How to hire a head of merchandise buying

How to hire a head of merchandise buying, step by step

Here's a step-by-step head of merchandise buying hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a head of merchandise buying job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new head of merchandise buying
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The head of merchandise buying hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   A head of merchandise buying's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, heads of merchandise buying from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents head of merchandise buying salaries for various positions.

   Type of Head Of Merchandise Buying	Description	Hourly rate
   Head Of Merchandise Buying	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$36-112
   Procurement Agent	A procurement agent develops profitable measures to save the client money and ensure the quality of goods supplied. Procurement agents obtain the purchased items through suppliers, monitor them, and expedite the orders... Show more	$23-50
   Contract Worker	A contract worker is an independent contractor who only works at companies for a limited amount of time, according to agreed-upon contract terms. When it comes to employment, a contract worker may find opportunities in different industries, depending upon their set of skills and abilities... Show more	$25-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Gross Margin
   • Product Development
   • Store Management
   • Inventory Management
   • Inventory Control
   • Sales Floor
   • POS
   • Sales Data
   • Trade Shows
   • Product Selection
   • OTB
   • Product Placement
   • Retail Store

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage custom POs and works closely with planning to maintain a proper safety stock of refurbish inventory.
   • Launch and manage the Americas outsourcing lead generation and qualification process.
   • Create all financial and OTB plans including sales, inventory, margin and turn goals.
   • Solidify boutique as a local go-to shopping destination for customers seeking unique clothing and accessories.
   • Facilitate all RTV's and RA's and maintain all data entry for purchase orders.
   • Create facebook posts and design customer email newsletters.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your head of merchandise buying job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A head of merchandise buying salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, heads of merchandise buying' average salary in utah is 33% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level heads of merchandise buying earn 67% less than senior-level heads of merchandise buying.
   • Certifications. A head of merchandise buying with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a head of merchandise buying's salary.

   Average head of merchandise buying salary

   $133,768yearly

   $64.31 hourly rate

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   Entry-level head of merchandise buying salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a head of merchandise buying job description

   A head of merchandise buying job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a head of merchandise buying job description:

   Head of merchandise buying job description example

   Head of Cobrand Acquisition (Branded Cards) will develop, lead and execute Acquisition marketing strategies to acquire engaged and profitable Cobrand card customers (American Airlines, Costco & AT&T). They are accountable for driving acquisitions initiatives with prominent marketing and data driven decisions to meet Citi's /Cobrand acquisition commitments. They own and are accountable for the development of new and innovative acquisition strategies and customer experience that drive financial performance (P&L), top-of-wallet behaviors, and expense management. The role will drive acquisitions strategies across partner & Citi channels through prominent marketing communication and evaluating performance drivers to transform insights into recommendations to shape future acquisition strategies. Drive testing and campaigns through cross functional partnerships across Citi, American Airlines, Costco & AT&T.
   
   Key to success will be developing and leveraging strong partnerships across Citi's and Cobrand Partner teams. Partnership across key subject matter stakeholders such as Product, Channel Managers, Decision Management, Marketing Investment, Risk, Finance, Legal and Compliance.
   Primary Responsibilities
   
   The Head of Cobrand Acquisition (Branded Cards) responsibilities include:
   
   * Primary contact for American Airlines, Costco & AT&T with respect to acquisitions programs, acquisition customer experience enhancements, and the development of new initiatives/innovations to drive new account growth
   
   * Grow Business through innovative acquisition marketing strategies to attract lifetime engaged customers
   
   * Partner with Citi & Cobrand Partners cross functional teams to drive and influence testing and roadmap to meet acquisition goals
   
   * Actively optimize channel specific marketing investment (Marketing, Acquisition Bonus Incentive, etc.) Identify investment opportunities and align spending to improving financial performance.
   
   * Lead teams to ensure flawless customer facing partner channel marketing with operational excellence
   
   * Evaluate program performance to drive future strategies, optimize existing channel performance and identify opportunities for improved efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience.
   
   * Build great cross functional partnerships to drive partnership and align on key marketing and analytical initiatives
   
   * Identify and influence new strategic opportunities to grow engaged and profitable acquisition
   
   * Design, develop, optimize and measure the strategy and P&L to grow the volume and profitability of new card accounts acquired through all acquisition touch-points.
   
   * Effective Communication of Acquisition channel strategies and performance results
   
   * Identify strategic and tactical initiatives to provide a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.
   
   * Ensure compliance, audit, and regulatory requirements are consistently met within sphere of influence and responsibility.
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
   
   * 10+ year's management experience with financial services, card industry and partnerships
   
   * Strategic, critical, franchise thinker
   
   * Demonstrated ability to synthesize, prioritize and drive results with a high sense of urgency
   
   * P&L management, strong financial acumen and analytical skills
   
   * In depth knowledge of payment and co-brand space, small business and consumer programs, affluent customer, and loyalty program preferred
   
   * Strong relationship management skills and experience with client team management
   
   * Demonstrated success in managing internal and external partnerships
   
   * Excellent interpersonal, listening, and negotiations skills.
   
   * Ability to build collaborative environment across departments and partners- ability to lead and inspire teams and establish strong followership
   
   * Ability to capture market share while focusing on managing costs and improving efficiencies
   
   * Pragmatic problem-solver, forward thinker with independence of thought
   
   * Strong communication, presentation and influencing skills
   
   * Promotes a culture of collaboration and teamwork across organizational boundaries; willing to break down functional silos to optimize business results
   
   * Strong business development skills - ability to identify and scope out new opportunities
   
   * Prior experience leading best in class marketing, positioning, and segmentation
   
   * BA/BS required; MBA preferred
   
   Leadership Competencies
   
   * Drives client value through insight and innovative ideas
   
   * Delivers results, creates an executable path for achieving critical objectives and driving meaningful outcomes
   
   * Ability to lead cross-functional teams through a clear and consistent line of sight regarding critical work activities
   
   * Self-motivated, highly adaptive and able to work well in high stress situations
   
   * Takes the initiative to solve problems, create contingencies and minimize risks in order to protect the best interests of Citi and its cobrand partners
   
   * Customer centric with ability to balance both customer/partner benefits and business financials

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find heads of merchandise buying for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your head of merchandise buying job on Zippia to find and recruit head of merchandise buying candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with head of merchandise buying candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new head of merchandise buying

   Once you've found the head of merchandise buying candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new head of merchandise buying. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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