Buying Manager - Football

As part of the EU eCommerce Product Merchandising team, the Buying Manager owns end-to-end merchandising for Football, ensuring the right product, quantity and timing to drive consumer demand and sustainable growth. The role leads the full buying process, from range selection and forecasting to launch execution and in-season optimisation, partnering closely with the EU Football Business Unit to translate consumer insights and commercial data into assortment and investment decisions. The position owns pre-season range and buy forecasts and works cross-functionally with Planning & Trading, Demand Planning, Merchandising Operations, Digital Activation, Consumer Experience, Digital Analytics and Business Units to maximise commercial performance and deliver best-in-class Football product experiences online.

• Act as the eCom Product Merchandising representative and category expert for Football, influencing key cross-functional decisions through consumer and commercial insights.
• Own the end-to-end range selection, buy process and forecasting for Football, aligned with Brand priorities, commercial objectives and agreed investment targets.
• Leverage consumer demand signals, advanced analytics and AI-enabled tools to improve forecasting accuracy and inform range, investment and size-level decisions.
• Manage range handovers, including forecasts, launch phasing and size curves, to maximise consumer demand capture.
• Drive impactful product launches and maximise demand around key Football moments, including clubs, federations, player collaborations, tournaments and cultural moments.
• Support name & number personalisation, locally created products (NAC/LAC) and premium launch strategies to unlock incremental commercial opportunities.
• Drive in-season range management and translate trading insights into actionable recommendations including launch acceleration, stock reallocation, chase buys, markdowns and visibility enhancements.
• Support delivery of Net Sales, Sell-Through, Markdown and Full Price targets through effective merchandising and range decisions.
• Partner closely with Business Units, Go-To-Market, Planning, Trading, Digital Analytics, Demand Planning, Merchandising Operations, Digital Activation, Digital Visual Merchandising and Partner Program teams to align consumer demand, inventory availability and commercial priorities.
• Represent the eCom channel throughout seasonal and Go-To-Market milestones, influencing category strategy through a consumer-first perspective.

• Strong expertise in buying, product merchandising or category management within a multi-channel direct-to-consumer environment.
• Commercial and consumer mindset, with the ability to translate insights into profitable growth opportunities and merchandising decisions.
• Strong analytical skills and experience leveraging data, automation and AI-enabled tools to drive fact-based forecasting and decision-making.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to drive alignment across functions and organisational levels.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, build strong partnerships and deliver results through collaboration.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
• Passion for Football, consumer trends and the sporting goods industry.
• University degree.
• 3+ years of professional experience.

• Professional experience ideally gained in Buying or Product Merchandising roles.

The company believes that embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into its culture and talent processes gives employees a sense of belonging and the brand a real competitive advantage.