Interim Buyer in Princeton, New Jersey at The Princeton University Store

Temporary Merchandising Manager, Brands
Reports to: CEO and President
Assignment: Interim support during recruitment for the Director, Brands

The Opportunity

We seek an experienced merchandising professional to support our Brands business across stores, ecommerce, and pop-up retail. The portfolio includes licensed Princeton apparel, accessories, gifts, and complementary nonlicensed merchandise.

This temporary assignment requires someone who can quickly assess priorities, work confidently with merchandise data, and follow through with vendors and colleagues. The immediate focus is maintaining product availability, managing inventory and receipt flow, and advancing existing merchandise programs in collaboration with the CEO and team.

Principal Responsibilities

- Manage inventory and replenishment. Review selling and stock positions, identify replenishment needs, and recommend timely action on shortages and slow-moving merchandise.
- Maintain purchasing and receipt discipline. Review open orders, purchase commitments, and delivery schedules. Coordinate with Finance and Operations to align receipts with open-to-buy, business needs, and available capacity.
- Turn analysis into action. Evaluate merchandise performance across products, price points, locations, and channels. Recommend replenishment, transfers, order adjustments, and markdowns to improve sales and inventory productivity.
- Advance vendor and product follow-up. Keep approved product development, samples, submissions, orders, and deliveries moving. Resolve discrepancies and communicate any risks or decisions that require attention.
- Support coordinated execution. Work with Brands, Ecommerce, Marketing, and Operations to prepare merchandise for launches, events, and ongoing selling. - Maintain clear priorities and dependable follow-through across concurrent assignments.

Experience and Qualifications

- Demonstrated experience in retail merchandising, buying, or merchandise planning, with direct responsibility for inventory, replenishment, and vendor management.
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel, NetSuite, and Shopify are required.
- Experience with apparel, accessories, gifts, or related specialty retail categories; licensed merchandise experience is required.
- Ability to become productive quickly, manage competing priorities, and complete detailed work accurately.
- Clear communication, practical judgment, and a collaborative approach to working within a small team.

Assignment Details

Start as soon as available. Assignment duration, weekly hours, compensation, and required on-site schedule will be established before engagement.