Careers at Country Road Group

Country Road Group (CRG) is embarking on transformation to position itself for growth, leveraging our scale, capabilities and culture as a House of Brands. We are investing in new and existing capabilities and have a number of exciting opportunities available.

As the Head of Buying, you will lead the function, driving strategic alignment with customer preferences and market trends. This role is essential in ensuring that the brand's product assortments not only meet brand objectives, but also fulfil innovation requirements and financial viability. The Head of Buying will also be responsible for optimising revenue, inventory management, and margin KPIs, ultimately enhancing the brand's market position and customer satisfaction. 

Key Accountabilities 

Product Merchandising:

• Develop and manage annual/seasonal product assortments aligned with financial targets and brand pillars, while selecting fabrics, trims, and colours to meet design briefs
• Bridge design and customer needs by developing assortments that balance creativity, customer preferences, and margins, ensuring commercial viability and timely execution of product categories
• Collaborate closely with planning and sourcing teams to align product development with set budget and critical path timelines.

Financial Performance:

• Lead trading, adjusting plans to drive sales and manage in-season performance, ensuring supplier relationships are optimized and cost negotiations meet margin targets
• Responsible for revenue, inventory, and profit of categories within a brand through trend identification, buying/assortment plans, and category management.

Brand Management:

• Lead the buying function, serving as the voice and advocate for the customer, understanding market trends and competitors to inform buying decisions
• Identifying and plan for emerging customer demands in fashion to drive innovation in product curation, selecting a compelling and differentiated assortment that resonates with target customers in terms of quality, style, price point and perceived value.

People and Leadership:

• Provide line management and leadership to the team, overseeing performance, development, and resource allocation to achieve departmental goals
• Collaborate across group, building team cohesion and connection, to inspire and bring our House of Brands strategy to life
• Embrace uncertainty and change while facilitating and enabling strategic change with clarity, empathy and optimism
• Create & foster an inclusive environment where all team members can thrive and feel included, respected and safe. Set clear expectations of behaviour and hold self and others accountable
• Role-model learning & development and empower others to change, grow, and incorporate new experiences. Build internal talent bench.

Key Capabilities 

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, Buying, Retail Management, or a related field; a Master's degree is preferred
• Professional certifications in buying, merchandising, or supply chain management (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) are advantageous
• 7-10 years of experience in buying or merchandising with a proven track record of delivering successful buying strategies in a fast-paced retail or omnichannel environment
• Demonstrated experience in leading and developing teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
• Strategic thinking with the ability to develop and execute buying strategies that align with business goals and market trends
• Strong understanding of financial metrics, including revenue, margin, and inventory management, to drive profitable buying decisions
• Strong understanding of customer preferences, leveraging data-driven insights to create product assortments that resonate with target audiences
• Proven expertise in costing, margin analysis, and trading to set profitable annual and seasonal assortments.

Why work for CRG? 

The Country Road Group is one of Australasia’s largest Lifestyle Brand Houses comprising of iconic brands such as Country Road, POLITIX, Trenery, Witchery and MIMCO. Here are some of the great things we offer: 

• Generous employee discounts across our House of Brands
• Seasonal clothing allowance
• An additional day of leave for your birthday
• An Industry leading Parental Leave Program
• Flexible working arrangements to support work/life balance
• Annual learning calendar to support the ongoing development of our team
• Support community partnerships across our Corporate Social Responsibility Program
• We are committed to operating ethically, sustainably, and responsibly. 

 

Country Road Group is Australia's largest Lifestyle Brand Houses comprising of iconic brands including Country Road, POLITIX, Trenery, Witchery and MIMCO. Our Values include being Customer Obsessed, Collaborative, Inspirational, Responsible and Dedicated to Quality. We are looking for highly motivated and passionate individuals to be part of the Group’s evolution and support each brand to realise their full potential.