Junior Buyer - Footwear in Bury

Role Overview

The Junior Buyer plays a key role within the buying team, supporting the development and delivery of commercially successful product within their category. Sitting between the Assistant Buyer and Buyer, the Junior Buyer takes ownership of some brand relationships, product selection, trading actions and category performance, while still working closely with senior team members to execute the overall buying strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Interpret sales, margin and stock data to inform strategic buying decisions.
• Understanding and presenting market trends, competitor activity, and consumer behaviour to influence range direction.
• Proactively identifying commercial risks and opportunities, not just reporting them.
• Contributing to the build of seasonal strategies, including product mix, pricing architecture and option planning.
• Confidently challenging and recommending product edits based on data, brand insights and trend research.
• Taking ownership of brand communication, including negotiation around costing, exclusives, lead times and margin improvements.
• Building strong, professional partnerships with brand contacts and acting as a key point of contact when the Buyer is unavailable.
• Strong understanding of KPIs (sell‑through, ROS, WSSI, margin, intake, stockholding) and how to impact them.
• Build compelling trade stories for cross‑functional meetings.
• Bringing fresh product ideas backed by insight research (including social media, cultural trends, emerging brands).
• Acting as a role model within the team through supporting Buying Admin Assistants and Assistant Buyers and guiding workload where appropriate.
• Taking full responsibility for your brand’s day‑to‑day performance and presenting with authority.

Skills & Experience Required

• Experience of working in a buying function is essential.
• Experience of buying branded goods and sports fashion is advantageous.
• Strong understanding and knowledge of current and upcoming sports fashion trends at a high street and premium level price point.
• High degree of analytical and numerical skills.
• Fully literate in Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Word, Excel.
• Organisational skills are essential.
• Be able to work under own initiative.
• A creative and trend led individual.

Core Competencies

• Extensive knowledge of our store base and website.
• Confidence within own decisions and product selection.
• Ability to act independently.
• Extensive knowledge of product area and market.
• Ability to look forward and predict trends both current and future.
• Highly numerate and skilled within budget forecasting and planning.

What We Offer

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a workplace where every colleague is valued, respected, and empowered. We celebrate the diversity of our teams and strive to ensure that all colleagues regardless of background, identity, or lived experience can thrive and contribute meaningfully. As a part of our successful and continually evolving company, you’ll be encouraged to embrace and uphold our strategic priorities: putting people first, at the forefront of digital innovation, staying deeply attuned to our customers, and pursuing operational excellence. We are always exploring new avenues for growth, and we welcome individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact every day. We know our employees work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits:

• Incremental Holiday Allowance
• Staff Discount on qualifying purchases across Group retail stores and online
• Exclusive Colleague Bike Discount scheme
• Discounted Gym membership
• Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work
• Access to Apprenticeships and accredited qualifications