Senior Manager, Buying – Shoes

About this role

Senior Manager, Buying – Shoes

At CHANEL, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that supports individual growth and collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each person strengthens the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We welcome your application and value the perspective, experience, and potential you could bring to CHANEL.  

About the role: CHANEL, Inc., a leader in the luxury goods industry, is seeking a  Senior Manager, Buying – Shoes  for the U.S. Fashion Division.  

In this role, you will partner with the Senior Group Director, Shoes to implement seasonal merchandising strategies and develop distinctive, fashion-forward assortments aligned with global and regional   objectives . You will bring together a strong product point of view, commercial acumen, and deep understanding of the U.S. client to drive the Shoes business across boutiques and channels.  

What impact you can create at CHANEL: Business Management   • Partner with the Senior Group Director, Shoes to shape, implement, and champion the category’s strategic vision and key initiatives.  • Curate creative, commercially relevant assortments across eight collections annually, reflecting each collection’s spirit, U.S. market needs, budget forecasts, and the unique opportunities of each boutique.  • Optimize inventory through proactive transfers, consolidations, and fulfillment of client requests.  • Identify product opportunities through comprehensive analysis of competitive activity, market trends, and category performance; translate insights into clear recommendations for local and global leadership.  • Lead the U.S. pricing and harmonization process for Shoes, collaborating closely with Account Management, Global Finance, Technology, and Supply Chain teams.  • Partner with Visual Merchandising and Fashion Expertise teams to ensure compelling collection presentation for launches, events, and key boutique moments, aligned with seasonal brand-image priorities and business strategies.  • Collaborate with adjacent product-category teams to deliver a cohesive, holistic merchandising approach across the Fashion division.  • Partner with Merchandise Planning to ensure business trends, client insights, and assortment strategies are accurately reflected in financial forecasts and plans.  • Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends, the competitive landscape, key influencers, and evolving client preferences.  • Build trusted, influential partnerships across the organization to advance business objectives.  • Challenge the status quo, identify opportunities for greater efficiency, and navigate roadblocks with thoughtful, creative solutions. 

Reporting & Analysis   • Own Open-to-Buy (OTB) accountability and lead in-season business analysis, including the ongoing evolution of reporting tools and processes.  • Develop and present buy reviews that clearly articulate assortment strategy, product rationale, and collection objectives.  • Lead weekly, monthly, quarterly, and seasonal performance analyses; communicate key findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.  • Conduct ad hoc analyses to uncover new insights, identify opportunities, and inform strategic decisions.  • Partner with Client Analytics and Digital Marketing teams to synthesize data into a compelling category and client narrative. 

Retail Connection   • Communicate seasonal product vision to boutique teams, inspiring confidence in bold assortments and driving engagement through effective styling and storytelling.  • Build a deep understanding of the retail landscape and U.S. client by regularly spending time in boutiques and engaging directly with retail teams.  • Foster an environment of open dialogue, knowledge sharing, and idea generation through regular touchpoints beyond formal buying sessions, ensuring local-market and client needs are well understood.  • Develop a strong understanding of how CHANEL technology tools support the client journey and identify opportunities to enhance the client experience. 

You are energized by: • Bringing enthusiasm, energy, and an ability to inspire others around product, retail, and the CHANEL brand.  • Combining a strong fashion aesthetic with a client-centered and commercially minded approach to product.  • Using a highly analytical mindset to independently formulate hypotheses, interpret complex data, and draw actionable conclusions.  • Collaborating across diverse cross-functional teams with a service-oriented mindset and the ability to build influential partnerships.  • Demonstrating curiosity, intuition, drive, authenticity, and self-awareness.  • Translating a deep understanding of client needs into clear team objectives and coordinated execution across business partners.  • Learning and optimizing systems and processes; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint is required, and Power BI experience is a plus.  • Thriving in a dynamic, evolving environment with demonstrated initiative, strong prioritization skills, and a continuous-improvement mindset.  • Engaging with clients and retail teams to understand and enhance the end-to-end client experience.  • Maintaining genuine curiosity about the world around you and bringing an authentic, informed perspective to the role. 

Position Logistics: • Partially Remote: Role requires a minimum of three days in-person office presence at the designated location/office. • Bachelor’s degree required.  • Minimum of seven years of experience in buying or in a strategic and analytical merchandising role, with a demonstrated track record of driving business results.  • Experience in fashion and/or luxury retail is preferred.  • This position is based in the New York Home Office.  • Ability to travel domestically for market enrichment, events, and boutique-opening support, as well as internationally for select collections. 

*Chanel, Inc. reserves the right to edit, change, or make exceptions on designations where

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