Head of Product in Cornwall

Head of Product | North London | Full Time | £50,000 per annum With 140 years of heritage, our client is a leading UK B2B fabric wholesaler, trusted by fabric retailers and manufacturers in the fashion, hobby and craft industries. The business is currently undergoing a bold rebrand and digital transformation to reshape the future of textile wholesale and elevate the customer experience. The Role Our client is looking for a commercially minded and highly proactive Head of Product to lead the product and purchasing direction of the business. This is a hands-on role focused on driving product strategy, identifying opportunities, developing ranges, sourcing products and suppliers, and making commercially informed buying decisions. The role will report directly to the CEO and lead the Product Purchasing function, with direct management responsibility for the Merchandiser. You will work closely with the CEO, Sales and Merchandising to ensure product decisions reflect customer demand, market trends and commercial opportunities. This is a primarily office-based role, particularly during training, probation and the initial onboarding period, giving you the opportunity to develop a strong understanding of the companys fabrics, products and ways of working. Some flexibility around hybrid working can be discussed once you are established in the role, although this will not be a fully remote position. There is no regular client-facing travel requirement, although there may be occasional European supplier visits, typically around 23 times per year and planned well in advance. Key Responsibilities Own and drive the overall product and range strategy across the business Build seasonal and ongoing range plans based on sales performance, customer demand, market trends and identified gaps Identify opportunities to strengthen, extend, replace or rationalise existing product ranges Maintain a forward-looking product development pipeline, identifying opportunities proactively rather than relying solely on supplier-led opportunities Identify new fabrics, qualities, constructions, finishes, designs and commercial opportunities Source products through existing and new supplier networks in the UK and internationally Manage the complete new-product journey from initial idea and sourcing through sampling, costing, selection and production Lead the design and product-development programme, ensuring design decisions remain commercially focused and relevant to target customers, including managing external designers and creative resources where required Develop briefs for new print, colour and design ranges Manage seasonal development calendars and ensure new ranges progress from concept through to production on time Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships across pricing, quality, reliability, lead times and product development Prepare supplier negotiations and recommendations for review with the CEO where appropriate Work alongside the CEO on significant negotiations, strategic supplier decisions and major buying commitments Review supplier performance and manage supplier-side claims and commercial issues Review and approve significant buying recommendations prepared by the Merchandiser Determine buying priorities across ranges, suppliers and production programmes Make commercially informed decisions balancing availability, stock investment, demand, margin and lead time Determine priorities when shipment or container capacity requires decisions over which products should move first Work with the relevant Sales/On-Demand team to identify and source products for significant customer opportunities Assess whether on-demand opportunities have potential to become wider stock ranges Lead the Product Purchasing function and establish clear priorities, processes and accountability Manage the Merchandiser and ensure the operational purchasing function supports the wider product strategy Maintain visibility across replenishment, production, inbound shipments and key stock risks Ensure purchasing decisions are made using accurate and timely data Create a culture of ownership where issues are identified and acted upon rather than simply reported Requirements Essential Strong commercial experience within product development, buying, sourcing, merchandising or purchasing Experience working with physical products Strong product instinct with the ability to recognise commercial opportunities Experience sourcing and developing products with suppliers Confidence negotiating pricing, quantities, lead times and commercial terms Ability to understand sales and stock data and use it to support buying decisions Experience managing product or range-development programmes An understanding of design and trends without necessarily being a hands-on designer Strong supplier-management and relationship-building skills Commercially sharp, decisive and comfortable taking ownership Highly proactive and able to identify what should be done next without waiting to be instructed Experience managing or mentoring others, with the ability to set clear priorities and accountability Desirable Experience within textiles, fabrics, fashion, interiors or a related wholesale environment Knowledge of the fabric/textile market and existing industry contacts would be highly advantageous Whats In It For You Up to £50,000 per annum (DOE) Annual leave package of 20 days Bank Holidays, with additional company closure days which vary annually on top Birthday day off in addition to annual leave, additional annual leave entitlement after 2 and 5 years service MondayThursday 9:00am5:30pm Friday hours of 9:00am4:30pm during summer and 9:00am3:30pm during winter Some flexibility around hybrid working once established in the role, following an initial office-based period Monthly staff pizza afternoon Annual staff outing/activity Opportunity to report directly to the CEO and play a key role in shaping the product direction of an established business undergoing an exciting period of rebrand and digital transformation Genuine opportunity to make a significant commercial impact across product, purchasing and supplier strategy Whats next? 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