Buyer & Merchandiser - US Collegiate

Location: Remote (Home-based, UK)

Reports to: Senior Leadership

Salary: Reflective of experience

We operate in store and online retail experiences for US universities and campus’ selling course supplies and branded merchandise to students and faculties. We’re growing, our customers are demanding, and our edge is that we move faster and think sharper than the rest of the industry. We need someone to own the buy.

This is not a traditional procurement role and it isn’t a job for someone who wants to administer a process. We’re looking for a commercial operator who understands product, trend, sell-through and margin and who treats AI as a daily tool, not a buzzword.

You’ll own the range. You’ll decide what we buy, from whom, at what price, in what quantity, and when to mark it down. You’ll work hand-in-glove with our US store managers, suppliers in the US and overseas, and our internal design and operations teams. The autonomy of a category lead, and the accountability that comes with it.

What you’ll actually do

• Own the assortment for our US collegiate accounts including new buys, reorders, end-of-life. Right product, right price, right quantity, right time.
• Read trends across fashion, collegiate culture and branded merch, and translate them into product decisions. Use AI to surface signals faster than the competition.
• Build forecasts that stand up to scrutiny. Manage rate-of-sales, sell-through and markdown discipline to hit margin and turn targets.
• Negotiate hard with suppliers both domestic and overseas on price, lead time, MOQ and terms. Build the supplier base we need for the next five years, not the last five.
• Form connections for print-on-demand based goods as we introduce these into our retail environment.
• Partner closely with US store managers and retail operations on what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do about it.
• Use AI tools to compress the routine parts of the job including supplier comms, sample tracking, PO reconciliation, trend research — so your time goes on commercial decisions, not admin.
• Travel to the US and Far East for buying trips, supplier visits and trade shows.

Who we’re looking for

You’ve worked in retail buying, merchandising or branded merchandise sourcing, whether that’s a year and you’re hungry to own more, or several years of running a category end-to-end. We care more about how you think than how long you’ve been doing it. What matters is that you’ve had real exposure to the commercial side: choosing product, negotiating price, watching sell-through, forecasting and learning what works.

You actually use AI. Not because someone told you to, but because you’ve worked out how it makes you faster and sharper. You can talk concretely about what you’ve automated, what you’ve used it to research, and where it’s changed how you make decisions. If your answer to “how do you use AI in your work” is vague, this isn’t the role.

Happy working remotely, co-ordinating with UK and US based colleagues, flexing into US hours when needed.

Must-haves

• Hands-on experience in retail buying, merchandising or branded merchandise sourcing, depth matters more than tenure
• Practical understanding of forecasting, inventory and rate-of-sales planning
• Understanding of licensing
• Track record negotiating with suppliers, ideally including overseas and US
• Strong commercial and financial acumen — you can build and defend a margin plan
• Practical, daily use of AI in your workflow
• A genuine team player with no ego, no silos, no "not my job"
• UK right to work and willingness to travel internationally

Nice to have

• US collegiate or campus retail experience
• Working knowledge of decoration methods (screen print, embroidery, sublimation, DTG)
• Experience with apparel, accessories and branded merchandise
• Experience building or refining buying processes inside a growing business

The deal

Remote, UK-based, with flexibility for US time zones. Salary reflective of experience, we’ll pay properly for the right person at any level. Pension scheme, eye care, health cash plan, buy and sell annual leave. Genuine ownership of a commercial function in a business that’s growing fast.

Eligibility

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and legally eligible to work in the UK. This role operates on UK employment terms, despite its primary focus on the US market.

Equals One is an advertising and recruitment agency working on behalf of our client to promote this vacancy. You may be contacted directly by the employer should they wish to progress your application. Due to the number of applications we receive, we are unable to provide specific feedback if your application is unsuccessful.