International Buyer/Planner

Posted by Chums on 11/04/2025

Job Basics

Industry Sector: Outdoor

Job Categories: Sourcing

Company Type: Accessories

State: UT

City: Salt Lake City

Country: United States

Required Experience: 3 - 5 years

Job Type: Full Time

Salary: 75000

Required to Relocate: Yes

Required to Travel: No

Employee May Telecommute: No

Job Seeker Must Live Within: 25 miles

Job Description & Requirements

Job Title: International Buyer/Planner

Location: Salt Lake City  (on-site)

Department: Purchasing

Supervisor: Purchasing Manager

Employment Status: Full-Time, Salaried

Position Objective:  

The International Buyer/Planner is responsible for forecasting inventory needs, scheduling and revising procurement plans to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of stock to satisfy sales needs and company goals. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plans and manages purchasing schedules to meet customer delivery requirements

• Responsible for management of the inventory levels, schedules, and availability of selected items, either manufactured or purchased, to meet production schedules

• Review sales order needs, forecast planning, and work in progress reports to analyze inventory stock levels

• Balance on-hand inventory with forecasted needs, vendor lead time, and MOQ’s

• Generate purchase orders for production material, floor stock items, and all purchases to support the timely and efficient shipment of goods.

• Effectively communicate with manufacturing personnel, sales department, inventory, and product development department with regard to material status and production planning issues. 

• Must develop and maintain beneficial relationships with vendors, and contractors, both domestic and international

• Provide training/ cross training and support to new or current team members

• Review all relevant freight, import/export invoices to ensure accuracy and landed cost calculation

• Calculate and report unit costs both standard and average to ensure appropriate item margins. 

• Review vendor invoices/ payables to ensure accurate pricing, discounts, and timing of payments. 

• Assign item SKU numbers, operation codes and setting up BOMS in accordance with current standard procedure

• Make recommendations to management for methods of improvement

• Organize and maintain a clean, neat, orderly, and safe work area

• Follow all prescribed safety protocols

• Planning and management of Product line

• Development and execution of business, product, and pricing strategies

• Increase the profitability of existing products

• Sourcing and counter sourcing including the integration of sustainable materials where possible

• Analyze data to develop pricing models, and forecast product profitability

• Research market changes and market perceptions and communicate about them cross-functionally to sales, and product development

• Other Duties as assigned

 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Supply Chain, Communications, or related field

• Expansive analytical skills are a must

• International purchasing experience preferred

• Solid computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel, Sage 100 experience preferred

• Thorough working knowledge of warehouse/inventory control, and purchasing best practices and procedures

• Working knowledge of material work planning methods and procedures

• Ability to manage projects and time effectively

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written

• Demonstrate ability to work well within a team and across departments

•  Insane attention to detail; must prioritize and plan work activities and use time efficiently

• Problem solving; identify and resolve problems in a timely manner

• Analysis; ability to bring together diverse data sets to inform and shape strategy and action items

• Leadership and team spirit

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience managing soft goods or accessories line

• Strong working knowledge of product creation timelines and manufacturing processes

• Mastered agility and problem solving skills

• Analytical/ Strategic thinking; results oriented

• Strong business orientation with superior math skills

• Ability to analyze and process large amounts of data to frame product strategy

• Strong understanding of the outdoor market trends and selling environment

• Works effectively in a team atmosphere

• Excellent presentation and communication skills

• User/ Consumer level awareness of outdoor products

• Self-starter that can influence, persuade, and negotiate internally and externally

• Set detailed product requirements (performance needs and features) that deliver on compelling user experience

• Continually monitor and report on the market landscape using competitive analysis and consumer insights to inform product decisions

• Ability to be mobile in accomplishing tasks and or moving from one to another but may not be limited to in-office department

 

 

About Chums

Chums has a long and storied history on the water. In 1983 Chums inventor was tired of watching his customers lose their sunglasses to the bottom of the Colorado River. This is where the idea for the Original Cotton Chums was born. Living in the back of a VW van is a $60 sewing machine he started producing the first round of Chums.

We now have 3 offices, over 75 employees, a few of which have been with us for over 20 years.

 

Over the three decades we’ve been around, we’ve learned a thing or two. Mostly how to have fun while still getting after it and we pride ourselves in having a team filled with the raddest, most talented people in the industry.