Senior Buyer

Contract type: Permanent, 40 hours per week

Location: Head office in Bermondsey. Hybrid working - 4 days per week in the office

About the Fold

The Fold London is an award-winning British luxury womenswear brand built on a singular, powerful idea: that the women who run boardrooms, lead teams and shape the world deserve clothes as ambitious as they are. Founded with a clear mission to dress professional women with intention, The Fold has built a loyal global community of customers who value craft, quality, and considered design over fast fashion.

With a multi-channel presence - led by ecommerce and supported by our two London stores in Chelsea and the City – The Fold has built a loyal and growing customer base across the UK, US and internationally. As we enter the next stage of growth, we are investing heavily in our international expansion, commercial capability, systems, customer insight and operational infrastructure. This role is a key part of that journey.

Role Overview

The Senior Buyer is a pivotal leadership role within our Product team, responsible for driving the strategic vision, commercial performance, and product excellence across key womenswear categories. This is a hands-on, senior-level role that demands equal parts creative intuition and commercial rigour.

You will take full ownership of the buying strategy from concept through to trade, translating data and market insight into clear, decisive actions. You will champion the customer at every stage, ensure the range is commercially optimised and brand-aligned, and play a key role in shaping the direction of The Fold's product offer as the business scales internationally.

As the most senior buyer in the team, you will lead, mentor and inspire a small buying team, setting the standard for excellence, pace, and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end development of The Fold's womenswear ranges, delivering commercially successful, brand-aligned, and customer-centric product across all categories.
• Own and drive seasonal buying strategy, spanning range architecture and option planning through to pricing, assortment balance, and category mix.
• Apply a strong eye for product to curate ranges that are differentiated, relevant, and right for The Fold customer, balancing newness with commercial core.
• Own the product selection for all third-party wholesale doors, working in close partnership with Merchandising to ensure the edit is commercially optimised and a true representation of The Fold's brand positioning.
• Support the Design team throughout the product development process, providing commercially grounded input into fabrication, construction, fit, and sustainability credentials to help bring the range vision to life.
• Build and manage supplier relationships at a senior level, leading negotiations to secure best-in-class product at optimal margin and terms.
• Present seasonal range strategies, sign-offs, and trade reviews to the Product Director and wider senior leadership with confidence and clarity.
• Stay ahead of the market through regular competitor analysis and trend research, translating insight into actionable range decisions.
• Ensure all product meets The Fold's quality, sustainability, and brand standards.
• Own and oversee the critical path across all categories in partnership with the Production, Design, and Garment Technology teams, anticipating and resolving risk before it impacts the business.

Trading & Commercial Performance

• Take full ownership of sales, margin, intake, and stock targets across your categories, and be accountable for delivering them.
• Lead weekly and seasonal trading analysis, interpreting data with precision to identify what is working and what needs to change, and acting on it swiftly.
• Translate trading data into both short-term trading actions (re-buys, repeats, markdowns, reprioritisation) and long-term strategic decisions (option edits, category growth, investment shifts).
• Drive stock optimisation and markdown strategies in collaboration with Merchandising, minimising excess and maximising sell-through.
• Identify category growth opportunities through analysis of sales performance, customer behaviour, and market white space.
• Proactively bring trading risks and commercial opportunities to the Product Director with clear, data-backed recommendations and proposed solutions.
• Maintain a commercially minded approach at all stages of the buying process, ensuring every decision is tied to a measurable outcome.

Data Analysis & Commercial Insight

• Demonstrate advanced ability to read, interrogate, and interpret buying and trading data, including sell-through rates, DPO, category contribution and margin contribution.
• Transform data into clear, concise, and measurable actions, with defined owners, timelines, and expected outcomes.
• Maintain range plans, and reporting frameworks that support strategic and operational decision-making across the team.
• Use insight from customer data and e-commerce analytics to inform range and buying decisions.
• Partner closely with Merchandising to ensure Open-to-Buy is managed with precision, and that range plans accurately reflect the buy.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, manage, and develop a buying team including a Buyer and Assistant Buyer, setting clear priorities, objectives, and development plans.
• Create a high-performing, collaborative team culture built on accountability, pace, and high standards.
• Act as a senior cross-functional partner within Product, working closely and effectively with Design, Production, Merchandising, Marketing, E-commerce, and Retail.
• Balance multiple competing priorities with composure and efficiency in a fast-paced, agile environment, meeting deadlines without compromising quality of decision-making.
• Ensure smooth day-to-day execution of all buying processes, including reporting cadences, sample management, fit sessions, and system updates.
• Ensure timely delivery of all samples, maintaining proactive communication across all relevant teams.
• Escalate risks and opportunities to the Product Director and senior leadership team with well-reasoned recommendations and proposed mitigations.

About You

Experience & Background

• Currently operating at Senior Buyer level within womenswear.
• Proven track record of owning and driving category performance against commercial KPIs including sales, margin, and sell-through.
• Deep knowledge of womenswear product, including fabrications, construction, fit, garment technology, and the full development lifecycle.
• Experienced in leading supplier negotiations and managing complex supplier relationships at a senior level.
• Track record of presenting confidently to senior stakeholders and influencing decisions at a leadership level.

Commercial & Analytical Skills

• Highly commercially minded. You think in numbers as naturally as you think in product, and you hold both in equal regard.
• Advanced ability to interrogate data, identify patterns, and translate analysis into clear, measurable commercial actions.
• Comfortable owning and driving Open-to-Buy and range planning frameworks alongside Merchandising.
• Skilled at balancing short-term trading decisions with long-term strategic planning, managing both with equal discipline.
• Experienced working in a trading environment where you are required to react to performance quickly, decisively, and with commercial accuracy.

Product & Creative Eye

• Exceptional eye for product, with the ability to identify and articulate what makes a range commercially compelling, brand-right, and customer-relevant.
• Instinctive understanding of the womenswear customer, particularly within the premium-to-luxury space.
• Confident in influencing product direction from a design, fabrication, and aesthetic standpoint, while ensuring commercial viability.
• Up to date with global fashion trends, key international market influences, and the competitive luxury and premium womenswear landscape.

Leadership & Ways of Working

• A natural leader who leads by example, setting high standards, inspiring those around you, and developing talent within the team.
• Excellent communication skills, clear, concise, and compelling whether presenting to the board, directing suppliers, or developing junior team members.
• Able to manage, prioritise, and deliver across multiple workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment without losing accuracy or attention to detail.
• Solutions-focused and resilient. You bring calm clarity and clear recommendations when facing trading pressure or operational complexity.
• Highly organised with strong planning and process discipline, and the confidence to challenge or improve existing ways of working where needed.
• A collaborative team player who builds trust across functions and brings people with them.

33 days holiday (25 days + bank holidays) + option to buy more!

Salary sacrifice options (pension & childcare)

Financial wellbeing platform to support your goals

£1,250 annual The Fold gift voucher

Bike to work scheme to save on bikes & equipment

Employee Assistance Programme (confidential wellbeing support when you need it)

Eye care support

Enhanced maternity pay

Friends & family discount – enjoy 50% off

Summer Fridays for that early start to the weekend

Fully stocked snack cupboards, fresh fruit, plus great coffee & tea

Opportunities to give back through volunteering

Diversity and Inclusion

We promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our vision is to establish an environment that attracts individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and talents, empowering them to contribute their best and authentic selves. We welcome and encourage applications from those who share our commitment to fostering this culture.