Senior Buyer, Sports/VMS

As a Senior Buyer at iHerb, you'll evaluate, curate, and manage pricing for products in the Sports/VMS category, negotiate with vendors for optimal pricing and promotional support, and develop strong relationships that drive sales and product innovation. You will also mentor Assistant Buyers, manage key performance metrics, and collaborate closely with marketing and inventory teams to ensure successful product onboarding and lifecycle management.

To qualify for the Senior Buyer position at iHerb, candidates typically need a minimum of five years of progressive experience in buying or a related role, preferably in an e-commerce environment. A Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Merchandising, or a related field is preferred, along with strong negotiating skills, analytical abilities, and familiarity with retail pricing concepts.

The Senior Buyer at iHerb plays a vital role in fostering relationships with both existing and new vendors. This includes negotiating contracts, securing favorable pricing and promotional budgets, managing quality issues, and maintaining clear communication with vendors to align on short and long-term goals. Strong vendor partnerships are crucial for ensuring product availability and driving sales.

Essential skills for the Senior Buyer role at iHerb include strong negotiation skills, excellent analytical and data management capabilities, keen mathematical understanding of retail pricing, and solid project management skills. Additionally, strong verbal and written communication skills are important for maintaining professional relationships across all levels of the organization and with external partners.

As a Senior Buyer at iHerb, there are numerous opportunities for growth. You will have the chance to develop your leadership skills by mentoring Assistant Buyers and managing key category metrics. Furthermore, your role in product lifecycle management and vendor negotiation can lead to advanced career paths within the merchandising team and greater responsibilities.

When discussing your vendor negotiation experience, highlight specific instances where you successfully secured favorable terms. Explain your approach to building relationships and how you ensure mutual benefits, as well as any techniques you use to overcome challenges during negotiations.

To effectively answer this question, provide examples of how you've utilized market data and consumer insights to make informed buying choices. Discuss the tools or metrics you analyze and how you adjust your strategies according to the data you gather.

Share specific strategies that have worked for you in the past, such as promotional campaigns, new product introductions, or enhancing vendor relationships. Explain how you measure success in these initiatives and any adjustments you’ve made based on results.

Provide a detailed scenario where you managed multiple projects, explaining how you prioritized tasks, organized your workflow, and leveraged teamwork. Highlight any tools you used for project management and the positive outcomes that resulted from your effective multitasking.

Discuss your methods for monitoring supplier performance and compliance with quality standards. Highlight the importance of clear communication, regular audits, and building strategic partnerships to ensure that the products meet your company's expectations.

Mention any relevant tools you’ve used, such as WMS, EDI, SAP, Asana, or Tableau. Discuss how you apply these tools to manage data effectively, analyze performance metrics, and support your buying decisions.

Share your insights on important KPIs, such as sales growth, gross margin, inventory turnover, and vendor performance. Explain how you track these indicators and adjust strategies to improve results in your category.

Discuss how you ensure alignment with marketing and inventory teams by establishing clear communication channels and regular meetings. Highlight how collaboration helps enhance promotional strategies and optimize inventory levels.

Describe a specific product launch, detailing your planning, execution, and the results achieved. Focus on the strategies you employed to ensure a smooth launch and how you measured its success post-launch.

Explain your strategies for keeping industry knowledge current, such as subscribing to relevant publications, attending trade shows, networking with industry professionals, or participating in online forums. Highlight how this information informs your buying decisions.