ABOUT THE ROLE

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• Salary - £65,000.00 - £105,200.00 is the Full Pay band - We are looking for candidates up to£85K ( 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 Beauty team have mandatory 3 days a week in the office to connect with the team and brands.

• Location - This role is based at our Pimlico Head Office.

• Interviews - Please note that if you are shortlisted, this role will be an “In Person” Interview Week commencing 8th September only, with set interview dates at our London Head Office.

Some of your key responsibilities will include

• You will be accountable for the Category Strategy, including Commercial Forecasts for 0-3 years (Sales, GM/CC, Stock, etc)

• Product/Range, promotional, in-season trading proposals/signoff. Sign off on Assortment Reviews and Products as agreed with the Head of Category

• Delivery of commercial KPIs

• Accountable for the creation of a Category strategy aligning to Customer, Brand and Propositional strategies and accurately forecasting sales, stock, profit and SKUs, with expert knowledge of the category in the marketplace, key competitors and customer behaviour.

• You will be accountable for delivering the commercial and customer targets for your category. Consistently evaluating your product range

• You will also have Line management accountability for Buyers, Merchandisers and Service Managers (where applicable) in your Category team

What will you be doing?

• Overall, Buying & Merchandising for Category and a category expert, create recommendations for End to End customer experience to the Head of Category Proposition

• Develop, select and negotiate product ranges in tune with customer demand & target segments

• Create, plan and deliver a customer focused, commercial assortment that maximises sales and margin while minimising risk in line with space and SKU count parameters

• Accurately forecast sales, stock, profit and SKUs each season by channel

• Create category budgets aligning to brand and propositional strategies and plans.

• Forecast market changes and proactively adapt commercial plans to potentialise.

• Maximise key trading levers within brand and propositional parameters, including price, promotion, assortment, mix and newness

• Develop a supply base strategy to support assortment vision and long-term strategic aims

• Negotiate robust trading terms with all suppliers to achieve budgeted sales and margin targets

• Control inventory levels and open to buy and work with key stakeholders to maximise availability across channels

• Be responsible for people management, development and coaching for Category Buyers, Merchandisers and Service Managers (where applicable)

• Lead & energise team and prioritise workload

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Tangible experience within a Buying & Merchandising commercial environment, as well as customer proposition development at a Senior Level

• Knowledge/experience of Beauty consumer markets

• Strong relationship skills and stakeholder management

• Experience in managing and leading teams

• Highly skilled negotiator adept at managing supplier relationships at senior levels

• Proven Experience driving profit and Growth

• Scaling a Category

• The ability to travel across the UK and Europe (occasional)

We are expecting high interest in the role and therefore encourage you to apply early.

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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 also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

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.

At John Lewis, we’ve got BIG ambitions to be the most inspiring omni-channel retailer in the UK, built on longstanding customer trust and loyalty.

We’re focused on offering the very best products for our customers, from stylish fashion and homeware to innovative technology. And, we’re committed to creating unforgettable experiences that inspire and delight our customers.