Senior Vendor Manager

Job Summary

The Regional Senior Category Manager is responsible for leading the evaluating, curating, and expanding the product assortment for the European region. This includes identifying high-potential brands, developing vendor partnerships, securing competitive commercial terms, and using data-driven insights to drive category and revenue growth. 

The role requires strong commercial judgement and the ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution. The Regional Senior Buyer sources and manages brands that meet customer needs, comply with regional requirements, and align with market trends within Europe.

Job Expectations:

• Work closely with the Senior Director Merchandising and collaborate with global merchandising teams as needed, to align on business strategies, priorities, and category direction
• Partner with in-market leadership, including Region Leaders (dotted line), to build and maintain an assortment relevant to the market
• Own key category metrics (KPIs) for new and existing brands, including pricing, gross margin, product mix, promotions and full product lifecycle, while driving continuous improvement 
• Understand and navigate Europe-specific compliance, regulatory and supply-chain requirements to ensure proper and compliant buying practices
• Partner with Compliance, Regulatory teams to manage catalog additions, documentation, and approvals for the region
• Procure products directly from manufacturers or authorized distributors, following company policies and regional sourcing standards
• Negotiate competitive commercial terms, including everyday pricing, marketing budgets, rebates, accruals, delivery schedules, and volume agreements
• Build and maintain strong vendor relationships to support innovation, margin improvement, and consistent communication on capabilities and expectations
• Manage vendor contracts, product evaluation, and issue resolution in collaboration with cross-functional partners
• Drive new product and brand onboarding to ensure timely and accurate integration into the European assortment
• Occasional availability to attend US-based, Pacific time zone meetings
• Monitor and evaluate pricing, cost, and system adjustments to maintain required mark-ups and margin performance
• Partner with Inventory Management and Planning to align on forecasts, inventory turns, vendor performance, and order cycles
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop profitable and effective promotional co-op activities
• Use category reports and analytics to identify opportunities, guide decision-making, and support long-term business growth
• Adhere to company policies regarding safety, business ethics, and standards of conduct
• Support and develop Assistant Buyers, providing guidance and tools for success 

The duties and responsibilities described above may provide only a partial description of this position. This is not an exhaustive list of all aspects of the job.  Other duties and responsibilities not outlined in this document may be added as necessary or desirable, with or without notice.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Required:         

• Strong and proven negotiation skills with the ability to secure competitive commercial terms
• Advanced analytical, data-interpretation, and decision-making abilities
• Strong understanding of retail pricing structures, margin dynamics, and category commercial drivers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to influence at all levels across internal and external stakeholders
• High attention to detail with strong organizational and project management capabilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, solve problems, and make sound judgments in a fast-paced environment
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, particularly with Merchandising, Planning, Compliance and Marketing

Equipment Knowledge:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred
• Experience with EDI, WMS, SAP, Asana, or Tableau is a plus

Experience Requirements:

10+ Years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, or a directly related commercial role, ideally in an international or regional e-commerce environment. 

Pan-European experience preferred

Education Requirements: 

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Merchandising or related field preferred, or a combination of education and equivalent work experience.