{"id":2049972,"url":"https://alion.io/job/ssagroup-retail-buyer","title":"Retail Buyer","company":{"id":2229084,"name":"SSA Group","domain":"ssagroup.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/ssagroup-com","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Dayforce","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":91,"open_postings":137,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.38,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":28,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Denver, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":83000,"max_usd":165000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":3801},"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-07T04:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T23:20:18Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":26,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":1,"flags":[],"days_open":26},"description":"Retail Buyer\nPosition OverviewThe Retail Buyer is a corporate merchandising partner at SSA, responsible for selecting, sourcing, and pricing the products that fill the assortment in their assigned categories. They report to the Divisional Merchandise Director (DMD) and work as equals with Planners, alongside Merchandise Assistants and cross-functional teams, to put the right product in the right place at the right price. \nBuyers own their vendor relationships and category performance, using sales data, market trends, and guest preferences to refine the assortment, protect margin, and keep inventory balanced. The role blends analysis with creativity — from negotiating terms and reviewing samples to building look books and, in some cases, developing custom or exclusive products for partner accounts. Their core responsibility is translating the DMD's merchandising strategy into a profitable, well-sourced assortment that delights guests and delivers for partners.\nResponsibilities\nMerchandise Strategy & Product Selection\nThe Buyer shapes the assortment for their assigned categories, using the DMD's merchandising strategy as the guide and partnering with Planners as equals on what the data says. The work combines hands-on selection with ongoing trend and performance analysis.\nSelect and purchase products that align with the DMD's merchandising strategy by researching potential items, evaluating samples, and deciding what belongs in the assortment\nCreate look books annually, seasonally, and for special events to showcase product selections and support cohesive merchandising strategies\nTrack market trends, consumer preferences, and competitive activity through sales data, trade shows, and store visits to identify emerging trends and opportunities\nPartner with Planners to refine the product mix by assessing product performance, identifying top sellers and underperformers, and shaping future assortments\nPhase out underperforming items and make room for emerging trends, working closely with Planners on the data behind each decision\nContribute to custom-branded and exclusive products for partner accounts by working with designers, product developers, and manufacturers to meet guest needs and partner preferences\nFinancial Management\nThe Buyer is accountable for the financial performance of their categories, from the price on the shelf to the margin it delivers. They work with the DMD and Planners to set direction and draw on planning team data and analysis to turn performance trends into smart decisions.\nCollaborate with the DMD and Planner to set competitive, profitable prices through market research, cost analysis, supplier negotiation, and pricing strategy development\nAnalyze sales performance and profitability by tracking sales volume, gross margin, and inventory turnover, and deliver regular reports to the DMD\nManage category results against key performance indicators, including revenue, cost of goods sold, inventory turn, and SKU count\nUse planning team insights and performance trends to maximize identified opportunities and keep the assortment aligned with financial goals\nConfirm with the Planner that margins and initial order quantities for new items support the financial goals of the account and the organization's overall financial strategy\nOperational Intelligence\nThe Buyer helps keep the right product in the right place at the right time. The Planner leads forecasting and the Merchandise Assistant handles product distribution, while the Buyer supports inventory health by writing orders, placing product with intention, and holding every item to SSA's quality and compliance standards.\nCollaborate with the Planner to analyze sales trends, forecast demand, and set inventory targets and replenishment schedules\nWrite orders as needed to maintain balanced stock levels, minimize stockouts, and maximize sales opportunities\nDecide product placement within the store to align inventory strategies with merchandising goals\nProvide complete, accurate, and timely item and vendor setup information to the Planner, and write initial orders for new items\nCoordinate with visual, operations, marketing, IT, and finance teams so merchandising strategy aligns with business goals and operational capabilities\nEnsure all products meet company quality standards and comply with relevant regulations and industry standards\nWork with vendors to resolve product quality and safety issues promptly\nVendor & Supplier Relations\nBuyers build and sustain the vendor relationships that make the assortment possible. They negotiate alongside Planners, join forces with other Buyers and DMDs on shared vendors, and bring SSA's commitment to responsible sourcing into every selection.\nEstablish and maintain relationships with reputable vendors and suppliers\nNegotiate terms, prices, and contracts alongside Planners to secure the best possible deals for the company\nSupport Merchandise Assistants in resolving vendor issues related to product quality, supply chain disruptions, or excessively delayed orders\nPartner with other Buyers and DMDs of similar products to share vendors, streamline processes, and leverage collective buying power for better pricing and terms\nSeek out suppliers that offer responsibly sourced products, emphasizing diverse vendors, local products, and sustainable materials and packaging, and integrate these values into product development\nThis is by no means an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job description. SSA Group reserves the right to revise the job description or to require that other or different tasks are performed when circumstances change (i.e. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technological developments).\n\nEducation & Experience\nAt least 5 years of experience in buying, merchandising, or a related role within retail or wholesale\nProven track record in vendor management, contract negotiation, and pricing strategies\nExperience analyzing sales data and key performance metrics such as revenue, gross margin, and inventory turnover, with familiarity with open-to-buy processes and inventory planning\nExperience working cross-functionally with teams such as merchandising, marketing, and operations, paired with strong business acumen and the ability to manage multiple projects at once with close attention to detail\nPreferred: experience developing exclusive or private-label products, knowledge of retail and e-commerce operations, and knowledge of sustainability practices and working with diverse suppliers; industry-specific knowledge is a plus but not necessary\nBachelor's degree in business, merchandising, marketing, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and demonstrated buying or merchandising experience considered\n\nPosition Requirements\nPrevious attraction retail experience\nMust be proficient in Word, Excel, and Power Point\nAbility to quickly learn multiple POS systems\nExperience with cloud-based systems, uploading files and making changes to online documents\nDenver based position\nTravel to store locations may be required during business needs\nCompensation and Benefits\nFull-Time, Exempt\nFlex Time Off: no accruals; employees are encouraged to schedule time off as needed within business scope. \nMedical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and other voluntary benefits for you and your family; employee premiums applicable. \nParticipation in a 401(k) program with a 15% company match (must be 21 years or older, eligible after one year of employment with 1,000 hours worked, available to enroll during Open Enrollment Periods). \nShort-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability, employer sponsored; scaled-salary pay following submission and approval of leave.\nParental Benefits: Birthing Parent Plan covers up to 6-8 weeks of fully paid leave, based on the birthing event.\nSSA Paid Benefit: Up to 120 hours of Paid Leave for qualifying reasons, including Parental Leave and your or your family’s serious medical conditions. \nUp to 5 days of Paid Bereavement. \nOn-Demand Pay Program: Get access to a portion of earned wages before payday. \nMeal Plan & Employee Discounts where applicable \nPaid sick leave is provided in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Accrual rates, caps, and usage rules vary by location. \nLocations include: Arizona, California, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C.. Colorado: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year, under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). Maryland: Employees accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, as required under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Washington: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, in accordance with the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time.","description_format":"text","description_chars":9027,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Catering & Food Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-07T21:19:06Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-10-14T19:13:19Z"},{"event":"reopen","at":"2026-10-20T05:52:13Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":59,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.788,"p_room":0.75,"age_days":26,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:0","win:late","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/ssagroup-retail-buyer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/ssagroup-retail-buyer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T02:49:57Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3731,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2229084},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2229084"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fssagroup-retail-buyer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fssagroup-retail-buyer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fssagroup-retail-buyer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/ssagroup-retail-buyer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fssagroup-retail-buyer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2049972}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"ssagroup.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2049972},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}