Buyer (Category Manager)

**About the Team**

PetSmart’s
**Canadian Home Office** (CHO) is home to approximately 60 full-time associates who work in departments such as Human Resources, Merchandise Buying and Pricing, Replenishment, Marketing, Finance, Space Planning and more. The small but mighty team at the CHO supports the operations of 150+ PetSmart stores in Canada and works closely with counterparts at PetSmart’s global corporate headquarters located in Phoenix, Arizona. We also share the Canadian home office with our colleagues at PetSmart Charities of Canada—an independent, registered charity dedicated to reducing pet homelessness and supporting the bond between people and pets.

**About the Job** Buyer (Category Manager) - Hybrid Office Environment**

As a **Buyer (Category Manager)**, you are responsible for setting and managing the merchandise strategy, assortment selection, pricing, and promotions to facilitate sales. You will manage product selection to maximize sales and margin dollars in support of the business and financial goals of the Merchandising department, lead the effort to direct vendor selection and negotiation of product purchase terms in addition to develop and maintain ongoing relationships with selected vendors, and stay abreast of current and future market and competitor trends that will impact the business. This role offers a highly competitve salary, long-term incentive and short-term bonus.

**Essential Duties and Responsibilities** include, but are not limited to:

- Manage product assortment and product specifications in assigned areas to identify and address opportunities within the business and the market to maximize sales and margin opportunities,
- Provide leadership for negotiating product costs, terms and shipping/returns issues in addition to being the liaison between supply chain, distribution centers and stores in an effort to track shipments and floor purchase orders,
- Develop and manage vendor relationships in order to ensure the best prices, products and shipments, identifying products to maximize promotional and marketing strategies to meet sales and margin goals based on internal business and external market factors,
- Work collaboratively to provide input to the other merchandising functions to determine the products lifecycle, exit strategy and inventory aging standards within the assigned area,
- Assist with the development of business plans and analysis that maximize sales, margin dollars, margin percentage, and profitability based upon current business,
- Participate in recommending, setting and approving product pricing strategies to achieve specific margin objectives, implement exit strategies and recommend appropriate markdowns.

**Experience/Education Required**:

- Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Economics or related degree from an accredited 4 year college or university required.
- Minimum 3 years of retail experience that includes direct buying experience plus cross functional experience and training in various facets of Merchandising such as pricing, presentation management and replenishment.
- Effective communication, analytical, negotiation and organizational skills.
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams.
- Ability to foster relationships to create value for internal and external customers.
- Hardgoods general merchandise experience an asset

**About the Culture**

Our Canadian Home Office is truly that, a home office. It’s a place where individuals across various departments can align their passion for pets with their desires for professional growth. You’ll be a part of a close-knit team, while still being a part of a large, best-in-class retailer. And while the team may be smaller, the results are impactful The Home Office boasts a large, open concept with natural lighting and serves as the perfect setting for office events. An active social committee hosts fun-filled events including contests, bake-offs, off-site events, and volunteer efforts, and they are always trying to out-do the previous event PetSmart is a dog friendly environment, where we encourage you to bring your best friend to work with you

At PetSmart, we work hard to create a culture where every associate feels like they truly belong and we celebrate the unique stories, backgrounds, and experiences our associates share. These experiences not only bring new perspectives in shaping our Belonging culture but they’re core to PetSmart’s success.