At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead product strategy and drive commercial success in a creative lifestyle brand.
- Company: Seasalt, a certified B Corp with a rich Cornish heritage.
- Benefits: 34 days annual leave, 50% employee discount, flexible working, and private medical scheme.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and shape innovative product campaigns that resonate with customers.
- Qualifications: Experience in buying within premium fashion retail and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 26159 - 31972 £ per year.
Cornwall based – relocation allowance available of 10% the offered salary. Salary: up to £66,950 depending on experience (Band 4). Full-time. Permanent. Interviews likely to take place w/c 23rd November.
At Seasalt, creativity is in our DNA. We began in 1981 in a small shop in Penzance, crafting workwear for local mariners and artists. Today, we’re a modern lifestyle brand with over 80 shops across the UK and Ireland, 400+ wholesale stockists, and a growing global presence. We may have grown, but we’ve always stayed true to our roots with Cornwall’s artistic influence and maritime heritage woven into every garment.
As a certified B Corp and winner of Drapers “Best Place to Work” in 2024, we’re proud to balance our culture with long term growth. It's an exciting time to join us as we build on our distinct creative handwriting, brand differentiation, and expanding both internationally and in the UK.
The Senior Buying Manager is responsible for shaping and delivering a forward-thinking product strategy across a significant product portfolio. Working at the heart of the business, you will ensure our product offering reflects the brand’s aesthetic, resonates with our customers, and delivers against ambitious commercial objectives and long-term growth plans.
Leading a high-performing team, you’ll drive commercial success through strategic decision-making, strong supplier partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration. Working closely with Design, Merchandising, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams, you will optimise profitability, accelerate speed to market, and enhance operational efficiency. As a key member of the leadership team and deputy to the Director of Buying & Sourcing, you will play an influential role in shaping product direction, driving strategic initiatives, and delivering cohesive, commercially successful product campaigns that support business growth and innovation.
Please note, as part of our Seasalt Connected approach to ways of working, this role will be based flexibly across our Cornwall head office locations (minimum 40% of working week but the nature of some roles may require more working time in our head offices) and remotely within the UK.
You’ll help us by:
- Executing a long-term product strategy in line with the business strategy, ensuring alignment with brand vision, customer expectations, market trends, and financial objectives, while leading end-to-end product development and strategic range planning.
- Being financially responsible for your business area, driving revenue, margin targets, and profitability growth through effective buying decisions and a commercial-led approach informed by competitor activity, sales data, and emerging trends.
- Identifying opportunities to optimise the range across all sales channels, ensuring product selections are customer-focused and commercially viable.
- Leading speed-to-market initiatives, optimising lead times and supply chain efficiency, while working closely with Buyers and the supply base to improve lead times and flexibility.
- Driving seasonal strategic product initiatives and collaboration projects, working closely with Marketing teams to ensure product launches and campaigns are effectively positioned for brand growth and customer engagement.
- Developing and executing a robust supplier and sourcing strategy in partnership with the team and cross functionally to ensure sustainable and ethical sourcing, while fostering supplier partnerships that drive innovation and commercial opportunities.
- Overseeing supplier performance and negotiations to ensure consistent quality, service and delivery, and to drive cost efficiencies and margin improvements.
- Responding to market changes impacting sourcing decisions such as currency, duty, commodity, political and freight.
- Building and managing a robust cross-costing process to minimise workload on product teams, achieve the best prices and lead times, and oversee fabric and capacity planning to minimise risk and maximise commercial opportunities.
- Leading and developing a high-performing buying team, providing mentorship, coaching and development opportunities, while driving cross-functional collaboration.
- Deputise for DoF in key business trade meetings and presentations, and overseeing strategic trade reporting, driving a data-led mindset by providing insights and swift action to drive trading opportunities.
- Owning the competitor benchmarking process and implementing pricing and promotional strategies, ensuring pricing, product assortment, and category strategy remain competitive within the market, and that margin protection is balanced with commercial agility.
- Overseeing the governance of critical paths, approvals, and best-practice frameworks for the buying function and supporting digital transformation initiatives, leveraging PLM, ERP, and other buying technologies to improve operational effectiveness.
The skills you’ll be sharing with the team:
- Proven established experience in a Head of Buying or a Senior Buyer role within a premium, lifestyle, or fashion retail environment.
- Critical path and supply chain management: strong grasp of lead times, product lifecycle management, and ensuring products land on time and at the right price and margin.
- Proven experience of strategic planning, objective setting and team alignment.
- Proven experience in leading, managing, hiring and developing team members to achieve department goals (ideally a team of 6+).
- Previous experience in overseeing day-to-day operations and change management, ensuring team members are meeting performance standards, and addressing any issues that arise.
- Ability to make quick, commercially sound decisions based on data, market insights, and brand positioning.
- Dynamic, trend-aware, commercially minded.
- Handles challenges with a problem-solving mindset.
- Strong eye for detail.
- Excellent communication skills and a strong presenter, particularly when presenting to senior leaders, including Exec level.
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross functional teams.
- Adaptable and agile: responds quickly to market changes, ethical considerations, and shifts in consumer behaviour.
- Demonstrates a proactive growth mindset, continuously developing skills, embracing feedback, and adapting positively to new challenges to enhance creative and commercial impact.
Why we hope you’ll love working with us:
The success of Seasalt is down to the skill and hard work of our team. We don't just want to attract the best and brightest people to come and work with us, we want you to stay and grow with us. As well as doing everything we can to support your development professionally, we believe encouraging personal growth is just as important. So you can fulfil your passion and purpose, not just at work but in life, we offer a range of benefits that are designed to enhance your career and wellbeing:
- 34 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing with length of service.
- Attractive 50% employee discount.
- Flexible benefits allowance to personalise your benefits package.
- Private Medical Scheme including 24/7 virtual GP.
- Free access to our Employee Assistance Programme through Retail Trust with 24/7 support.
- Pension plan with generous 7% employer contributions.
- Life assurance programme.
- Enhanced family leave policies.
- Flexible working opportunities with our hybrid working approach.
- Learning and Development opportunities.
- Do Good Things with our two days per year paid volunteering opportunities.
- Employee networks to develop and provide support to our people, including the Inclusion & Belonging Network.
- 100s of savings on top retailers and gym memberships through our discount hub.
At Seasalt we have a brilliant team of people – they're what make Seasalt a fantastic place to work. We love to celebrate uniqueness and are committed to making Seasalt a place where everyone feels they belong. As an inclusive employer, we want to invite a diverse range of candidates to apply for our roles. We aim to work flexibly where possible and value a range of perspectives - diversity of thought helps us to grow – so please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come to work every day. We're happy to help with any adjustments to our recruitment process and beyond. Just drop us an email at careers@seasaltcornwall.co.uk.
Closing date for applications is 5th November 2026, however our roles can close earlier so we would recommend applying as soon as you are able.
Senior Buying Manager in Falmouth employer: Seasalt Cornwall
Seasalt is an exceptional employer that values its employees and fosters a supportive work culture, making it a fantastic place to grow your retail career. With a commitment to personal and professional development, employees enjoy generous benefits including a competitive salary, extensive annual leave, and a strong focus on wellbeing through health plans and volunteering opportunities. Located in Cambridge, the role of Assistant Store Manager offers a unique chance to be part of a passionate team dedicated to delivering outstanding customer service while celebrating diversity and inclusion.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Buying Manager in Falmouth
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Seasalt Cornwall, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Seasalt Cornwall!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Buying Manager in Falmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Seasalt Cornwall, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Seasalt Cornwall and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Seasalt Cornwall that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Seasalt Cornwall
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!