Sr. Buyer - Omnichannel Merchandising (Fresh & Frozen)

Want to help pets live their best lives?

We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.

• Pet First – Protect & Empower. All pets should Live their Best Life. We put the needs of pets and pet parents at the center of everything we do.

• Foster the Fun – Connect & Bond. Our Passion for pets brings us together! We celebrate the journey of pet parenthood through distinct experiences, products, and services.

• Let’s Go! Own & Commit. We are stronger as One Petco team. We bring our unique superpowers and champion authenticity in everyone to drive success.

About Petco:

We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from their favorite meals and toys, to trusted supplies and expert support from people who get it, because we live it. We believe in the universal truths of pet parenthood — the boundless boops, missing slippers, late night zoomies and everything in between. And we’re here for it. Every tail wag, every vet visit, every step of the way. We are 29,000+ strong and together we nurture the pet-human bond in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love. Together, we support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

The Senior Buyer is a senior-level omnichannel merchandising leader responsible for end-to-end ownership and performance of 2–4 complex departments across all channels. This elevated role drives category strategy, trend and innovation leadership, and commercial performance through strong ownership of product, price, promotion, and placement. The Senior Buyer delivers differentiated assortments, a steady flow of newness, and customer-relevant innovation that fuels sales and margin growth. This role operates with high autonomy and executive presence, regularly leading product style-outs and walks with the Chief Product & Customer Officer and senior leadership. The Senior Buyer builds long-term strategic vendor partnerships, negotiates best-in-class costs and terms, leads and develops talent, and partners cross-functionally to deliver results that meet and exceed financial and customer goals.

Key Responsibilities

Category Ownership & Strategy

• Own omnichannel strategy and financial performance for 2–4 departments, including complex or high-growth categories.
• Develop and execute annual and seasonal category strategies aligned to DMM vision and enterprise priorities.
• Translate customer insights, trend signals, and competitive intelligence into actionable assortment and pricing strategies.
• Define category roles, product architecture, and price ladders across good/better/best tiers.
• Drive innovation, exclusivity, and differentiation across the assortment.

Product, Assortment & Trend Leadership

• Lead product direction and assortment curation across store and digital channels.
• Identify and act on emerging trends and white space opportunities through continuous competitive shopping and market analysis.
• Champion product newness and innovation pipelines with vendors and owned brand partners.
• Regularly lead and present category product in executive style-outs, line reviews, and product walks.
• Ensure assortments are customer-first, channel-relevant, and space-aware.

Financial & Business Performance

• Own and deliver to sales, margin, inventory turn, and contribution targets.
• Partner with Merchandising Planning and Demand Planning to build and manage forecasts and OTB.
• Monitor weekly and monthly performance and lead course-correction actions quickly.
• Use deep KPI fluency to drive decisions and performance conversations.
• Lead promotional and pricing strategies that balance growth, competitiveness, and profitability.

Vendor Strategy & Negotiation

• Lead strategic vendor selection and portfolio management across departments.
• Negotiate best total value including cost, terms, funding, exclusives, and innovation access.
• Build long-term, strategic partnerships with key vendors focused on growth and differentiation.
• Drive joint business planning and accountability with top partners.
• Partner closely with Owned Brands, Sourcing, Product Development, and QA where applicable.

Omnichannel Execution (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement)

• Align product and category strategies across stores and digital for a cohesive experience.
• Partner with Digital and Marketing teams to optimize launches, storytelling, and conversion.
• Collaborate with Space and Visual Planning on placement, flow, and presentation.
• Ensure coordinated execution across channels and touchpoints.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a senior category leader across cross-functional partners including Merchandising Planning, Demand Planning, Space & Visual Planning, Owned Brands, Product Development, Store Operations, Digital, Marketing, Sourcing, and QA.
• Lead alignment from concept through launch and lifecycle management.
• Influence cross-functional priorities and timelines to deliver category goals.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop at least two direct reports (Associate Buyer and Assistant Buyer).
• Set clear goals, accountability, and development plans.
• Build a high-performance, high-ownership team culture.
• Elevate team capability in financial acumen, trend awareness, and product judgment

Qualifications

Experience

• 7–10+ years of merchandising or buying experience in retail.
• Proven success owning multiple or complex categories with P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated track record of driving sales, margin, and assortment productivity.
• Strong omnichannel merchandising experience preferred.
• Deep experience negotiating and managing strategic vendor partnerships.

Skills & Capabilities

• Advanced trend, product, and assortment judgment.
• Strong financial and analytical capability with command of category KPIs.
• Executive presence and confidence presenting to senior leadership.
• Excellent negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence.
• High ownership mindset with urgency and bias for action.
• Customer-obsessed and highly competitive in the market.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment.

Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate:

• Acts as a true business owner of the category portfolio.
• Brings energy, urgency, and commitment to delivering results.
• Stays close to stores, customers, and competitors.
• Balances creativity and innovation with operational excellence.
• Builds strong partnerships internally and externally.
• Continuously raises the bar on product newness, value, and differentiation.

#LI-LF2

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Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.

/ year

For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO -seehttps://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

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