Senior Buyer - Magazines

Job Description

About Us:

HMSHost, a subsidiary of Avolta , is a leader in creating dining for travel venues. With our unmatched portfolio , we operate over 1,000 locations in nearly 80 airports across North America, including proprietary concepts, local, regional, and national brands, and partnerships with award-winning chefs. For decades, HMSHost has curated food and beverage programs that make a traveler’s journey as exciting as the destination.

Opportunity, growth, and meaningful rewards! We offer:

• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick)
• *401(k) retirement plan
• *Company paid life insurance
• *Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts across all company brands
• Employee assistance program
• Training and exciting career growth opportunities
• Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus

*Benefits may vary by position so ask your recruiter for details.

Advertised Compensation: $105,100.00 to $127,400.00

Purpose: The Senior Buyer is responsible for selecting titles and managing space, distribution, and promotions for magazines and newspapers in alignment with the company’s goals and current trends for both Duty Free and Duty Paid locations, ensuring the right products are available to meet customer demands while maximizing profitability.

Essential Functions:

• Selects titles and builds assortments that align with the company objectives, customer preferences and market trends
• Monitors industry trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activity to proactively identify opportunities and challenges; adjusts assortments accordingly
• Manages supplier and vendor relationships, negotiates supply and promotional agreements
• Analyzes sales, margin, and other performance metrics to make informed decisions on title mix and copy allocations
• Manages space and distribution, including planograms and copy allocations by store
• Supports the scan-based trading (SBT) process so magazines and newspapers scan correctly in store and post to the right supplier
• Communicates price and UPC changes to Master Data and categorizes items by sub-class
• Plans and executes promotional displays, marketing activations, and digital campaigns with publishers
• Maintains accurate records of promotion contracts and supports collections
• Supports ongoing and annual category budgeting

Reporting Relationship : The Senior Buyer reports into the Senior Category Director

Major Interdependencies: Planning, Space Planning, Supply Chain, Revenue, Global Buying teams, Marketing, and Operations

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:

• Education and Experience: The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 6 years:
• In a leadership role: Requires 2 years of experience supervising a team of buyers engaged in executing magazine category programs
• In a technical role: Requires 6 years as a buyer
• A bachelor’s degree in a business, marketing, or management program related to the functional area can count for 3 of the 6-year requirement
• In the industry: 3-5 years of retail experience
• Specialized Training:
• Training that leads to an in-depth understanding of the buying function
• Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits:
• Knowledge of the magazine and newspaper industry, including scan-based trading
• Knowledge of financial tools and concept profitability; ability to understand and use market research and market trend information to maximize profitability
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office, SAP, and Power BI
• Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work enthusiastically and independently with constantly changing priorities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; excellent written communication and interpersonal communication skills
• Business acumen and also has the mindset required to understand the long-term implications of buying decisions and to advance the organization’s goals
• Demonstrated history of understanding the needs of the business, stakeholders, the employee population, and individual circumstances
• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments
• Location/Travel:
• This position is based at our North America Support Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey
• May require up to 25% travel