Buyer, General Merchandise
Pet Circle
Accounting & Finance
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Posted on Feb 3, 2025
Dogs, cats, budgies and everything in between - pets deserve the world. They make us want to be better humans. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to build the most engaged and passionate community of pets and pet parents across the world. And we’re looking for talented team mates who can help us do it.
Founded in Sydney, our team of 500+ pet obsessives span Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. We’ve scaled to become one of Australia's top five eCommerce companies and the no.1 online pet store. But we’re just getting started. Like a whippet who’s spotted their mate across the dog park, our growth is only going to accelerate, as we continue to disrupt the way that pet parents shop.
Excitingly, the pet industry is booming (as in $15 billion kind of booming) and online pet retail is set to grow exponentially in the next five years. So this is a unique career opportunity to be part of our epic growth story.
The opportunity
As a Category Buyer in the General Merchandise division, you'll report to the VP of Category management and you'll be key in driving the growth and success of our pet accessories and hardgoods categories. This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape our product offerings by sourcing high-quality, cost-effective products that strengthen our competitive edge. You'll manage supplier relationships, negotiate favorable terms, and lead product development to create an innovative and engaging assortment. Your expertise in buying, market analysis, and trend forecasting will directly impact our commercial goals and solidify our position as a leader in the pet accessories market.
What you’ll be doing
- Identify and source new products and suppliers to expand the assortment and meet customer needs.
- Lead private label product development, ensuring quality, innovation, and cost-effectiveness.
- Work closely with the Vet team to identify range gaps and ensure product suitability.
- Build strong supplier relationships to secure favorable terms, pricing, and reliability.
- Negotiate contracts, pricing, and trading terms to optimize cost and margin performance.
- Continuously assess vendor performance, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
- Analyze sales data, customer feedback, and market trends to make informed buying decisions.
- Manage procurement for all PL consumable products, ensuring cost optimization and competitive pricing.
- Work with finance and category teams to track cost structures, margins, and profitability.
- Oversee end-to-end supply chain coordination for private label consumables and general buying needs.
- Work with Inventory Planning teams on replenishment strategies to minimize stockouts and optimize availability.
- Manage import documentation, customs compliance, and freight logistics for imported goods.
- Work with Demand planning to Forecast and plan demand for new product lines based on historical data, market trends, and business objectives.
- Collaborate with marketing, operations, and sales teams to ensure successful product launches and promotions.
The ideal toolbox
- 3-5 years of experience in procurement, buying, or sourcing, preferably within consumables or retail.
- Strong track record in sourcing and negotiating private label or exclusive branded products.
- Expertise in managing supplier relationships and securing favorable terms.
- Proven ability to develop and execute sourcing strategies aligned with category growth.
- Strong financial acumen, with the ability to analyze market trends and sales data.
- Experience working cross-functionally with product development, marketing, and supply chain teams.
- Excellent negotiation, organizational, and project management skills.
- Effective communication and stakeholder management skills, with a proactive, results-driven approach.
Juicy Perks
- Heaps of development opportunities - stretch projects, focus groups & secondments
- Flexible working environment
- Up to 50% employee discount
- Product sample giveaways
- Pawrental leave and wellbeing leave
- Team charity volunteer days
- Classpass subsidy
Role location
We believe that building connections and collaborating as Pet Circlers is super important. So this role is based in Sydney with a hybrid arrangement of 3 days per week in our pet friendly offices (your pet might love coming to the office even more than you). This could change in line with business requirements.
Why Join?
We reckon our mission to help the world Pet Better is an important one, but also an incredibly fun and rewarding one. Becoming a Pet Circler means you’re committed to help shape an entire industry - it’s pretty exciting stuff. Here’s what we stand for:
We’re better together
We operate with humble hearts and hungry minds
Pets matter; so pets and pet parents always have a seat at our table
We’re instinctively curious. Always
Belong at Pet Circle
Our unique perspectives and expertise is our superpower - we value diversity in all forms. So, no matter your background, please apply if this role makes you excited to bring your full self to work each day.