At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the lingerie category strategy and drive product performance across all channels.
- Company: Join a leading retailer committed to inclusivity and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, flexible working, private healthcare, and performance bonuses.
- Other info: Opportunities for personal growth and a supportive team culture.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a fast-paced environment while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Proven senior buying experience with strong analytical and negotiation skills.
You’ll define and deliver the category strategy for Lingerie, owning range architecture, selection, sourcing routes and in‑season trading performance across all channels. Using strong customer, market and data insight, you’ll lead the development of engaging, age‑appropriate and commercially sound product propositions that resonate with customers and deliver strong performance.
The role includes ownership of financial performance, proactive trade management and clear decision‑making to optimise sales, margin and stock outcomes. You’ll build strong, strategic supplier partnerships to drive quality, innovation and value, while working closely with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing and Digital teams to ensure end‑to‑end execution. Alongside delivery, you’ll lead, coach and develop Buyers and Assistant Buyers, building capability, protecting talent and driving high performance within the team.
You’re a commercially strong buying leader with experience operating at pace in a fast‑moving, customer‑focused retail environment. You combine strong analytical capability with sound judgement and bring a clear understanding of customer needs, particularly within lingerie. You’re collaborative, resilient and confident influencing across functions while developing and motivating high‑performing teams.
To be considered for this role, you must have demonstrable end‑to‑end buying experience at a senior level, with clear accountability for category strategy, trading performance and people leadership within a commercial retail environment.
- Proven senior‑level buying experience, with accountability for category strategy and financial performance
- Strong commercial, analytical and data‑driven capability, using insight to shape buying and trading decisions
- Experience building and delivering customer‑focused ranges, within the lingerie product area
- Strong negotiation skills and experience developing strategic supplier partnerships
- Ability to operate confidently at pace, making timely, well‑informed commercial decisions
- Proven experience leading, coaching and developing others
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across functions
- Passion for product and customer experience, balanced with commercial discipline
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working.
When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:
- Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year.
- We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover.
- You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance‑related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
- Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare.
- We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers.
- And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).
Senior Buyer - Lingerie in Coventry employer: Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd
Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd is an excellent employer, offering a vibrant work culture where teamwork and customer service are at the forefront. Employees benefit from competitive pay, night shift premiums, and a range of perks including discounts and generous holiday entitlement, all while working in a supportive environment that encourages personal growth and wellbeing.
Contact Details:
Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd Recruitment Team