Sr. Buyer - Omnichannel Merchandising (Fresh & Frozen)

Sr. Buyer - Omnichannel Merchandising (Fresh & Frozen)

The Senior Buyer is a senior-level omnichannel merchandising leader responsible for end-to-end ownership and performance of 2–4 complex departments across all channels. This elevated role drives category strategy, trend and innovation leadership, and commercial performance through strong ownership of product, price, promotion, and placement. The Senior Buyer delivers differentiated assortments, a steady flow of newness, and customer-relevant innovation that fuels sales and margin growth. This role operates with high autonomy and executive presence, regularly leading product style-outs and walks with the Chief Product & Customer Officer and senior leadership. The Senior Buyer builds long-term strategic vendor partnerships, negotiates best-in-class costs and terms, leads and develops talent, and partners cross-functionally to deliver results that meet and exceed financial and customer goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Category Ownership & Strategy

• Own omnichannel strategy and financial performance for 2–4 departments, including complex or high-growth categories.

• Develop and execute annual and seasonal category strategies aligned to DMM vision and enterprise priorities.

• Translate customer insights, trend signals, and competitive intelligence into actionable assortment and pricing strategies.

• Define category roles, product architecture, and price ladders across good/better/best tiers.

• Drive innovation, exclusivity, and differentiation across the assortment.

• Product, Assortment & Trend Leadership

• Lead product direction and assortment curation across store and digital channels.

• Identify and act on emerging trends and white space opportunities through continuous competitive shopping and market analysis.

• Champion product newness and innovation pipelines with vendors and owned brand partners.

• Regularly lead and present category product in executive style-outs, line reviews, and product walks.

• Ensure assortments are customer-first, channel-relevant, and space-aware.

• Financial & Business Performance

• Own and deliver to sales, margin, inventory turn, and contribution targets.

• Partner with Merchandising Planning and Demand Planning to build and manage forecasts and OTB.

• Monitor weekly and monthly performance and lead course-correction actions quickly.

• Use deep KPI fluency to drive decisions and performance conversations.

• Lead promotional and pricing strategies that balance growth, competitiveness, and profitability.

• Vendor Strategy & Negotiation

• Lead strategic vendor selection and portfolio management across departments.

• Negotiate best total value including cost, terms, funding, exclusives, and innovation access.

• Build long-term, strategic partnerships with key vendors focused on growth and differentiation.

• Drive joint business planning and accountability with top partners.

• Partner closely with Owned Brands, Sourcing, Product Development, and QA where applicable.

• Omnichannel Execution (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement)

• Align product and category strategies across stores and digital for a cohesive experience.

• Partner with Digital and Marketing teams to optimize launches, storytelling, and conversion.

• Collaborate with Space and Visual Planning on placement, flow, and presentation.

• Ensure coordinated execution across channels and touchpoints.

• Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a senior category leader across cross-functional partners including Merchandising Planning, Demand Planning, Space & Visual Planning, Owned Brands, Product Development, Store Operations, Digital, Marketing, Sourcing, and QA.

• Lead alignment from concept through launch and lifecycle management.

• Influence cross-functional priorities and timelines to deliver category goals.

• Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop at least two direct reports (Associate Buyer and Assistant Buyer).

• Set clear goals, accountability, and development plans.

• Build a high-performance, high-ownership team culture.

• Elevate team capability in financial acumen, trend awareness, and product judgment

Qualifications

Experience

• 7–10+ years of merchandising or buying experience in retail.

• Proven success owning multiple or complex categories with P&L responsibility.

• Demonstrated track record of driving sales, margin, and assortment productivity.

• Strong omnichannel merchandising experience preferred.

• Deep experience negotiating and managing strategic vendor partnerships.

• Skills & Capabilities

• Advanced trend, product, and assortment judgment.

• Strong financial and analytical capability with command of category KPIs.

• Executive presence and confidence presenting to senior leadership.

• Excellent negotiation and vendor management skills.

• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence.

• High ownership mindset with urgency and bias for action.

• Customer-obsessed and highly competitive in the market.

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment.

• Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate:

• Acts as a true business owner of the category portfolio.

• Brings energy, urgency, and commitment to delivering results.

• Stays close to stores, customers, and competitors.

• Balances creativity and innovation with operational excellence.

• Builds strong partnerships internally and externally.

• Continuously raises the bar on product newness, value, and differentiation.

• Salary Range: $117,400.00 - $194,400.00

• Salary

• Range will be reflected above. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO - see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

• Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.