About the role

• Salary up to - £58,000 depending on experience

• Contract type - This position is a Permanent contract.

• Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The expectation is a minimum of 3 days per week in the office as team collaboration is critical in this role - core days will vary across teams. A full UK driving licence and car is beneficial for this role as you will also be required to travel nationwide to visit our suppliers.

• Location - The normal place of work for this role is our London Central Office in Pimlico.

• FYI Next Steps - Interviews will be held face to face in our London Head Office w/c 5th January 2025. The interview will consist of two parts (an individual interview, in which you will be assessed against our Partnership Behaviours and your technical ability to perform in the role you have applied for; and a task to be completed ahead of the interview and presented back to the team in person). 

Key responsibilities

• You will work at pace and agility within a collaborative environment with your Buying Manager, Head of Buying, Merchandising Manager, Head of Merchandising, Product Technology and wider Marketing and Online matrix teams. Externally you will develop and hold a strong relationship with your suppliers.

• You will be accountable for the commercial success of a product range as defined and agreed with your Buying Manager and the commercial and customer success of a product range through range planning and agile in-season trading.

• You will ensure you have up to date expert market knowledge for the category and can predict future market dynamics.

• You are accountable for building and maintaining strong supplier relationships ensuring that they adhere to the required standards and agreed terms. 

• You will be accountable for making decisions on the product assortment: development, sourcing, brand positioning, price structure and margins. These will be in line with category and customer strategy. In collaboration with merchandising, you will need to make season trading and volume decisions along with the commercial terms and product lifecycle with the suppliers.

• You may need to deputise for your Buying Manager when appropriate.

• You will work alongside your merchandiser to deliver seasonal change in branches, building relationships with key Partners and undertaking a minimum of 12 branch visits within a trading year.

• You will be People Manager to your team’s Buying Assistant - Supporting their professional development and growth, providing coaching and feedback.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• A minimum of 2-5 years' experience in the retail industry with tangible proven experience within buying own brand and branded categories

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills with experience in leading strategic commercial negotiations with suppliers (both own brand and branded) to secure favourable terms and agreements, maximising value and profitability for the category.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate ideas, negotiate agreements, and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Highly numerate with strong analytical skills.

• Demonstration of a collaborative approach across teams - own team & wider matrix teams.

• Puts every customer, both internal and external, at the heart of everything, and understands the Partnership ambition to offer differentiated service that is aligned to our Values.

Desirable skills/experience you may have 

• In-depth knowledge and expertise within the designated category, including an understanding of product trends, customer preferences, and industry dynamics. Direct experience in range planning, product assortment development, and brand management within the category is highly desirable.

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About The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.