Buying Manager

**About Us**:
Platypus Shoes is a part of the Accent Group, Australia’s leading digitally Integrated retail and distribution business in the Apparel and Footwear performance and lifestyle market in Australia and New Zealand. With over 750+ stores, 35 brands and 40 online platforms. Our brands include; Platypus, Skechers, Hype DC, Vans, Dr. Martens, Subtype, The Athletes Foot, CAT, Merrell, The Trybe, Pivot, Timberland, Stylerunner, Palladium, Stance, Saucony& Glue Store

Since 1998 here at Platypus Shoes we have made it our business to deck out every single person who walks through our doors with the freshest footwear from all the biggest brands. But we reckon life goes beyond shoes. We believe it’s what you do in them that truly counts. So stay out late. Wake up early. Walk there, run back. Stand tall and be a champion in a crowd of Naysayers. We’re for the ones that dance harder, sing louder and don’t care what anyone else thinks. This is your story. Play Life Loud.

**Our Benefits**:

- Fantastic & casual team culture within an amazing purpose-built Office in Richmond
- Generous employee discounts across all our brands plus discounts on health insurance
- Be part of a supportive team and a growing business with endless opportunities to progress your career

**The Role**:
This is the ideal role for a very experienced multi brand Buyer within the retail industry. You will be required to build strong relationships with both internal teams and suppliers to achieve the outcomes of the role. You will be trend driven with a strong understanding of the youth market in branded footwear and have a passion for streetwear and lifestyle brands across apparel & footwear.

**Your key responsibilities include but not limited to**:
**Financial Performance**:

- Develop merchandise strategies to deliver financial targets and all key KPI’s
- Maximise sales and profitability through tight inventory management
- Responsible for OTB management in conjunction with Head of Planning.
- Responsible for intake margins across the Platypus banner and final trading margin
- Analysis of business performance, market trends to build deep understanding of the target consumer
- Negotiate best financial cost for all product

**Operational Excellence**:

- Drive operational efficiency through effective seasonal range planning and review process, ensuring adherence to all critical paths and business deadlines
- Analyse market trends and sales potential to manage inventory controls
- Maximise opportunities and assortments at a door level across the Platypus banner

Brand Partnerships
- Lead negotiations with brand partners to improve commercial outcomes
- Manage and maintain strong brand partner partnerships
- Drive access to appropriate product lines inline with the Platypus merchandise strategy to ensure Platypus stays on trend and relevant.
- Drive access to appropriate product lines inline with the Platypus strategy
- Lead merchandise strategy to ensure Platypus stays on trend with our core consumer.

**Team leadership and development**:

- Build, lead and develop high performance team capable of delivering current and future merchandise strategies
- Provide leadership and direction to team, ensuring the desired behaviours, attitudes and work practices are understood and consistent with Accent Group values and standards
- Coach & Lead in all aspects of buying functional responsibilities from brand selection, product ranging, and quantification.

**What we are looking for**:

- Demonstrated experience in leading a Buying Team
- Strong knowledge of the local youth market and footwear industry
- A strong track record in successful trading, resulting in achieving profitable business returns and improvements.
- Multi-category experience is advantageous across streetwear and footwear brands.
- Building strong key stakeholder relationships both internal and external will be critical to success of this role
- Thrive in a high-performance environment and demonstrate a steadfast persistence to exceed goals and overcome obstacles
- Work flexibly and coordinate multiple impending deadlines at one time
- Demonstrate a high level of organization and strong time management skills
- Encourage others to implement better approaches to address problems and opportunities
- Affiliation with Accent Group Core values and “Make It Happen” attitude

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your passion for retail buying and join us as we continue to grow, APPLY NOW

At Accent Group Limited we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and inclusion. We believe in the diversity of our people across age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical and mental ability. We strive on creating an equal employment environment where everyone from any background can be themselves.The Accent Group acknowledges, and pays respect, to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land. The Abo