Assistant Buyer - Home

Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.

- Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.

- A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

What you'll do...

As the Assistant Buyer on Home - Kitchen your key accountabilities will include

• Support the Buyer by displaying a clear understanding of M&S' customer, ensuring the segments and demographics needs are understood and put at the heart of the product offer developed


• Work with the Buyer to analyse historical sales to manage product mix parameters including price architecture, colour balance and margin to deliver a highly commercial and balanced range


• Contribute as an active member of the Buying team to work within a commercially focussed culture


• To work with the Buyer to manage the departmental critical path providing guidance and direction to junior members of the Buying team as well as other participants in the buying and global product development To own and drive the production critical path.


• Manage BAAs to ensure efficient product & sample management across the buying floor in order to meet all H&S. Support BAA training and development to help upskill teams.


• To actively participate in coordinating and presenting the global range for sign-off and effectively managing systemic elements of the buying process, ensuring the timely completion of relevant systemic approvals and processes


• To demonstrate good knowledge of the Departmental finished goods and materials supply base and support processes to ensure M&S' scale and buying power is fully


• To work with Buyer in setting and delivering the strategy for the department


• To develop strong working relationships with, and understanding of, external roles such as merchandising, technical, design, International as well as building networks across the wider structure


• Assist the International team to maximise M&S departmental sales during International Buying events
  
  Experience working to Senior BAA or Assistant Buyer in a fast paced retailer. Home experience is not required but a love for home is a necessity!


• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate junior members of the team and communicate with Global Sourcing Offices and influence internal and external stakeholders. Role model for BAAs and strong interpersonal skills, capable of managing vertically and laterally


• Understanding of the concepts of brand strategy and knowledge of the current competitive market place


• Good understanding of global retail market place with the ability to identify relevant product trends


• Basic understanding of Merchandise Planning & ability to understand M&S Buying systems End to End and manage systems accountabilities for the Department


• Critical Path Management


• Highly organised and self-motivated, accustomed to leading by example and taking the initiative/ Proactive in agreeing to take on Buyer responsibilities


• Knowledge of materials used and understanding of material supply base


• A digital and global mind-set that supports the growth of international and online business
  
  We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more


conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting

opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special...

- After completing your probationary period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.

- Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!

- Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our

performance as a business.

- A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.

- A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to

develop your skills.

- Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.