Category Ownership & Strategy. Own the omnichannel category strategy and performance for 2-4 departments, including complex or high-growth categories. Develop and execute annual and seasonal 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 the 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 market analysis and competitive shopping. Champion product newness and innovation pipelines with vendors and owned brand partners. Regularly present category product in executive style-outs, line reviews, and product walks. Ensure assortments are customer first, channel-relevant and space-awareFinancial & 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/monthly performance and lead course-correction actions quickly. Use deep KPI fluency to drive decisions and performance conversations. Lead promotional and price strategies that balance growth, competitiveness and profitability. Vendor Strategy & Negotiation. Lead strategic vendor selection and portfolio management across departments. Negotiate best total value including costs, terms, funding, and innovation access. Build long-term, strategic partnerships with key vendors focused on growth and differentiation. Drive join business planning and accountability with top partners. Partner closely with Owned Brands, Sourcing, QA, and Product Development partners where applicable. Omnichannel Execution (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement)Align product strategies across store and digital channels for cohesive customer experience. Partner with Digital and Store Operations to optimize launches, storytelling, and conversion. Collaborate with Space Planning and Visual teams on placement, flow, and presentation strategies. Ensure coordinated execution across channels and touchpoints. Cross-Functional Leaderships. Serve as 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. 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 high-performance, high ownership team culture. Elevate team capability in financial acument, trend awareness and product judgement. Qualifications. Experience 7-10 years of merchandising or buying experience in a retail environment. Proven success owning multiple or complex categories with P&L responsibility. Demonstrated track record of driving sales, margin and assortment productivity. Strong experience in omnichannel retail strongly preferred. Deep experience in negotiation and managing strategic vendor partnerships. Skills & Capabilities. Advanced trend, product and assortment judgement. 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 collaboration and influence. High ownership mindset with bias for action and results. Customer-obsessed and competitive — energized by market and store insights. Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment. Leadership Profile. The ideal candidate:Acts a true business owner of the category portfolio. Brings energy, urgence 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. #LI-LF 2 Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied. Salary Range: $121,600.00 - $182,400.00 Hourly or Salary Range will be reflected above.