Assistant Buyer, Footwear

Overview

Assistant Buyer, Footwear at River Island. The Buying team realises the commercial opportunities created by our unique designs across all channels. This is achieved through effective range planning, awareness of key commercial data and customer trends, excellent supplier relations and internal networks, and execution of the Buying Strategy to deliver sales and profit plans. The Assistant Buyer supports the Buyer with trading, booking, fitting, range building, negotiation and supplier management, whilst ensuring the BAA team manages the critical path smoothly.

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

Key Accountabilities

• Support weekly trading reviews, updating and providing information to the Buying team as needed
• Ensure orders and invoices are accurately and efficiently processed by the BAAs, and new suppliers are onboarded
• Effective sample management, including labelling, working with suppliers (including Home Production where relevant), maintaining the development tracker and ensuring the correct samples are available to support meetings
• Supporting in fit meetings ensuring BAA has prepped accordingly and inputting in the session, deputising in fits where appropriate
• Co-ordinating labelling and ticketing to a high standard
• Monitor and review Critical Path, responding to escalations of risks to reduce delays, and maintaining awareness of current lead times
• Assist Buyer with cost negotiations and range building
• Produce comp shops with recommendations, identifying opportunity and raising to buyer through a strong knowledge of competitors, key market trends, customers and channels
• Build a foundational understanding of sustainability and how it impacts the Buying choices that are made
• Build a foundational understanding of compliance considerations and impact to the critical path management
• Seek opportunities to step up and present in trade and department meetings
• Adopt ethical trading practices and partner well with suppliers
• Manage the workload of the BAA with an understanding of performance and escalate to Buyer where support is needed
• Set direction and objectives for the BAA, providing timely feedback and support
• Work cross-functionally with Core Merchandising and other internal teams (Ecommerce, Wholesale, Visual Merchandising)

Key experience required

• Previous experience as an Assistant Buyer, or established Senior Buyer’s Admin Assistant is required
• Experience in an omni-channel business is highly desirable

Job role competencies

• Very good verbal and numerical reasoning skills
• Intermediate MS Office skills
• Computer literate and ability to learn new systems quickly
• Highly organised and proactive, good prioritisation skills
• Collaborative, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Very good commercial and market awareness
• Disciplined and conscientious, results oriented
• Resilient and adaptable with the ability to multitask
• Curious, continuous learning mindset
• Coaching, mentoring mindset
• Ability to present own views and assert own views
• Takes initiative
• Good presentation skills
• A keen interest in Product and the River Island brand

Details

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Purchasing and Supply Chain
• Industries: Retail Apparel and Fashion

Location and role notes

This role is based at our Head Office in West London. Check us out here on a map.

What We Can Offer You

• Generous 50% staff discount and on-site staff shop
• Rewards and benefits through Reward Gateway
• Free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & cafe, and regular social events
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fertility support; partnership with Retail Trust
• Flexible working and payday/early finish Fridays
• Give as you earn scheme with matched funding
• Support with upskilling and on-the-job qualifications; succession plan
• Bonus scheme and private pension plan
• 25 days paid holiday, with option to purchase additional days

Keeping You Safe

At River Island we are committed to safeguarding all employees. We will fulfil our obligation under the Prevent duty to stop extremism and extremist views in our business. We promote British Values including democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for different beliefs. To find out more, please visit www.gov.uk. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all ages, genders, ethnicities, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions and beliefs. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.