Associate Buyer Luxury

The Starboard Luxury Associate Buyer, in partnership with the Head of Merchandising, is responsible for developing the strategic vision, business strategy, and merchandise assortment plan for a portfolio of programs within the Luxury Division, focusing on artisanal and luxury goods that tie to our ships’ global itineraries and destinations. Our luxury portfolio is a rapidly growing business, the Associate Buyer – Luxury Division is a key role to help define the luxury assortment strategy. The position develops customer-centric assortment plans based on an intimate understanding of guest demographic and itineraries and marrying a strong eye in the market with data-driven analysis. A typical day for this role might include a download of the merchandising strategy for seasonal itineraries for a specific cruise line, negotiating terms with a vendor, meeting colleagues to agree on how to bring a new product assortment to life, and analyzing and entering a new pricing strategy for a growing business. The ideal candidate can balance strategic and operational tasks, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and isn’t afraid to wear many hats.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assortment Strategy

• Conceptualize and implement merchandise strategy for customer-centric retail experiences relevant to each cruise line - consistently evaluating and evolving based on emerging trends, market updates, and white space opportunities. Work closely with the Head of Merchandising and team to align with and support the overall vision for Starboard Luxury
• Source, develop and maintain strong vendor relationships across global luxury brands, small artisanal vendors, and international brands offering luxury products connected to itinerary destinations. Work closely with cross-departmental merchandising teams to identify and curate product opportunities within the broader Starboard Group portfolio from a luxury point of view
• Support Starboard Resort with luxury resort destination buying and destination curation partnership across all resort types
• Consistently evaluate the assortment and react to in-season performance/trends, highlighting findings to set future direction. Partner and influence across various cross functional teams to ensure the execution of the merchandise assortments and a complete vision for the category
• Optimize SKU count within each area of business to ensure appropriate allocation of breadth & in each program based on ship profile, itinerary, and volume.
• Establish deliberate product life cycles to handle replenishment, inventory flow, markdown schedules, and planned obsolescence
• Supports Starboard Luxury with luxury buying across categories as directed by the Luxury Division Head of Merchandising.

Assortment Execution

• Partner with the Sr. Manager, Luxury Retail to understand guest demographic, itinerary planning, and retail needs
• Work closely with Luxury Planning Manager to convey assortment and itinerary-based product life cycle strategies to ensure appropriate inventory depth and replenishment
• Partner with supply chain and logistics colleagues to identify fulfillment strategies to optimize inventories for all channels where product is distributed
• Collaborate with Visual Merchandising, Marketing, and Events/Experiences team to creatively drive sales and bring product to life
• Maintain a “no job too big or small” mentality to drive merchandise from ideation to item set up and through onboard execution in the product lifecycle

Financial Management:

• Position your area of responsibility to meet or exceed financial targets by using business insights, data driven analysis, and retail intuition to successfully realize category initiatives
• Achieve profitability goals by landing favorable margins, terms, vendor support for key profit initiatives, and exclusive agreements. Collaborate with Planning counterpart on inventory level targets and markdown strategies
• Make assortment mix recommendations to drive sales through consistent and thorough sku level analysis, performance evaluation and brands by ship, focusing on opportunities within core, white space, and exclusive assortments
• Present monthly overview of performance, areas of success and opportunities, and short-term forward-looking strategies to merchandising and planning leadership at monthly OTB meetings

Team Building:

• Build strong cross functional partnerships within the Luxury division and broader Merchandising organization
• Leverage relationships across the organization to ensure solid execution of strategic priorities and to more effectively synthesize scalable business opportunities
• Help train and develop Coordinator

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3-5 years of demonstrated experience in merchandising/buying at a multi-brand retailer, Luxury a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong analytical skills (Excel wiz) with financial and operational competence.
• Experience communicating an assortment plan within an editorial theme or lifestyle context.
• Entrepreneurial mentality and the ability to adapt quickly.
• Resilience, tenacity, high energy. Able to rapidly bounce back from adversity.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, both in-person and through modern tools and platforms
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and balance priorities.
• Creative, innovative, and solution oriented.
• Flexibility to grow and adapt as the role naturally evolves as the business expands
• Strong taste level and a passion for product
• A globetrotting approach- knowledge of, and curiosity to learn more about what the customer will need and desire from one part of the world to the next
• Leadership and influencing skills to be effective in a matrixed organization with geographically dispersed teams
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Exceptional social skills, with a focus on rapport-building, listening and questioning skills
• Strong documentation skills
• Ability to absorb and retain information quickly
• Ability to present ideas in easily understood non-technical language
• Highly self-motivated and directed
• Possesses keen attention to detail
• Confirmed analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Prioritizes and implements tasks in a high-pace environment
• Successful experience working within a team
• International and domestic travel is required

Decision Making: 

• Makes operating decisions and takes action for a department/project/initiative. Actively participates in strategy development. Very broad guidance from management. Requires high level of problem solving ability based on complex nature of problems.

Travel Requirements:

• Up to 25% travel required, sometimes internationally.

Key Competencies:

• Customer Service
• Relationship Management
• Business Acumen
• Drive for Results
• Self-Development
• Courage
• Problem Solving
• Communicating Effectively
• Teamwork and Collaboration

Other:
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
Some flexibility in hours is permitted, employee must be available during the “core” work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and must work 30 hours each week to maintain full-time status. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Physical Demands:
Office environment with frequent sitting, walking and standing, occasional climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching and balancing. Frequent use of eye, hand and finger coordination enabling use of office machinery. This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds. Oral and auditory enabling interpersonal communication as well as communication automated devise such as the telephone.

At Starboard Group and Onboard Media curating a vibrant world can only be accomplished by vibrant and diverse teams. We are committed to nurturing a workplace where you can feel safe to show up authentically and thrive while being uniquely you. Our North Star guides us to deliver equal employment opportunities for all individuals and to providing employees with an equitable work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We also aim to extend this commitment to the partners we work with and the guests we serve. We are constantly listening, learning, and evolving to deliver on these promises.

We believe our differences make us stronger and are curious to see you leverage your lived experiences to strengthen our team, our culture and your career. At Starboard Group and Onboard Media we take action so that no one is discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, disability (physical, mental or sensory), ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion, sexual orientation, military/veteran status, genetic information, family care status or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. All employment decisions will be made based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications.

So come onboard with us and celebrate a culture that attracts top talent with shared values and forms the foundation for a great place to work.