day” (with leader approval). Our hybrid approach is designed to foster strong collaboration while also supporting flexibility and individual success.

How this role will make an impact:

As the Sr. Buyer you and your team will be responsible for setting the current and future merchandise strategy, determining assortment selection, creating pricing strategy, and identifying promotional opportunities. You will need to stay abreast of current and future customer, market, and competitor trends impacting the business to provide Sr. Leadership with recommendations on how to maintain Pet Smart’s market leadership position and to sustain year over year growth.

You will serve as a team leader, providing direct leadership to Associate Buyer(s) and Merchandise Coordinator(s) who will help deliver on merchandising strategies that maximize sales and margin dollars.

Your goals and responsibilities will include:

• Developing and communicating business plans that maximize sales, margin dollars, margin percentage, and profitability based on current business trends to maintain Pet Smart’s market leadership position.
• Negotiating product costs, terms and shipping/returns issues
• Create effective partnerships with supply chain, distribution centers, and store operations leaders
• Developing and influencing vendor relationships in order to ensure the best prices, products and shipments.
• Collaborating with other merchandising functions to determine product lifecycle, exit strategy and inventory aging standards.
• Participating in recommending, setting and approving product pricing strategies to achieve specific margin objectives and recommending appropriate markdowns.

What you’ll bring to the table:

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising management, Economics, Business or related degree from 4-year college or university.
• 5 years of retail buying experience required. Includes experience in both high volume and high value categories
• Experience leading and mentoring a team of Associate Buyers is essential
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams

• This role requires collaboration, teamwork, and face-to-face interaction with colleagues, leaders, and/or clients.
• Being in the office ensures access to leaders, cross-functional partners, and resources necessary to make timely decisions and drive results.
• On-site presence in accordance with our Flex Smart policy supports our culture of innovation, mentorship, and engagement, which is integral to our success in developing the best team.

* This is not intended to be an all-inclusive, exhaustive list of all essential job functions for this position. Pet Smart retains the right to change or assign other required job duties to this position.

Our associates are the heart of Team Pet Smart. Together, we’re building the best team in retail through our values-based culture, connection, and teamwork. Our goal…