Buyer/ Senior Buyer - Footwear And Bags

A experienced Footwear and Bags Buyer with a clear track record of delivering positive product and sales performance across eCommerce and retail channels. Self‑motivated, capable of driving product performance and change at pace. Passion for product and eye for detail. Must have technical experience in leather footwear and bags. Product areas also cover jewellery, sunglasses and belts.

Primary objective

As a Footwear and Bags Buyer you will develop and select seasonal product ranges which maximize sales opportunities, anticipate and exceed customer needs, and reflect market trends.

What you’ll be doing

• Range Development: Work with the design and merchandising team to ensure range development meets all product strategic pillars from innovation, detail, margin through to quality and sustainability. Provide commercial balance between aesthetics and financial targets. Understand capabilities of supplier base and develop a commercial range taking into consideration the supply chain process and economic conditions. Identify and implement new product opportunities at the right pace. Effectively manage the critical path to manage all sales channels whilst considering agility. Actively review both aspirational and competitor activity, utilising insight to shape ranges.
• Commercial: Monitor sales performance weekly to evaluate, propose and implement actions that maximise growth and manage risk. Understand commercial drivers of the business and relate these across the supply chain from design to delivery. Lead and manage the sign‑off process with heads and directors, from diarising and preparation to clear articulation of the range build to meet KPI’s across all channel requirements, from assortment needs to grading and ranking. Make decisions in the context of the correct commercial balance between aesthetics and profit without compromising brand. Manage and deliver target margin for area of responsibility. Oversee and ensure all product order management information is set up correctly on internal systems and cascaded to the supply base as required.
• Planning: Prepare initial outlines for range plan, keeping in mind the complex needs and varying timescales of a multi‑channel business. Excellent range planning skills, working closely with merchandise and design teams to optimise product assortment.
• Process and Critical Path Management: Support team in creating and managing a robust departmental critical path. Accountable for timely deliveries of all milestones and touchpoints within the critical path. Ensure all product approvals at all stages are managed effectively from concept to delivery into DC. Ensure that all marketing and eCommerce collateral is correct and up to date in accordance with business requirements. Ensure 100% on‑time delivery of accurate salesman, product and shoot samples.
• Quality Control: Effectively manage the quality assurance process in partnership with internal technologists and supply base. Lead the entire fit‑sealing process, ensuring it coincides with the critical path and that products are sealed in line with brand commercial strategy. Work with the Technical team to monitor and evaluate quality performance of the supply base.
• People Management: Lead by example and communicate with clarity and consistency with direct and indirect teams. Ensure the team is fully functioning and cross‑functional relationships are built and maintained. Train and develop individual team members to improve their capabilities and deliver functional expertise. Evaluate team performance regularly via clear and achievable objectives to drive succession planning.

What you’ll need

• Technical experience in footwear and bags.
• Technical expertise in leather fabrication, construction, and production.
• Keen eye for contemporary fashion and understanding of trends relevant to the brand.
• Ability to influence and drive the product development cycle, working closely with the design team to identify and deliver on all opportunities.
• High degree of buying knowledge and expertise encompassing strategic thinking, commercial acumen, negotiation and creativity.
• Extensive experience managing a global supply base with direct sourcing relationships across multiple products.
• Ability to inspire, influence and communicate effectively at all levels.
• Solution‑based, proactive, shows initiative.
• Strong commercial awareness of target customer aesthetics and lifestyle needs.
• Ability to independently multi‑task across multiple product areas.
• Commitment, drive, passion and self‑motivation.

What we will offer you

• Annual bonus opportunity
• Up to 25 days holiday per annum
• Hybrid working with 3 to 4 days in the office
• 2 extra (paid!) days off per year to volunteer in the local community
• 50% discount
• Subsidised BUPA Dental Insurance
• Healthcare cash plan and Life Assurance
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Pension Contribution

We are committed to creating an environment where we can all be proud to work and be ourselves. Part of this commitment is being an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, and age.