At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the buying strategy for Lookfantastic and drive commercial performance.
- Company: Join THG, a global leader in beauty and sports nutrition.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, 25 days leave, and wellness support.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for career growth and development.
- Why this job: Shape the future of beauty retail and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in senior buying roles within beauty retail.
The predicted salary is between 75600 - 92400 £ per year.
About THG
We are THG, a global ecommerce group on a mission to be the global online leader in beauty and sports nutrition. Our portfolio of leading retailers and brands such as LOOKFANTASTIC, Myprotein, ESPA, Perricone MD, and Cult Beauty form our two core businesses: THG Beauty and THG Nutrition.
Life at THG Beauty
We know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our portfolio of leading retailers and iconic beauty brands caters to everyone, everywhere, empowering customers all over the world to look and feel fantastic. By combining our portfolio of owned brands inclusive of ESPA, Ameliorate and Christophe Robin, with a marketplace for over 1,300 third-party beauty brands through online retail sites LOOKFANTASTIC, Cult Beauty, and Dermstore, THG Beauty's ambition is to be the global digital partner of choice across the beauty industry, supporting the channel shift to online. THG Beauty’s breadth of relationships is unique to the beauty market; it engages with brands as a retailer, a brand owner, and a product developer and manufacturer, making it the industry’s digital strategic leader.
The Opportunity
We’re looking for an exceptional Buying Director to lead the buying strategy and commercial performance of Lookfantastic, THG Beauty’s flagship global beauty retail brand. This is a high-impact senior leadership role, with end-to-end ownership of the buying agenda across brands, categories, range, supplier partnerships, P&L and team performance. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Lookfantastic — ensuring we have the right relationships, brands, products, commercial strategy and customer proposition to drive sustainable growth and maintain our position as a leading global beauty destination.
What You’ll Do
- Own the Lookfantastic buying strategy, setting the vision and commercial direction across our key beauty categories.
- Drive significant sales and profit growth, with accountability for buying P&L, margin, budgets, Open-to-Buy and stock investment.
- Shape our brand portfolio, identifying and securing the most exciting established and emerging beauty brands.
- Lead senior supplier relationships, negotiating best-in-class terms across margin, payment terms, marketing investment, promotional funding and rebates whilst ensuring we support our partners goals as well as our own.
- Oversee market leading strategic Joint Business Plans with our most important brand partners, unlocking incremental growth and investment.
- Create an exceptional product proposition, using customer insight, market trends and data to continually evolve our range.
- Partner closely with Marketing and Trading to maximise the impact of launches, campaigns, promotions and key commercial moments.
- Champion stock and availability, working closely with Merchandising, Supply Chain and Operations to ensure customers can access the products they want, when they want them.
- Lead and develop a high-performing Buying team, creating a culture of commercial excellence, accountability and innovation.
- Act as a senior voice across THG Beauty, influencing strategy and driving cross-functional collaboration.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a commercially driven, strategic and inspirational buying leader who combines a passion for beauty with a proven track record of delivering growth. You’ll bring:
- Experience: Significant senior buying experience in beauty multi-brand retail, with a proven record of leading a large-scale function, strong category/range/merchandising/commercial expertise, and confidence as a public speaker representing the brand.
- Commercial Acumen: Exceptional focus on sales, margin, ROI and P&L/stock management; strategic thinker able to operate at pace and in detail; highly analytical and data-driven.
- Partnership & Negotiation: Proven negotiator of complex commercial agreements, with long-term relationships across major beauty brands, press and trade bodies.
- Exceptional Strategist: Able to demonstrate ability to identify market white space and deliver industry leading strategies to differentiate Lookfantastic from its peer set.
- Trend Forecasting: Strong grasp of the global beauty industry, brands, categories, consumer trends and competitive dynamics.
- Leadership: Track record developing high-performing commercial teams, influencing cross-functionally in a complex organisation, with an entrepreneurial, opportunity-seeking mindset.
Why Lookfantastic?
Lookfantastic is one of the world's leading online beauty destinations, bringing together an exceptional portfolio of global beauty brands with a truly international customer base. As Buying Director, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the proposition of a globally recognised beauty business, influence some of the industry's biggest brands and lead a team at the heart of our commercial growth. This is a role for someone who wants real ownership, significant scale and the opportunity to make a visible impact. If you're a commercially ambitious buying leader with a passion for beauty and a track record of delivering growth, we'd love to hear from you.
What’s in it for me?
- Career Development: Access bespoke development programmes that have been designed and developed by our in-house L&D team. Continued development through our upskilling programme that is delivered in partnership with an industry-leading training provider.
- Enhanced Leave: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays. Don’t want to work on your birthday? We don’t either! Enjoy your day off on us! Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, depending on length of service. Up to 10 days compassionate leave. Buy back up to 3 days each year. Unlock 2 days volunteer leave after 12-months.
- Wellbeing Support: Access face-to-face and virtual appointments with our in-house GP. Access our 247 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is provided by Bupa. State-of-the-art on-site gym. Access to our on-site physio.
- Other Perks: Save up to 12% on the cost of personal tech through our salary sacrifice scheme. Subsidised bus pass from Manchester City Centre to our ICON office. Up to 50% staff discount on THG brands. On-site staff shop. Know someone who would be perfect for THG? Refer them and get up to £1000 when they pass their probation. Anniversary gifts when you hit 5 and 10 years of service.
THG is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you are invited to interview, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to the recruitment process that will enable you to perform to the best of your ability. THG is committed to creating a diverse & inclusive environment and hence welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Because of the high volumes of applications our opportunities attract, it sometimes takes us time to review and consider them all. We endeavour to respond to every application we receive within 14 days. If you haven't heard from us within that time frame or should you have any specific questions about this or other applications for positions at THG please contact one of our Talent team to discuss further.
Buying Director | Lookfantastic in Manchester employer: THG
THG in Tywyn, Wales, is an excellent employer that values its employees by fostering a diverse and inclusive work culture. With a strong commitment to continuous improvement, the company offers ample opportunities for professional growth and development, ensuring that every team member can thrive in their role while contributing to operational excellence.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Buying Director | Lookfantastic in Manchester
✨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 THG, 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 THG!
We think you need these skills to ace Buying Director | Lookfantastic in Manchester
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 THG, 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 THG 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 THG that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at THG
✨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!
