Job Details

Create a healthier, brighter future for pets, pet parents and people!

If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we workto improve lives by doing what's right for pets, people and our planet.

• We love all pets like our own
• We're the future of the pet industry
• We're here to improve lives
• We drive outstanding results together
• We're welcome as we are

Petco isa category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and Petco partners. We are 29,000 strong and operate 1,500+ pet care centers in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. We're focused on purpose-driven work, and strongly believe what's good for pets, people and our planet is good for Petco.

The Associate Buyer is a high-potential omnichannel merchandising professional responsible for owning one department while supporting an Omnichannel Buyer or Senior Buyer on more complex categories. This role is designed as a primary development path to a future Omnichannel Buyer role and blends strong execution of retail fundamentals with growing responsibility in trend discovery, innovation, and category strategy.

The Associate Buyer contributes to product, price, promotion, and placement decisions and supports - and at times leads - product style-outs and category walks with the Chief Product & Customer Officer and senior leaders. The role partners cross-functionally, engages vendors, negotiates costs and programs, and helps drive a steady flow of product newness that meets evolving customer expectations while delivering to financial plans.

This role is based out of our National Support Center in San Diego and has a hybrid work schedule, with in-office work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Key Responsibilities

Department Ownership & Strategy Support

• Own day-to-day performance and execution for one department across store and digital channels.
• Support category strategy development and execution for additional complex departments.
• Translate trend insights and customer needs into actionable assortment recommendations.
• Contribute to seasonal and annual assortment and category plans aligned to Buyer/Senior Buyer strategy.
• Support product architecture, price ladders, and assortment segmentation.

Product, Trend & Innovation Focus

• Continuously research trends, competitive assortments, and innovation opportunities.
• Conduct regular competitive shopping and market analysis and share actionable insights.
• Recommend new products, vendors, and concepts that drive differentiation and newness.
• Support product selection, line reviews, and assortment edits.
• Support and at times lead product style-outs, assortment reviews, and executive walks.

Financial & Business Performance

• Own and manage department-level KPIs with guidance, including sales, margin, and inventory metrics.
• Partner with Merchandising Planning and Demand Planning on forecasts, OTB support, and reflow actions.
• Track weekly performance and recommend actions on opportunities and risks.
• Ensure promotional and pricing execution aligns with strategy and financial goals.
• Maintain strong command of item-level and department-level performance details.

Vendor Partnership & Negotiation

• Support vendor relationships and communication for owned department and assigned categories.
• Participate in vendor meetings, line reviews, and negotiations.
• Negotiate costs, programs, and funding opportunities with guidance.
• Help build long-term, performance-based vendor partnerships.
• Partner with Owned Brands, Sourcing, Product Development, and QA as applicable.

Omnichannel Execution (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement)

• Support product and assortment execution across stores and digital channels.
• Partner with Digital, Store Operations, and Marketing on launches and product stories.
• Collaborate with Space and Visual Planning on assortment placement and flow.
• Ensure item setup, product data, and execution details are accurate and on time.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work closely with Merchandising Planning, Demand Planning, Space & Visual Planning, Owned Brands, Product Development, Store Operations, Digital, Marketing, Sourcing, and QA.
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional inputs to support on-time launches.
• Represent department needs and priorities in cross-functional forums when needed.

Retail Fundamentals & Operational Excellence

• Execute core retail fundamentals with excellence and precision.
• Maintain strong item-level accuracy across cost, retails, specs, attributes, and timelines.
• Ensure systems, samples, and assortments are managed accurately and efficiently.
• Drive follow-through and detail discipline across all merchandising processes.

Qualifications

Experience

• 3-5+ years of merchandising, buying, or related retail experience.
• Experience supporting or owning a product category preferred.
• Exposure to omnichannel retail environments strongly preferred.

Skills & Capabilities

• Strong analytical and financial aptitude; knows and manages the numbers.
• High attention to detail and operational discipline.
• Growing product and trend judgment.
• Effective vendor communication and early negotiation capability.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills.
• High learning agility and coachability.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills.

Development & Leadership Profile

• High-potential future Buyer with strong growth mindset.
• Brings energy, ownership, and commitment to the business.
• Excited to competitive shop and stay close to stores and customers.
• Demonstrates curiosity around trends, innovation, and product newness.
• Balances creativity with retail fundamentals and execution excellence.
• Eager to learn, take feedback, and grow into greater category ownership.

#LI-LF2

#CORP

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.

$76,500.00 - $114,700.00

/ year

For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO -see

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