Jobs in London - Buyer (12 Month Maternity Cover Contract) • South West London

Company: Oliver Bonas

South West London

We are looking for a Buyer to join our Clothing team on a 12 month maternity cover contract.As a Buyer at OB you will work with our Senior Buyers and Head of Buying to help define and deliver the clothing buying strategy. This role requires a strong affinity with the OB brand and capability to push boundaries with our fashion collection. The position involves managing and developing the Clothing team while working collaboratively with Fashion Design, Merchandising, and the wider Fashion Buying team to ensure timely and seamless range delivery.Reporting in the Head of Buying, you will manage a team of 2.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 Buyer will:Take ownership of your department, working closely with both design and merchandising teams to drive both new developments and department sales.Set clear, achievable department strategy highlighting growth, decline, risk, and opportunity areasResearch and coordinate product ranges aligned with company vision and design direction, taking time to fully understand and immerse yourself in the product brand briefDeliver commercial clothing collections on time and within margin targetsCollaborate with Design team for unique and innovative collectionsWork with Merchandising Team on weekly trade analysisCoordinate new product range releases across stores and ecommerceManage product critical path and delivery timelinesApprove lap dips, bulk fabrics, trims, and printsOptimize department sales through product knowledge and business understandingConduct competitor analysis and maintain supplier relationshipsMonitor administrative systems and conduct warehouse/store visitsLead and develop the Clothing Buying teamConduct progress chats and set developmental targetsCollaborate with Garment Technologist on fit and quality standardsMaintain team motivation and critical path adherenceDevelop multi-product clothing ranges with designersAttend print meetings and fit sessionsWork with Merchandise team on commercial planningEnsure product quality and brand alignmentMaintain and develop supplier relationships, reviewing performance and strategySource new suppliers and manage existing partnershipsRepresent Fashion department in internal meetingsBonas Benefits:Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB productsFree access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional and vocational supportFlexible holiday – 33 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of serviceAnnual discretionary profit related bonus schemeFree membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private MedicalAuto-enrolment into our pension planFree access to our onsite gymCycle to work schemeRefer a Friend incentiveQuarterly free lunchEnhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leaveEquity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI teamMental Health First Aider supportEducation and support through 360L eLearning platformWhat we look for:Experience at Buyer level on clothing preferredLove for the OB brand and productMulti-product area experienceLeadership and team management experienceStrong communication and collaboration skillsAdaptable and self-motivatedUnderstanding of OB customerCreative with commercial awarenessPrint expertiseDeadline-oriented work styleProficient in Microsoft Office suiteEquity, Diversity & Inclusion at OBAt 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