Buying Manager

Cotton On Group; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Chadstone office in Melbourne

Geelong Support Centre access with in‑

Wellness centre & in-house restaurant

Employee discounts across Cotton On &/

24/7 Wellness support

Local & Global career growth

Dog-friendly office

Job summary

Cotton On Group is seeking an experienced Buying Manager to lead the Supre buying team on a 14-month maternity cover contract, focusing on fleece tops, jeans, shorts, active bottoms, skirts and pants. You will collaborate with the Head of Product to drive trend-driven ranges and shape future strategies.

You will guide supplier partnerships, implement flexible purchasing, and translate consumer insights into forward-looking ranges while ensuring on-time production and strong commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Buying or related field.
• Extensive Buying Manager experience in fashion/retail.
• Strong stakeholder influence and negotiations skills.
• Excellent communication and change-management ability.
• Advanced analytics and forecasting to drive sales.
• Well-developed planning and organizational skills.
• Proven leadership to develop and support the team.
• Experience applying customer insights to drive ranges.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for product ranges to align with commercial objectives.
• Lead and develop the Buying team and supplier partnerships.
• Collaborate with Head of Product and Brand teams to deliver cohesive ranges.
• Analyse trends and translate insights into actionable buying strategies.
• Collaborate with planners to align strategies and real-time forecasts.
• Ensure timely production and minimised lead times through effective purchasing.

Skills

Buying leadership

Negotiation

Stakeholder influence

Communication

Analytics & forecasting

Planning & organization

Team leadership

Fashion retail experience

Education

Degree in Buying/Related field

Job description

We are an Australian owned brand, driven by our people.

We're committed to creating inclusive and positive experiences where everyone is valued and inspired.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Buying Manager to join our Supre team on a 14 month maternity cover contract, specialising in Fleece Tops, Jeans, Shorts, Active Bottoms, Skirts & Pants. In this role, you will collaborate closely with the Head of Product to deliver cohesive, trend-driven ranges, guiding your team in developing key items that resonate with our customers.

You will play a pivotal role in conducting post-seasonal reviews to shape future range strategies and capitalise on growth opportunities. By leveraging a deep understanding of customer preferences, brand identity, and market trends, you will help strengthen and elevate our brand DNA.

This role involves setting strategic direction for product ranges to align with commercial objectives, while working cross-functionally with all Brand teams to ensure a standout product experience for our customers. You will also rapidly analyse emerging trends and translate them into actionable insights to influence the buying and purchasing strategy. This ensures the business stays ahead of competitors by quickly securing high-demand products and refining forward ranges based on consumer preferences.

As a leader, you will guide your Buying team in fostering effective supplier partnerships to ensure timely and efficient production processes. Additionally, you will develop and implement flexible purchasing strategies that enable the company to respond quickly to market shifts, ensuring products are sourced efficiently and lead times are minimised.

If you have strong expertise in Buying, particularly within similar female fashion brands, and is passionate about creating impactful products while leading a dynamic team, this could be your next career opportunity.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Qualification / degree in relevant field i.e. Buying
• Extensive experience in a similar Buying Manager role in retail or fashion within similar female fashion brands
• The ability to engage and influence senior business leaders and key stakeholders
• Proven high level of commercial negotiation skills
• Proven communication skills with the ability to drive and influence change through best practice and delivering results
• Proven experience in applying advanced analytical knowledge into driving sales. Work closely with planners to align strategies, ensure seamless execution, and optimise decision-making processes based on real-time data and forecasts
• Demonstrated high level organisation and planning skills
• Established leadership skills to develop and support the team to delivery brand strategy outcomes

BENEFITS

• Flexible working options & people-first leave initiatives
• State of the art office in Chadstone with 360 views of Melbourne.
• Access to our world-class Geelong Support Centre, with an in-house restaurant & state-of-the-art wellness centre featuring free gym & holistic health services
• 50% off our Brands | Cotton On, Cotton On Body, Cotton On Kids, Rubi Shoes, Typo, Factorie & Supre
• 24/7 Wellness support - mental health, relationships, family + more
• Local & Global career growth
• Discounts for you & your family – medical, travel, financial + more
• Performance & Peak incentives to reward + recognise our team
• Returnity - Paid program for new parents heading back to work
• Bring your dog to work
• Recognition, team connection moments & more!

Cotton On's purpose is to make a positive difference in people's lives. Born in Australia, Cotton On is a global fashion and lifestyle retailer with eight brands across 22 countries and 1,500 stores. Powered by 20,000 team members, who together with our customers, are making a positive impact through one life-changing Foundation. Taking their Aussie lifestyle to the world and delivering Good along the way, Cotton On brands offer youthful fashion and lifestyle products across women's, men's, kids, body, accessories and stationery.

We are proud of our diverse global workforce of 20,000 team members from countless nationalities, and we strongly welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply with us.

We are focused on bringing more voices, experiences and backgrounds to our workforce as we drive diverse and inclusive outcomes for our team and our customers.

If you have any individual needs in order to fully participate in the recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail] so we may support you in completing the job application process.