Buying Team Lead - Football and Specialty Sports (all genders)

Our vision is to inspire customers to live an active lifestyle. We are proud of our focus on deep customer relationships and continue to invest to deepen them even further. In this, we see Sports as a growth area and our Sports team leverages the full spectrum of the Zalando Platform and brings the very best of Zalando to our customers.

As a Team Lead Buying for one of our key Sports categories, you lead and develop a team of experienced Category Managers, who are responsible for creating a clearly defined assortment strategy and take ownership for its execution and delivery. You start always with a customer-first mindset, you lead the strategic definition of the category and the main drivers of success. You manage the budget for this business and you are responsible for the partner relations in your category.

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

At Zalando, our vision is to be inclusive by design. And this vision starts with our hiring – we do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, personal expression, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability status. You are welcome to leave out your picture, age, or marital status from your application. We only assess candidates on their qualifications and merit.

We want to provide you with a great candidate experience. Feel free to inform us of any accommodations you may need, so we can best support you throughout the hiring process.

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

1. Leading people is your passion. Alongside your key functional responsibilities, you will be fully responsible for leading, coaching and developing your team by identifying their strengths, development areas and training needs. You will look after a team across various levels from Assistant Buyers through to Senior Buyer.
2. You put customer experience first, regardless of the business model we apply with a partner. You will provide strategic and creative direction and will guide your teams via a holistic assortment strategy of your Sport Type.
3. You guide your team in sourcing new brands and relevant assortments. You are passionate about product and trends and knowledgeable about the sports fashion Industry. You drive the strategy and help to identify strategic marketing & product stories alongside the Marketing & Country teams.
4. Owning and managing the performance of the assortment, you will work closely with Merchandise Planning to drive sales and maximise profitability. You take responsibility for owning and driving In-Season KPIs. You influence the OTB for your category to maximise sales, gross margin and inventory turn.
5. Maximising relationships, you will build strong, trustful long term partnerships with the biggest brands for this unit such as working very closely with the strategic partners. You possess strong negotiation skills and the ability to take a strategic view on maximising long term potential.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

1. ±8 years of relevant Buying and/or business development experience at a management level, within a fast-paced retail business, ideally a multi-branded E-commerce retailer.
2. As a strong leader, you are strategic and are able to manage multiple stakeholders effectively. You understand and are motivated by the challenges of the fashion e-com business. You pride yourself in your leadership skills with relevant experience leading a large team.
3. You are a Sports Enthusiast yourself, stay informed and well connected in the industry.
4. Expertise in spotting trends and brave enough to take strategic buying decisions. You have a history of successfully implementing new process to become more efficient and customer-centric.
5. Strong analytical skills are required to be successful in the role and strong business acumen in decision making.

OUR OFFER

Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer:

1. Employee shares program
2. 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners
3. 2 paid volunteering days a year
4. Hybrid working model with 60% (or more) remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration
5. Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year
6. 27 days of vacation a year (for Zalando SE)
7. Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)
8. Family services, including counseling and support
9. Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)
10. Mental health support and coaching available

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