Buyer, Tabletop

We have a very exciting opportunity to join the team as a Buyer overseeing our Tableware category. This is a fixed term, maternity cover, contract until March 2027.

Every great meal begins with a beautiful setting. As our Tableware Buyer at John Lewis & Partners, you’re not simply managing a category; you are the architect of the moments that bring people together. From a simple breakfast mug to a full tableware collection, you’ll curate a portfolio that defines modern hosting for our beloved British brand. This exciting, fast paced role offers a unique platform to collaborate with world-class designers and prestigious brands, putting your personal stamp on products that surprise and delight our customers.

We are looking for a creative mind, someone who loves to collaborate. An expert negotiator with a passion for coaching and developing.

At a glance:

• Salary Range: £55,600.00 - 84,100.00 per annum

• Salary up to: £70,000 per annum skill and experience dependant

• Contract type: This is a fixed term contract until March 2027

• Hours and location of the role:

  • 35 hours per week

  • Your home location will be our London Pimlico Head Office

  • This is a hybrid working role. 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

Key responsibilities:

• You will work at pace and agility within a collaborative environment with your Buying Manager, Head of Buying, Trade Planning, Trading & Product Operations team, Design and Product Technology. Externally you will hold a strong relationship with your suppliers, brands and external teams

• 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 your merchandising colleagues, you will need to make season trading and volume decisions along with the commercial terms and product lifecycle with the suppliers

• Deputise for your Buying Manager when appropriate

• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team culture, providing leadership and guidance to the buying team. Support the professional development and growth of team members, ensuring a skilled and motivated workforce capable of achieving departmental objectives

• Lead success-driven, cross-department working through effective stakeholder relationships

• Responsible for coaching and developing your team of Buying Assistants 

• Responsible for all commercial negotiations inclusive of marketing funds (Media Sales team responsible for implementation & briefing (on-site + agencies))

• Support the Buying Manager L5 in building a product strategy

• Develop and buy market leading own brand and branded ranges, managing product lifecycle from launch to exit of product ranges

• Collaborate with specialist functions to plan and develop ranges and a sourcing strategy for your product assortment, delivering category margin targets & ensuring your supply base complies with all CSR and legal requirements

• Collaborate with Merchandiser to prepare and share Standardised Range Plan, in line with critical path, to hand over to the Central Operations Team. Alongside Merchandiser, sign off product ranges and branch grading with Buying Manager and Head of Buying when required, using reporting from Product Operations

• Propose Balance To Achieve across commercial KPIs for the assortment each month in collaboration with the Merchandiser

• Work with and comply with all critical path requirements as necessary

Essential skills and/or experience you’ll need: 

• Expert negotiator

• Experience at Buyer level

• Own Brand development experience with Brand partnership experience 

• Far East sourcing experience

• Creative mind, proven evidence of collaborative working

• Experience of managing critical path

Desirable skills and/or experience you may have: 

• Tabletop and/or homeware experience 

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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.