Assistant Buyer, Men's-HYBRID

At Designer Brands, we are the proud parent company of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, The Shoe Company, and Rubino, operating nearly 675 stores across North America and a billion-dollar digital commerce business. We lead the footwear industry with a diverse portfolio of iconic brands, including Topo Athletic, Keds, Vince Camuto, Kelly & Katie, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand, Mix No. 6, Crown Vintage, and others. With expertise in design, production, and sourcing, we create on-trend footwear and accessories, delivered through a robust omni-channel infrastructure and national wholesale distribution. At Designer Brands, we are committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, where each employee's unique perspective contributes to our success. Anchored by our core values of "We Love What We Do," "We Own What We Do," "We Do What's Right," and "We Belong," we continuously drive forward together, building a future where everyone can put their best foot forward.

The Opportunity: Assistant Buyer

At Designer Brands, we believe great style starts with great ideas-and that's where you come in. As an Assistant Buyer, you'll be the engine behind the scenes, helping to bring our merchandise strategy to life. You'll work closely with Buyers, planners, vendors, and marketers to ensure the right products reach the right customers at the right time.

This is more than a support role-it's a launchpad. You'll gain hands-on experience in trend analysis, vendor relations, and strategic planning, all while contributing to the success of a category you'll help shape. If you're detail-oriented, curious, and ready to grow in the world of fashion retail, this is your moment. This position is HYBRID in our Columbus, OH office.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll be a key player in keeping the buying office running smoothly, translating strategy into action and ensuring every detail is accounted for.

Business Analysis & Strategy Support

Analyze selling reports and provide insights by style/color (CC) to the Buyer.

Recap portions of the business and recommend actions for weekly share-outs and hindsight meetings.

Support the Buyer in responding to current business trends and making timely adjustments.

Manage and update Open to Buy (OTB) tracking. Product & Order Management

Enter orders accurately in the system, selecting the right product attributes and aligning with assortment strategy.

Work proactively with the buying team to meet vendor order deadlines.

Localize assortments by store group using sales trend data and historical performance. Vendor & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Communicate directly with vendors on open issues, including PO deliveries, style details, and sample management.

Partner with vendors or Buyers on shifts, reorders, or cancellations.

Review PO tracking reports to ensure timely shipments and alignment with marketing timelines.

Collaborate with Planning on distribution strategies and ensure key item deliveries are on time and accurate. Trend & Market Insights

Provide competitive intelligence, trend observations, pricing, and style analysis to inform buying decisions.

Maintain the marketing sample document and coordinate with vendors for sample requests. Pricing, Markdown & Financial Planning

Recommend pricing for incoming orders and execute based on Buyer direction.

Manage the markdown (outdate) process and make recommendations based on business performance.

Support the buying team in understanding and contributing to annual and seasonal financial plans.

Take ownership of a subclass within a category, as assigned by the Buyer. What You'll Need

We're looking for someone who's organized, analytical, and excited to learn. Here's what will help you thrive in this role:

Core Skills

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Excellent written and verbal communication, with strong follow-up

Analytical thinking and a love for working with data

Collaborative mindset and team-first attitude Experience & Education

Bachelor's degree in Retail Merchandising, Marketing, Business, or a related field

Previous retail experience is a plus Technical Proficiency

Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and Word

Willingness to learn MicroStrategy and other merchandising systems Perks and Benefits You'll Enjoy!

Your Sole Well-Being: Our benefits package is crafted with our associates in mind! We support you with benefits like free virtual health care, robust family/fertility benefits, 401(k) w/ match, and more. Explore our offerings at

Stride with Flexibility: We offer hybrid and remote work opportunities, giving you the freedom to stay connected, productive, and inspired-wherever you do your best work.

Stepping Up Your Career: Take advantage of training programs, professional development, and education assistance to advance your career with a company that celebrates bold ideas and fresh perspectives.

We are Shoe-Obsessed: Because we know a great pair of shoes can change your day, you'll enjoy 30% off at DSW & DSW.com, plus discounts across our family of brands. ALREADY AN ASSOCIATE?

You must apply through our internal portal:

click here

Why Choose A Career with Designer Brands?

Empowering associates and building strong teams poised to disrupt the retail and footwear landscape through positive change is at the core of who we are at Designer Brands.

Invested in helping our associates learn, develop, achieve and grow into strong leaders

Shared commitment to creating a culture fueled by engagement, excitement, optimism and fun

Dedicated to giving back and community involvement About Designer Brands:

Designer Brands Inc. is one of North America's largest designers, producers and retailers of footwear and accessories.

Designer Brands Inc. operates a portfolio of retail concepts in more than 640 locations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and the shoe co. brands.

Designer Brands designs and produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group, a leading manufacturer selling in more than 6,400 stores worldwide.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

We learned of a fake job offer scam where individuals are using a company's name and branding to create emails and websites designed to trick individuals into providing personal information because they think they are applying for a job directly with the company. To combat this, companies are listing their legitimate hiring sites and communication methods. Our valid email addresses end in @dswinc.com, @designerbrands.com and @camutogroup.com. Two examples of non-legitimate email addresses are ones that end in @designerbrands.info or @designerbrands.work (do not respond to interview requests or other messages from these). If you are not certain about a communication or an information request, a good practice is to independently look-up a contact for the company (do not use the contact method listed in the request) to verify that you are contacting the right person and not being deceived. If you want to verify a Designer Brands' related hiring request, please send a message to . Please know we are working to do what we can to stop these scams.