At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive commercial performance and strategy for innovative beauty brands.
- Company: Join Space NK, a leading destination for beauty discovery.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for growth.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with a focus on customer experience and team success.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of beauty trends and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Passion for beauty, strong communication skills, and commercial acumen.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
If you love beauty, you’re in the right place. As the ultimate curator of over 100 of the most in-demand, highly innovative and boundary-pushing beauty brands, we are the go-to destination for worldwide beauty discovery. Together through our neighbourhood stores, online presence and loyalty scheme, Space NK has built a flourishing community in which to discover beauty. The customer is at the heart of everything we do, and we will always endeavour to offer everything they need to help them explore, experiment, and enjoy our brands.
Reports To: Brand Manager
Role Overview
The Junior Buyer (Junior Brand Manager) is responsible for owning and driving the commercial performance, strategy and execution of key categories, with a particular focus on multi-brand initiatives including edits and advent. Working closely with the Brand Manager, this role leads end-to-end delivery across product planning, supplier management and cross-functional execution. The Junior Brand Manager translates customer insight and market trends into commercially successful launches, while ensuring strong alignment across teams and timely delivery against business goals. This role requires a balance of commercial ownership, strategic thinking, pace and operational discipline, with the Brand Manager acting as a strategic sounding board.
Key Accountabilities
- Commercial Ownership, Product Strategy & Planning
- Own and drive the commercial performance of multi-brand categories (including beauty edits and advent), with clear accountability for sales, margin and overall contribution to category growth.
- Define and execute the product pipeline strategy, identifying trends, customer needs and commercial opportunities.
- Own the end-to-end development of multi-brand edits and advent, from concept through to launch and post-launch review.
- Lead regular performance reviews, identifying actions to optimise sales, margin and customer engagement.
- Support final assortment sign-off, ensuring selections are customer-led, commercially viable and aligned to category strategy.
- Identify and deliver quick-win opportunities, bringing products to market efficiently without compromising execution quality.
- Drive improvement plans for underperforming areas, including range optimisation, pricing, and customer communication strategies.
- Ensure early visibility of costings to support strong commercial decision-making and protect margin.
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with Marketing, CRM, Merchandising, PR, Retail, Training and E-Commerce to deliver aligned and impactful launches.
- Partner with CRM and Marketing teams to build commercially led plans that drive customer acquisition, ATV and retention.
- Act as the central point of coordination across functions, ensuring clarity of priorities, timelines and deliverables.
- Identify and drive cross-functional improvements to enhance efficiency, communication and commercial outcomes.
- Lead and guide junior team members, ensuring clarity, accountability and effective workload management.
- Brand & Supplier Relationship Management
- Build strong, strategic relationships with brand partners and suppliers, acting as a key point of contact within Space NK.
- Lead regular performance discussions with partners, sharing insights and identifying growth opportunities.
- Collaborate with brands to develop long-term plans for edits and advent, leveraging Space NK customer insight.
- Manage end-to-end supplier onboarding, ensuring smooth setup and integration into ways of working.
- Support and, where appropriate, lead commercial negotiations to deliver strong and sustainable partnerships.
- Operational Excellence & Process Alignment
- Drive clarity and alignment across ways of working, ensuring realistic timelines and shared understanding of priorities.
- Improve visibility and transparency across costing, sampling and project status to support better decision-making.
- Ensure alignment between concept, render and final execution by working closely with suppliers on quality expectations.
- Support effective logistics and operational planning, ensuring flexibility and minimising downstream issues.
Accountable for the following KPIs:
- Category & Brand Sales: Overall, YoY and vs Budget
- New Customer Acquisition: Overall, YoY and vs Budget
- Average Transaction Value (ATV) drivers
- Newness and Exclusive Launch Performance
- Range Productivity: Sales per store, sales per SKU, sales to space productivity
- Stock Management: Stock position by category and brand, including overstocks and discontinued inventory
- Category Intake Margin vs Budget
- Support with new store opening planning and execution
To actively adopt and embody the core company values, acting as a role model for more junior members of the team:
- Communication is everything
- Customer first
- We are one team
- Embrace the change
- Know & feel you belong
Skills And Experience Required
- Previous experience at Junior or Assistant Brand Manager / Buyer level
- Passion for beauty industry, brands and products
- Proactive, entrepreneurial, self-starter who can identify opportunities and pursue them
- Strong people skills with a focus and drive to build strong relationships both internally and externally
- Strong commercial acumen and savvy; comfortable with numbers and analytics
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Power Point and Outlook)
- Willingness to learn and try new things and openness to change
- Actively seeks feedback from others to develop
All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK. Space NK are an equal opportunities employer.
Junior Buyer employer: Space NK
At Space NK, we pride ourselves on being a vibrant and inclusive employer that champions creativity and innovation in the beauty industry. Our collaborative work culture fosters personal and professional growth, offering employees the chance to engage with leading beauty brands while contributing to exciting product launches. Located in a dynamic retail environment, we provide unique opportunities for career advancement and a supportive community that values every team member's input.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Junior Buyer
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research Space NK, their brands, and their values. This will help you tailor your conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their beauty community.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. Building relationships can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral, which is always a bonus!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions related to buying and brand management. Think about how your passion for beauty aligns with their mission and be ready to share your ideas on product trends.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Space NK team and ready to dive into the beauty world.
We think you need these skills to ace Junior Buyer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Beauty:When writing your application, let your love for the beauty industry shine through! Share specific brands or products that inspire you and explain why. This will help us see your genuine interest in the role.
Be Clear and Concise:We appreciate straightforward communication. Make sure your application is well-structured and to the point. Highlight your relevant experience and skills without rambling on – we want to get to know you quickly!
Tailor Your Application:Don’t just send a generic application! Take the time to align your experiences with the key accountabilities mentioned in the job description. Show us how you can contribute to our team and the commercial performance of our beauty categories.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our Space NK community!
How to prepare for a job interview at Space NK
✨Know Your Beauty Brands
Before the interview, dive deep into the beauty brands that Space NK curates. Familiarise yourself with their unique selling points and recent launches. This will not only show your passion for the industry but also help you discuss how you can contribute to their commercial performance.
✨Showcase Your Commercial Acumen
Be prepared to discuss your understanding of commercial strategies. Think about how you would approach product planning and supplier management. Bring examples from your past experiences where you've successfully identified trends or opportunities that led to positive outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Team Collaboration Skills
Since this role involves cross-functional collaboration, think of specific instances where you've worked effectively with different teams. Highlight your communication skills and how you’ve managed to align priorities and deliverables in a team setting.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions that reflect your interest in the role and the company. Inquire about their approach to customer insights and how they measure success in new product launches. This shows you're not just interested in the job, but also in contributing to their goals.
