Dyehard Fan Supply, headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC, is a start-up entity specializing in providing Retail Merchandise at sporting and entertainment events for its clients. Dyehard is growing rapidly from a combination of recent and pending acquisitions as well as organic growth through acquisition of new clients

The Merchandise Manager is responsible for managing the buying team and provide assistance, approvals and support with day-to-day department workflow. This position includes analyzing the sales, building product assortments, assisting in the development of sales plans, and supporting the merchandising effort for defined categories and properties within the company. This position plays a critical role in the ongoing operations of the wholesale, retail and e-commerce business. The person filling this role reports to the Vice President of Merchandising of Dyehard Fan Supply. This position is located in the Winston-Salem, NC office and the successful candidate will work at this location.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and coach-fast growing buying team.
• Work with the VP/GMM to build sales, margin, and inventory turn plans by season/category/property.
• Build assortment plans by season/category/property to ensure DFS meets/exceeds sales plans and meets target KPI goals quarterly.
• Adhere to Brand and Licensing Guidelines for a variety of properties and ensure product accuracy prior to production.
• Monitor and maintain proper inventory levels by season/category/property to meet/exceed inventory turn plans.
• Interact regularly with property General Managers to confirm that DFS is supporting local trends.
• Prepare buy plans, product set up for GM and PL (Private Label), GM purchase orders and checking for accuracy and completeness before issuing.
• Review vendor acknowledgements against issued purchase orders and resolve any discrepancies with the supplier to the best advantage of the Company.
• Create regular reports, with VP/GMM direction, showing progress towards stated financial goals.
• Provide proper oversight to ensure all orders and produced and received in a timely fashion.
• Control and manage inventory items in ERP/ POS systems and online.
• Reviews selling of product on the weekly bases to track for reorders and replenishment.
• Lead vendor interaction, and follow industry publications, stay up to date with industry trends to ensure products ordered are meeting customer demand.
• Analyze the business requirements the Open to Buy process.
• Work with vendors to create the best deals, including evaluating the pros and cons of each vendor based on price, quality, speed of delivery and other factors.
• Perform other purchasing duties as needed.

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field
• Strong leader with solid understanding of building and managing lean teams
• Solid understanding of apparel product development and production process
• Strong attention to detail
• Team player and work well in partnership with cross-function teams
• Ability to effectively negotiate with outside vendors
• Knowledge of manufacturing process and ability to leverage various aspects in order to contain or reduce costs.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• High degree of organizational skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, strong Excel and strong analytical skills
• Proficient in ERP and PLM systems environment
• Self-starter with ability to deliver superior results
• Passionate for consumer goods within college and professional sports industry
• Experience with sourcing, buying and managing licensed merchandise
• Agile and who thinks outside-of-the-box
• Resilient to change while processed are developed and mainstreamed

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience working in a purchasing environment with proven track record of meeting department sales and margin goals.
• 5+ years of experience in managing a buying team
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks while managing interruptions
• Proven negotiating skills