*** This will be a hybrid role based out of Dubai, UAE***

Job Summary

This position is responsible for evaluating, curating, promoting, and growing the brands/products in their assigned category and cultivating strong vendor partnerships that result in mutually beneficial opportunities to grow both revenue and profit. In addition, the Regional Senior Vendor Manager sources new suppliers and manages assortment relevant to category, trend, and team objectives. This role is the third step in the progression of the Merchandising team's buying structure, and is responsible for making merchandising decisions for large volume accounts.

This role will focus on assortment and product strategy that is complementary to the iHerb overall Global strategy, while expanding the catalog with brands and products that are the most relevant in their assigned market. Identifying and onboarding regional brands, along with unlocking logistical methods to allow regional sourcing of Global brands to reduce lead time, save expense, and substitute locally approved products will be the key focus.

Job Expectations:

• Work closely with the Global Director and team to ensure all are aligned on business strategies, short and long-term growth objectives.
• Work closely with the in-market team, including Region Leaders, as a dotted line structure, to best ensure maximization of market opportunities.
• Directly responsible for key category metrics (KPI’s) for new and existing brands, new products, pricing, gross margin, promotions, and product life cycle while seeking opportunities for improvement.
• Understand and navigate supply chain complexities to ensure proper and legal buying methods.
• Partner with Compliance and Regulatory departments on catalog additions to ensure legitimacy.
• Solely procure directly from manufactures or approved distributors.
• Negotiate with vendors to secure exceptional everyday pricing, marketing & promotional budgets, special opportunity buys, growth incentives including rebates and accruals, delivery, and payment terms for large volume accounts
• Foster relationships with large volume existing/new vendors to drive sales, product innovation, margin growth, promotional support and maintain regular and consistent communication to ensure a clear understanding of short/long-term goals and capabilities.
• Negotiation of contracts, product evaluation, quality issues, customer service questions and create and maintain supplier, product database
• Drive the new product/brand onboarding and maintenance process to ensure timely addition to market
• Calculate, maintain and evaluate cost, pricing, and product adjustments in system to ensure desired mark-ups, margin
• Partner/Coordinate with Inventory Management and Planning Team in managing inventory turns, vendor forecasts, new item projections, service level, order cycles, rebate and marketing programs, special opportunity buys, and general supply chain practices
• Develop promotional co-op activities that are profitable and highly effective in conjunction with Marketing
• Create, review and utilize reports to enable in-depth analysis of category successes/challenges
• Comply with company policies and procedures, including safety, business ethics, and standards of conduct
• May cultivate, direct and support Assistant Buyers; enabling them to further develop and grow with 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, successful and proven negotiating skills
• Strong analytical, data management and decision-making abilities
• Strong mathematical skills with an understanding of retail pricing concepts
• Ability to communicate written and verbally in a professional manner with people at all levels of the organization and external contacts
• Great attention to detail, highly organized with strong project management skills
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, problem solve and prioritize with an awareness of importance and deadlines

Equipment Knowledge:

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

Experience Requirements:

Generally requires a minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in buying or directly related role with equivalent responsibilities, preferably in an e-commerce environment with natural products experience a plus.

Education Requirements:

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

Judgment/Reasoning Ability: Able to identify, troubleshoot and resolve problems quickly using sound judgment, poise and diplomacy. Ability to use judgment and reasoning skills, and determine when to escalate issues, as required, in a timely manner.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to talk and hear. The Team Member is frequently required to sit, walk, climb stairs, use hands and fingers, bend, stoop and reach with hands and arms. Reaching above shoulder heights, below the waist or lifting as required to file documents or store materials throughout the work day. The Team Member may occasionally lift or move office products and supplies up to 25 pounds. Proper lifting techniques required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment:

The role will begin as a remote role, and will evolve to a hybrid position once an office in Dubai is established. Future expectations would include 3-4 days a week in office. Limited travel up to 10% of time. Occasional need to join virtual meetings on USA PST to align with Global team meetings.