Junior Buyer - Menswear

From Merchandising and Marketing – Product Development and Design, through to Supply Chain and Space Planning – our mission is to bring stylish wardrobe, home and beauty essentials to our customers via an easy, inspiring shopping experience online and in store that will delight them every time.

As we accelerate the transformation of our business to suit the changing needs of our customer, we need results-orientated colleagues that not only have a passion for our product, but a strong team working ethos, creativity and a healthy commercial aim to join us on our journey.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office at least three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.

What’s in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…

• After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.

• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!

• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.

• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.

• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.

• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.

• Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.

• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.

• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you\’re passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

To stay close to customers, we expect our support teams to come into the office at least 3 three days a week. We think that learning comes from working alongside each other, and that spending time with our teams makes us more creative and connected. It also means we can solve problems as soon as they arise, build trust, and get closer to our colleagues.

We may close this role early if we have enough applications for the next stage. Please submit your application as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss out.

What you’ll do

Your key accountabilities will include

• Work with Merchandising and all other relevant areas of the business to aggressively trade the product area and hit / exceed Buying targets
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of M&S’ customer, ensuring the segments and demographics needs are understood and put at the heart of the product offer developed
• Work with Design to interpret and adapt to market trends and direction, ensuring that the conceptual global range developed is differentiating and targeted to the needs of the customer
• Analyse historical sales in line with trends and design direction to manage product mix parameters including price architecture, colour balance, shape and margin to deliver a highly commercial and balanced range
• Work in collaboration with Sourcing Offices globally to develop appropriate supply routes enabling the Department to react to trade, as well as negotiating the best prices and lead times with supplier to achieve the gross margin buying target
• Provide leadership and direction to junior members of the Buying team as well as Sourcing Office product merchandisers creating a global team culture
• Co-ordinate and support the development of product Tech Packs, working with Design, Technology and Sourcing Offices to achieve better hit rates and taking accountability to ensure Tech Packs are delivered complete and on time to minimise sampling lead times
• Take accountability for managing the departmental critical path, providing guidance and direction to junior members of the Buying team as well as other participants in the buying and global product development process
• Present the global range for sign-off and effectively manage systemic elements of the buying process, taking accountability for the timely completion of relevant systemic approvals and processes
• Drive department strategy giving consideration to wider BU, C&H and Int C&H strategy

Who you are

The ideal candidate will already be working to at least Junior Buyer level in a fast paced retailer with extensive menswear experience. You will be product obsessed with a commercial mindset excited to continue the M&S transformation journey to bounce back even better!

Your skills and experience will include

• Working to at least Junior Buyer level in a menswear clothing brand with proven track record of developing and trading highly commercial ranges that exceed sales / profit targets
• Ability to initiate and build strong relationships with Design, Merchandising and Technology and Global Sourcing Offices where used
• In-depth knowledge of cost price negotiations and global sourcing and ability to collaborate with colleagues in Global Sourcing Offices (where used) to develop the supply base
• Confident developing and building a comprehensive product range including packaging which satisfies all customers’ future requirements
• An in-depth knowledge of the current competitive market place. Good understanding of global retail market place with the ability to identify relevant product trends
• Basic understanding of Merchandise Planning
• Highly organised approach and commitment to closing and completing tasks
• A digital and global mind-set that supports the growth of international and online business

Everyone’s welcome
We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more
conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting
opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.
If you feel you\’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process

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