Buying Manager, Womenswear Own Brand

Take the lead in shaping a British icon. As a Womenswear Own Brand Buying Manager, you will be at the heart of our creative engine, collaborating with Designers, Technologists, and Sourcing partners to build distinctive, sustainable, and market-leading collections that define the John Lewis woman for the next generation.

Your role is pivotal to leading the Buying function in your category. Along with the Merchandising Manager, you are responsible for translating the Directorate strategy into an effective Category strategy. This role is critical in activating the strategic direction set on design and product, focusing on own branded products. Your efforts contribute to delivering distinctive assortments that embody the John Lewis Brand ethos, ensuring they are both style relevant, competitive and of the highest quality. Through effective market insights and negotiation skills, you uphold robust terms with suppliers while aligning with sustainability targets.

• Salary: £68,900.00 - £105,200.00 per annum dependant on skill and experience

• Contract type: This is a permanent position 

• 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:

• In collaboration with the Merchandising Manager, the Buying manager will make critical decisions regarding product assortment, supplier negotiations, pricing, and promotional strategies, among others, ensuring alignment with the overarching category strategy

• Actively contribute to long-term planning, range optimisation, and in-year trading decisions

• Accountable for actively managing an element of the assortment within the overall category you are responsible for, as determined by the needs of the category

• Champion of change by embracing new Buying tools, processes and systems

• To lead & energise the buying team, create the conditions for all Partners to thrive, make their best contribution and achieve their potential

• Develop and execute the strategic direction for the category, prioritising design and product innovation to drive growth and differentiation

• Curate competitive and high-quality assortments that resonate with target customers and align with the overall directorate vision

• Act as a brand ambassador and primary interface with suppliers, acquiring suppliers for the category and negotiating robust trading terms

• Achieve best margin, quality and lead-time capabilities across supply base in compliance with sustainability policy

• Anticipate market changes and adjust commercial plans accordingly to capitalise on opportunities

• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including marketing, design and technical partners, to ensure alignment and integration of category strategies and initiatives

• Design own-brand ranges within the designated category, to drive product

• innovation and differentiation. This includes the ability to collaborate with design teams and suppliers to create compelling product assortments that resonate with target customers

• Lead and inspire a team of Buyers, fostering a culture of agility, collaboration, and excellence

• Monitor and respond to changes in the competitive landscape, both offline and online

• Champion standardisation and efficiency in ways of working, working closely with Commercial Optimisation, supporting cross-category programmes, and leading training initiatives to champion best practices in merchandising across the directorate. Upskill capability through technical training

• In-depth market knowledge with an awareness of trends, risks, and opportunities within the designated category, enabling informed decision-making and proactive response to market dynamics

Essential skills and/or experience you’ll need: 

• Extensive proven experience in the retail industry, with a focus on sourcing strategy and range building, buying/category management/product management. Experience in buying practices, merchandising strategies, and supplier negotiations is crucial for success in this role

• Experience in leading the design process of Own-Brand ranges. Ability to translate market trends and consumer insights into innovative and commercially viable product designs

• Demonstrated success and achievement in previous buying or category management roles, with a track record of influencing to deliver results, drive sales growth, and enhance profitability within the retail sector

• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to analyse market trends, consumer insights, and competitive landscape to develop and execute effective buying strategies aligned with business objectives

• Proven negotiation skills and experience in leading strategic commercial negotiations with suppliers and vendors to secure favourable terms and agreements, maximising value and profitability for the organisation

• Previous experience in leadership or managerial roles, with a focus on team management, coaching and development. Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a team, foster a collaborative and high-performance culture, and drive results through effective team management

• 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, and product assortment development within 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

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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.