Assistant Buyer L2 Fragrance

The White Company; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - GBP 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent retail brand in Greater London seeks an Assistant Buyer to support product development and supplier management. The candidate will assist in creating a balanced product range, maintain strong supplier communication, and present key insights to senior management. Ideal for professionals with experience in buying roles who excel in analytical tasks and possess solid system skills. Join a team committed to sustainability and inclusivity.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in a Head Office Buying role, working at Assistant Buyer level.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Ability to present in weekly trade and range planning meetings.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Buyer with sales and product range development.
• Manage relationships with suppliers and internal partners.
• Coordinate product brief sheets and tackle issues promptly.
• Conduct store visits and competitor appraisals.

Skills

Extensive experience in Head Office Buying role

System skills including Excel, Word, and Outlook

Experience presenting to senior management

Managing development of buying admin assistant

Job description

Our Role

To assist the Buyer with ensuring that sales and profit targets are met through the development of a commercial, well balanced product range in keeping with Brand objectives. With increased responsibility in a given category or area, demonstrate excellent market awareness as well as flare for innovation. To manage and develop the junior members of the team as appropriate.

What You'll Be Doing

Product Development

• To assist the Buyer in building a balanced, customer focused range, working closely with Design & Creative teams to ensure the product range is sufficiently innovative, driving the newness suitable for the needs of all business channels.
• Assist the Buyer in diving business initiatives, new products & on-boarding new suppliers
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of product construction/fit with the ability to contribute to product reviews. Ability to propose recommendations on lab dips and bulk submissions
• To work closely with the QA department throughout the development process to ensure sealing stages are running to critical path requirements, that we can meet quality standards, highlighting product risk where necessary
• Manage a complex critical path with varied lead times, ability to work efficiently across seasons ensuring key dates and risk is managed appropriately
• To ensure that all product line lists, and product sheets are correctly maintained on the system in line with departmental deadlines.
• Support product business meeting across functions, shoot outfitting, store training. Participating as an ambassador for your product areas
• Understanding of your target margin and the ability to highlight areas of risk
• Manage department space efficiently with junior team

Supplier Management

• To maintain regular communication with suppliers and to tackle issues in a timely manner. To escape risk as necessary to the Buyer in order to protect this partnership and manage any poor performance effectively
• Manage the co-ordination of product brief sheets to samples and necessary information to enable

Supplier Selection Meetings

• Ability to deputise for Buyer and actively contribute to the running and organisation of supplier meetings
• To assist the Buyer in collating the sourcing strategy and risk management.
• In given area demonstrate a good working practise with supply base, sharing information of trend, trade & competition activity to gain further insight
• Ensure suppliers have a full understanding of standard packaging & ticketing details. Drive new ticket development based on unique product specifications

Commercial Awareness

• Building strong relationships with both internal & external business partners
• Ability to deputise for Buyer in running weekly CP meetings ensuring all stakeholders are present and action points agreed and escalated
• To have a good understanding of the target customer through regular store visits & be pro-active in seeking customer feedback from all business channels.
• To undertake store visits and competitor appraisals. Completing thorough assessment and

Trading and Price Positioning Recommendations (UK & US market)

• To understand the key sales, profit and margin drivers across the business and the impact of your

Individual Responsibility and General Role

• To develop a robust understanding of the weekly pack and sales by line reports, in order to propose trading actions, to identify opportunities across all channels and trade open to buy
• For a designated product area to demonstrate proficient range building skills. Involvement in store & customer profiling to gain further understanding on range construction planning.
• Contribute to departmental Strategy seasonally, feeding in both research & performance feedback
• Receive and challenge open costing’s, display a good understanding of the costing model
• Demonstrate a clear passion for your area, with an eagerness to increase understanding, taking pride in your product, presentation, accuracy & new challenges

Management, Training and Development

• To continually review processes and controls, initiating improvements in best practise as necessary.
• To assist in the development and training of the BA’s, identifying areas of ‘stretch’.
• To manage the BA on a day-to-day basis ensuring accuracy and efficiency in their work.
• To adopt a positive and proactive approach to training and development, to participate fully in all team related activities.
• To ensure that stores, web team and call centre receive product communication as necessary, challenge opportunities to improve sales performance.
• Create training support documentation for use by wider business, White Pages & Business Handover Pack

What skills & experience you’ll need

• Extensive experience in a Head Office Buying role, working at Assistant Buyer level, within hardlines. With ownership of your over product area.
• System skills including Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Experience presenting to senior management in weekly trade, range planning and sign off meetings.
• Managing the development and day-to-day support of a buying admin assistant.

Our Equality Diversity and Inclusion statement of commitment

At The White Company we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates a diversity of backgrounds and identities.

We are working together to ensure our environment is one where people can bring their authentic selves to work, where their contribution is valued, ability enhanced, and perspective appreciated. Where difference is respected, encouraged, and celebrated. Where you can feel you belong.

We are committed to an active Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process.

We'd love you to join us on our journey.

Our Sustainability statement of commitment

We are committed to building a sustainable legacy that will enable a brighter future for people and our planet.’ We believe this should be reflected in everything we do