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Assistant Buyer - Brands

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Marks and Spencer

4d ago

  • Job
    Full-time
    Junior & Mid Level
  • Sales & Business Development
    Marketing
  • London

AI generated summary

  • You should have experience as an Assistant Buyer in retail, strong womenswear passion, excellent communication skills, commercial acumen, and an understanding of the competitor landscape.
  • You will build relationships with brands, ensure smooth operations, monitor sales, curate product offerings, and communicate critical paths for successful trading partnerships.

Requirements

  • Your skills and experience will include
  • Already working to at least Assistant Buyer level in a fast-paced retailer.
  • Passion for womenswear is essential, experience working in womenswear is preferred, with a strong product affinity – understanding customer appeal and product and how this will complement the M&S brand is critical. Brand experience is not required.
  • Strong relationship building and communication skills to foster collaborative and effective engagement with brand partners. Appreciation of internal cross functional departments and key interactions required to establish integrated processes and ease of working - being organised, ability to prioritise and work under pressure will be key to this role.
  • Open to change and playing an important role in establishing the adoption of 3rd Party Brands within the complex and evolving M&S world
  • Strong commercial acumen – understanding how price, margin and costs impact the Brand and M&S profitability. Ability to balance commercial, brand and customer needs with appreciation of impact on BUs.
  • Understanding and awareness of the competitor landscape, how this evolves and the impact on our brand choices regarding new brand development.

Responsibilities

  • Your key accountabilities will include
  • Create positive partnerships with M&S Womenswear 3rd Party Brands, establishing strong direct relationships quickly and leveraging these to develop a long-term benefit to M&S.
  • Build strong relationships internally and externally to train, engage and equip all relevant parties with the information and guidance to effect successful and commercial trading partnerships.
  • Act as the key interface with all brands to deliver the best product choice, customer experience and ensure ease of working across all key retail levers: selection, availability, supply chain, operational efficiency, and marketing. Ensure product selection and size of offer adheres to key principles of price stretch, range scale and choice that compliments M&S Brands and customer aspirations.
  • Be the ambassador of the brand internally by liaising with cross functional departments including retail, supply chain, e-com and marketing to ensure the set up and ongoing operation runs smoothly.
  • Constantly monitor sales and range offering to ensure commercial and customer aspirations are potentialized liaising with brands to curate and amend accordingly.
  • Accountable for ensuring critical paths are shared, up to date and complete and communicated to the wider teams.

FAQs

What is the job title for this position?

The job title is Assistant Buyer - Brands.

What type of working environment does M&S promote?

M&S promotes a collaborative working environment, with support teams in the office three days a week to enhance creativity and connection.

Is experience in womenswear required for this position?

While experience in womenswear is preferred, it is essential to have a passion for womenswear and a strong product affinity.

What are the key accountabilities for this role?

Key accountabilities include creating partnerships with M&S Womenswear 3rd Party Brands, monitoring sales and range offerings, and ensuring effective communication across teams.

Are there opportunities for professional development?

Yes, M&S offers a tailored induction and a wide range of training programs to develop your skills.

How does M&S support work-life balance?

M&S offers a competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days and industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies.

What benefits does M&S offer to its employees?

Benefits include a colleague discount, discretionary bonus schemes, a defined contribution pension scheme, wellbeing support, and a charity volunteer day.

Is there a focus on Inclusion and Diversity at M&S?

Yes, M&S is committed to an active Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy throughout its recruitment and selection process.

Will I need to work under pressure in this role?

Yes, the ability to prioritize and work under pressure is key to succeeding in this role.

Is brand experience required for this position?

No, brand experience is not required; a strong understanding of customer appeal and how products complement the M&S brand is critical.

Marks and Spencer

Forward thinking, future-focused and digital-first retail

Retail & Consumer Goods
Industry
10,001+
Employees
1884
Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

We hold ourselves to a very high standard here at M&S. That much has never changed. Our attention to detail, forward thinking and passion for improvement has led to the creation of some of the nation’s most loved products. But a rapidly changing world demands that we change along with it. M&S has been at the forefront of social change for the past 134 years, and we’re determined to keep it that way. Setting bolder goals and giving our people the space and resources to achieve them. Today, we are a unique retailer delivering top quality food, clothing, home products and financial services. We employ over 80,000 colleagues who serve over 32 million customers. But what about tomorrow? We’ve put customer-focused digital innovation at the heart of our business, partnering with world-class technology firms to help shape the retail experience of the future. From digital transformation to empowering people to make a positive impact on wellbeing, communities and the planet, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us. Because if you become part of our journey today, you’ll be shaping the very future of our business.

Benefits

  • Colleague Discount

    Receive 20% discounts in-store for you and members of your household

  • Bonus

    We have discretionary bonus schemes depending on your role and our business performance

  • Pay

    Our salaries are competitive and reviewed every year

  • Life Assurance

    Life cover of twice your salary up to age 70 which is double when you join your M&S pension savings plan