Senior Buyer (Bags, Maternity Cover Contract)

We are looking for a Senior Buyer on Bags to join Team OB in our Support Office on a maternity cover contract.

As a Senior Buyer at OB, you will be an experienced and accomplished Buyer with a proven buying track record. You will set the product area strategy in line with the overall department and company strategy and implement your plans to achieve this.

As the Senior Buyer, you will lead and manage your team, working collaboratively with the Merchandising and Design teams to deliver the very best product ranges that are on brand and commercial, whilst maximising sales and profit.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

A bit about us …

At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work.

Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do.

Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility.

More about the role …

An OB Senior Buyer will:

• Take ownership of your department, working closely with both design and merchandising teams to drive both new developments and department sales.

• Set out a clear and achievable department strategy highlighting areas of growth, decline, risk and opportunity

• Research and coordinate product ranges in accordance with the company vision and design direction, taking time to fully understand and immerse yourself in the product brand brief, coaching the team to develop their own ranges under your guidance

• Lead the weekly team trade meetings

• Suggest ways in which department sales can be maximised in store, using product knowledge and understanding of business processes to ensure recommendations are relevant and commercial at all times

• Conduct regular analysis of competitor activity through the completion of competitive shops and regular liaison with suppliers, focusing on reviewing the company’s price position and generating new product and range ideas

• Lead negotiations to achieve target margins with all suppliers

• Conduct regular visits to the stores, identifying opportunities and threats, and making recommendations for process improvements in support of business objectives (i.e. growth, profitability, efficiency, etc)

• Coach and develop through feedback, progress chats, and appraisals to ensure all team members have clear (and stretching) development goals and are delivering their best work

• Build a strong team and motivate them to collaborate and support each other to ensure effective communication

• Work with Head of Buying to set the strategy for your Product team

• Collaborate with the designer to develop a range of multi-product that is in line with the department strategy and is exciting and new for our customer

• Work with the Merchandise team to plan and trade a range of commercial and profitable products that still moves the brand forward

• Attend all fit sessions to ensure all product fits well, is flattering and commercial, whilst remaining true to its design

• Maintain good relationships with existing suppliers, regularly visiting existing suppliers overseas to develop new products and to seek new opportunities

• Work with the QC team to receive and analyse returns feedback and plan and advise how suppliers can improve

• Build strong relationships with our Founder and gain buy in for the direction and strategy of the department

Bonas Benefits:

• Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products

• Free access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Optima Health – offering financial, emotional and vocational support

• Flexible holiday – 33 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service

• Annual discretionary profit related bonus scheme

• Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical

• Auto-enrolment into our pension plan

• Free access to our onsite gym

• Cycle to work scheme

• Refer a Friend incentive

• Quarterly free lunch

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team

• Mental Health First Aider support

• Education and support through 360L eLearning platform

What we look for:

• Previous buying experience on a relevant product area

• Experience of managing a team

• Creative yet commercial eye

• Adaptable to change

• Love for the OB brand and product

• Multi-product area experience

• Leadership and team management experience

• Strong communication skills

• Adaptable and self-motivated

• Understanding of OB customer

• Creative with commercial awareness

• Print expertise

• Deadline-oriented work style

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB

At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included and most importantly, can be themselves at work.

It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role however we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities.

Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme.

To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: https://www.oliverbonas.com/meet-the-team/diversity