Junior Buyer

Overview

Coach is a global fashion house founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive and courageous spirit of our hometown, we make beautiful things, crafted to last—for you to be yourself in.

Coach is part of the Tapestry portfolio – a global house of brands committed to stretching what’s possible. Tapestry has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive.

Primary Purpose

The Junior Buyer will support the strategic and operational execution of product investment across Women’s Small Leather Goods (SLGs) for the Coach EMEI Outlet channel. Reporting to the Senior Buyer for Outlet Women’s Leathergoods, this role is instrumental in driving in-season performance against financial targets and contributing to the implementation of brand, product, and planning strategies.

Accomplished Individual Will Possess

• 3+ years buying and planning experience, ideally within an Outlet environment
• Multi-category experience, preferably in handbags/accessories
• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills, with the ability to operate with clear command of key financial drivers
• Proficient in RPAS, Cora, SAP and advanced Excel capabilities
• Deep understanding of the luxury fashion/accessories market
• Experience working with global brands and exposure to European markets
• Flexible to travel across Europe and USA as needed
• Market-aware, customer-centric mindset and able to use insights to inform strategy
• Data-driven, solution-focused, and decisive under pressure
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Able to translate priorities into team actions and focuses
• Strong relationship building skills and able to develop partnerships locally and globally

Responsibilities

• Assist the Senior Buyer in managing 75–80% of the Outlet business, including trading, investment decisions, and OTB management, in collaboration with the Inventory Management team and Senior Buying Manager
• Plan and manage sales and stock levels across channels at SKU level, including markdown planning and end-of-season clearance. Ensure forecast accuracy to support product performance analysis and identify risks and opportunities within departments
• Partner with the Senior Buyer to buy Women’s SLGs for Outlet, ensuring cohesive investments are aligned with regional pricing, match backs, and silhouette functionality specific to regional performance, with the aim of driving customer engagement and achieving AOP targets
• Contribute to Outlet buying strategies through product selection, door assortments, and store tiering reviews
• Participate in seasonal buy reviews, hindsight meetings, and manage the seasonal milestone calendar
• Support and contribute to weekly WSRM and trade meetings by delivering financial overviews and strategic actions to Buying and cross-functional teams
• Drive performance against sales and margin targets by maximizing in-season opportunities, minimising risk, and proposing trading activities to optimise investments
• Analyse product performance, customer feedback, consumer trends, competitive landscape, and local market insights to inform Global Merchandising and identify regional opportunities
• Collaborate with Inventory Planning to review on-hand inventory and propose actions to meet Global WOH and turn targets. Review and adjust AOP monthly and annually, reflecting sales trends and market shifts
• Contribute to go-to-market assets for Outlet doors across the region and support with coordinating assets for the Wholesale Sales team
• Partner with the Allocation team to prioritise category-specific allocations, considering floor set launch dates and peak trading periods
• Conduct ad-hoc analysis and scenario planning to support trading decisions and future business needs
• Contribute to the development of the Made-To-Forecast strategy to support Wholesale Outlet growth, including tiering strategy, product alignment, and regional product nuances
• Partner with the Senior Buyer and Wholesale Marketplace team to ensure consistent product and promotional alignment across channels, leveraging performance and inventory insights
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key regional and global stakeholders
• Ensure data integrity and timely delivery of system updates for assigned departments

What Coach Can Offer You

• Hybrid working (3 days working from the office, 2 days remote)
• Option to finish early on a Friday (Flex Fridays)
• 1 Paid Volunteering Day per year and opportunities to volunteer with global projects
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Internal mobility & career progression
• Regular Social Events – Seasonal & Cultural
• Equity Inclusion & Diversity initiatives which include employee resource groups & regional inclusion council

Other Benefits Include

• 25 days holiday in addition to bank holidays
• Annual Incentive Plan (company performance bonus)
• Multi brand discount up to 50% off Coach & Kate Spade New York
• Private Healthcare with health assessment (Bupa)
• Bupa rewards – Financial wellbeing support and wellness discounts
• Private Dental Cover
• Free 24/7 support for family building, fertility and menopause with Maven
• Eyecare vouchers
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Gym discount
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Our Competencies for All Employees

• Courage: Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
• Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
• Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
• Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.

Coach is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant’s or employee’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law. Visit Coach at www.coach.com