Director Of Purchasing

FlynnO'Hara is looking for a Director of Purchasing to oversee its product department. The role will be responsible for planning, buying, allocation, product management, vendor relations & production / supply chain logistics. We are looking for a director-level candidate who will be comfortable operating in a hands-on working environment. They will be responsible for carrying out the day-to-day responsibilities of the role with a very lean team while working to build out and strengthen the department.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Management, Technology & Reporting

• Work with leadership to establish KPIs for planning, buying and allocation functions of the business.
• Partner with business leaders to implement company's new ERP system, acting as point person for the planning, purchasing, product management & vendor management components of the new system.
• Assess information and technology needs and support the development and implementation of new tools, applications, and reporting.
• Leverage historical sales data and real-time partner school enrollment data to develop automated forecasting models for more efficient planning.
• Develop reporting to manage and maintain target in-stock levels across retail stores and fulfillment / distribution center, particularly during peak back-to-school season.
• Recruit and develop a team to support the responsibilities of the department.

Planning

• Forecast FlynnO'Hara's annual school uniform demand at the base product level, and down to the individual school level. Planning for the school uniform business is based primarily on historical sales but takes into account partner school enrollment growth & shrink, new business acquisitions, new partner schools, and trend shifts.
• Develop annual purchasing calendar.
• Monitor inventory to maintain target in-stock levels throughout the calendar year, with a particular focus on peak back-to-school season.

Buying & Product Management

• Source FlynnO'Hara's assortment of ~2k core products, which - once customized for our 1500+ partner schools - expands to roughly $1.2mm unique SKUs.
• Manage relationships with our vendors and negotiate product costs.
• Find and establish new vendor relationships when necessary; ensure diversified vendor network - particularly for core products - to mitigate risk of over-dependence on a single product source.
• Continually work to streamline and optimize product offering to maintain FlynnO'Hara's "narrow and deep" assortment strategy. While our product offering remains mostly the same YOY, buyers determine which products need to be added and removed based on historical sales & anticipated demand, taking into consideration: new schools, changes in demand, changes in purchasing habits, changes in customer base, new markets, individual item and/or school-level profitability.
• Work with Sales & Marketing team to identify opportunities for new product development or product extensions based on current and future markets.
• Place & manage Purchase Orders (POs).
• Oversee Quality Assurance (QA).
• Manage products & product data entry into Master Data Management System and ERP.
Allocation
• Plan allocation of non-customized products to our 34 stores and fulfillment center.
• Manage inventory levels in stores and distribution / fulfillment center to optimize turns while maintaining appropriate in-stock levels - particularly during peak back-to-school season.
• Work with ops & ecommerce teams to ensure success of store fulfillment program and improve BOPIS program.
Production Logistics
• Manage transport of raw materials from maker to manufacturers.
• Manage transport of finished goods from manufacturing partners to stores and PA Distribution Center.
• Work with operations team to manage supply chain logistics including shipping, landing, and receiving finished products at company DC or retail stores.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in Omnichannel, eCommerce/Direct business models, as well as Brick & Mortar retail businesses.
• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion, Business, finance, or a related field; MBA or Masters in merchandising or financial planning a plus.
• 10+ years' experience in merchandising, planning and/or allocation roles (multi-store experience a plus!), most recently at a senior and/or executive level, including management of a buying or planning team.
• Experience with ERP implementations and/or reconfiguration.
• Experience in a more unstructured startup or middle-market company, as well as experience working in a highly structured corporate retail environment a plus.

SKILLS

• Highly analytical and solutions oriented.
• Expert in Microsoft Excel, advanced experience with Microsoft Power BI a plus.
• Experience building & managing effective teams.
• Flexible! Able to navigate an informal organizational structure and work cross-functionally to solve problems and execute responsibilities.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Effective and diplomatic negotiator.

Reports To: President & COO

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Medical, dental & vision coverage
• HSA account with company contribution
• Company paid life insurance policy
• 401K with company match
• Paid parental leave

Interested? Send your resume & cover letter to Lynda Balcer at lbalcer@flynnohara.com or apply directly at https://flynnohara.com/careers/