What are the responsibilities and job description for the Merchandise Buyer: Jewelry, Fashion Textiles, & Logo Merchandise Job at Museum o position at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston?
Position Overview
Reporting to the Director of Retail, the Merchandise Buyer will determine the overall strategic direction of the product and merchandise mix for the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Retail Division, with a focus on Jewelry, Fashion Textiles, and Logo Merchandise. The Buyer will establish and manage merchandise assortments for the MFA's physical stores, exhibition shops, and online store, while achieving sales, margin, and inventory goals. The role requires maintaining strong business relationships with vendors, customers, and MFA staff to ensure a unique, high-quality shopping experience that aligns with the museum's mission.
Essential Functions :
- Merchandise Strategy :
Develop and execute the overall strategic vision for Jewelry, Fashion Textiles, and Logo Merchandise, ensuring alignment with the MFA's brand and exhibition themes.
Curate and establish merchandise assortments for the MFA stores, exhibition shop, and online store. Source unique products that enhance the visitor experience and reflect the MFA's artistic identity. Work collaboratively with the Retail Designer on exclusive, proprietary products.
Set and achieve budgeted sales goals, maintain inventory levels, and manage margins to ensure profitability. Analyze sales trends and adjust purchasing strategies to optimize performance. Participate in annual physical inventory.
Establish and maintain strong business relationships with vendors. Negotiate favorable terms and pricing while ensuring high-quality, artistically aligned merchandise offerings. Maintain professional communication, both externally and internally.
Work closely with retail staff to understand customer preferences and feedback, tailoring merchandise offerings accordingly. Create a customer-centric retail environment that encourages repeat business and increases customer satisfaction.
Collaborate with exhibition curators and other MFA departments to develop merchandise that supports exhibitions, events, and museum programming. Ensure that all merchandise reflects the museum's mission and enhances the visitor experience.
Manage financial performance, including monitoring sales targets, overseeing margin goals, and controlling inventory levels to maximize profitability. Work within an Open-To-Buy to insure a proper flow of goods. Regularly report on financial performance to senior management.
Stay up to date on market trends in the retail and fashion industries, particularly those related to jewelry, fashion textiles, and museum retail. Use data and research to make informed purchasing decisions.
Requirements and Characteristics :
The Museum reserves the right to change job descriptions. While this job description is intended to include essential duties, it is conceivable that job duties may change before the job description is officially revised.
Additional Information :
The MFA is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, the MFA does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex / gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.
Salary : $65,000 - $70,000
