Assistant Buyer - Children's Books

Assistant Buyer - Children's Books
Grade C
London Head Office, Houndsditch (with hybrid remote working)
Salary upto 28k

Buying forms the backbone of our business and is incredibly fast-paced. By identifying trends and understanding our on-going success stories, the Books team ensure we stock what customers want. It takes a flair for relationship building, negotiation, an analytical approach and not least of all a fun attitude to work! We look for people who can deliver a variety of strategies to help drive sales and profit and who have an affinity with what we sell. Have you got what it takes?

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Assistant Buyer looking for a new challenge to join our Books category, based in our London Head Office. Reporting into the Fiction Buyer, the main purpose of this role is to determine the customer offer and manage the trading activities and Profit and Loss for the category, to deliver maximum sales and profitability, with specific focus on the Children's Books ranges.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is keen to work in a fast paced environment and will work well in a team. The role requires an organised individual, capable of managing complex information and supporting the Books team in all areas of trading.

What you'll be doing:
You will have buying responsibility for categories across our Children's Books range, and be responsible for selecting and developing profitable new ranges. You'll use commercial acumen to generate new ideas on how to grow YOY sales, margin and income, whilst building strong relationships with suppliers to deliver effective and profitable plans. Working closely with the supply base to ensure in store availability is maintained and managing performance within budget.

You'll utilise your analytical skills to deliver meaningful reports and cut through the information / detail in order to get to the real issue, whilst keeping abreast of market trends and competitor activity in a fast paced environment, to help identify new opportunities as well as changes to our existing offering. You'll need to engage and partner with other areas of the business including Operations, Business Development, Marketing and Finance teams to deliver the best results.

Who we're looking for
You'll be an experienced Buyers Assistant, Buying Administration Assistant or Assistant buyer within the Retail / FMCG markets. You will need to be confident and credible to have autonomy and buying accountability for your own categories.

We're looking for someone who is creative, but also commercial, with a head for figures, as this area is data-driven. You'll need to use your creative thought process on product, promotions and displays to keep us one step ahead of our competition. Knowledge of Profit & Loss and supplier management is essential as well as a strong numerical capability. You'll need to have an entrepreneurial mindset and be looking for a role that has the scope to develop and make a real impact. If you're analytical, calm and articulate, you could be the ideal fit.

What's in it for you?
You'll be at of the hub of an incredibly fast-moving function and you'll be trusted to make decisions that benefit the business. It's a serious responsibility - which will seriously motivate you. You'll thrive on the freedom and the chance to use your skills and will be supported with plenty of training and development opportunities. You'll also get to test out some incredibly fun product!

What's more, you can expect some fab rewards, including an achievable annual bonus, 24 days' holiday (and the option to buy more), a competitive pension, the perks of your birthday off and an early finish on Fridays, and lots more!