Assistant Buyer – Women's Designer Shoes

. Develop an understanding of the needs, wants and expectations of the customer .

Posted 10/16/2026full-timeSeattle • Washington • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $80,000 - $132,000 per yearWebsite

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop an understanding of the needs, wants and expectations of the customer
Build an understanding of the market and competitors in the category
Establish a clear understanding of the seasonal department merchandise strategy
Partner with assistant buy planner on market preparation
Contribute to negotiations of exclusive offerings, terms, pricing, vendor funded markdowns, return-to-vendor agreements, drop-ship programs, co-op, etc.
Function as liaison to online and/or stores as assigned, including effective communication of the selling agenda
Contribute to inventory management in season, including driving markdowns and exit strategy
Analyze and make decisions to improve department performance
Collaborate with regional merchandisers regarding customer needs
Partner with assistant buy planner to improve location-level inventory content
Participate in business reviews to understand how actions impact overall department results

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree in Merchandising or equivalent work experience
Experience in retail merchandising, planning or analysis required
Experience supporting a high sales volume category (high SKU count, heavy seasonality, high revenue ($20M+) preferred
Experience in a relevant merchandise category preferred
Demonstrated understanding of retail and the service environment of Nordstrom required
Proficiency in MS Office suite required
Clear and effective written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills required

Comp & perks