Assistant Buyer

Jobtailor; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an Assistant Buyer with a keen eye for fashion and sports, to develop range frameworks, monitor market trends and maximise best sellers. You will build strong internal and external relationships, report to the Buyer, and collaborate with merchandising, marketing, and external partners including Nike.

You should have experience at Assistant Buyer level or be ready to progress, be highly organised, analytical, detail-oriented, and capable of making decisions under pressure

Qualifications

• Experience as an Assistant Buyer at this level or readiness to progress to this level.
• Trend awareness and enthusiasm for sports
• Methodical approach
• Strong communication skills
• Demonstrated initiative
• Strong eye for product
• Understanding of the current market and competition
• Excellent attention to detail
• Highly organised
• Ability to analyse performance and apply lessons learned to future range building
• Ability to anticipate potential team or trading challenges and minimise them
• Ability to build and maintain strong internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Ability to liaise with SMT and clearly articulate sign-offs and category performance
• Ability to identify how to maximise best sellers and minimise risk from worst sellers
• Ability to delegate, take the lead, and make decisions under pressure
• Ability to undertake required credit, CIFAS, Right to Work, and, where applicable, DBS checks

Responsibilities

• Select commercial range plans suited to Very customers
• Produce and present reports at trade meetings covering trends, forecasts, and opportunities
• Manage internal and external relationships to maximise commercial opportunities
• Manage day-to-day email relationships with supply chain
• Track competitor activity, market trends, and price positioning
• Maintain brand relationships in line with company values
• Deputise for the Buyer in key meetings
• Delegate, take the lead, and make decisions under pressure
• Formulate Range Frameworks and Brand Plans alongside merchandising functions
• Analyse performance and apply lessons learned to future range building
• Liaise with SMT and articulate sign-offs and category performance
• Identify actions to maximise best sellers and minimise worst‑seller risk
• Report directly to the Buyer and develop buying skills
• Work with the immediate team, wider Sports Category Team, Marketing Team, and Nike

Skills

Trend awareness

Strong communication skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder relationship management

Decision-making under pressure

Ability to delegate

Highly organised

Education

Right to Work Check

DBS Check

Job description

• Select commercial range plans suited to Very customers
• Produce and present reports at trade meetings covering trends, forecasts, and opportunities
• Manage internal and external relationships to maximise commercial opportunities
• Manage day-to-day email relationships with supply chain
• Track competitor activity, market trends, and price positioning
• Maintain brand relationships in line with company values
• Deputise for the Buyer in key meetings
• Delegate, take the lead, and make decisions under pressure
• Formulate Range Frameworks and Brand Plans alongside merchandising functions
• Analyse performance and apply lessons learned to future range building
• Liaise with SMT and articulate sign-offs and category performance
• Identify actions to maximise best sellers and minimise worst‑seller risk
• Report directly to the Buyer and develop buying skills
• Work with the immediate team, wider Sports Category Team, Marketing Team, and Nike

Requirements

• Experience as an Assistant Buyer at this level or readiness to progress to this level
• Trend awareness and enthusiasm for sports
• Methodical approach
• Strong communication skills
• Demonstrated initiative
• Strong eye for product
• Understanding of the current market and competition
• Excellent attention to detail
• Highly organised
• Ability to analyse performance and apply lessons learned to future range building
• Ability to anticipate potential team or trading challenges and minimise them
• Ability to build and maintain strong internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Ability to liaise with SMT and clearly articulate sign-offs and category performance
• Ability to identify how to maximise best sellers and minimise risk from worst sellers
• Ability to delegate, take the lead, and make decisions under pressure
• Ability to undertake required credit, CIFAS, Right to Work, and, where applicable, DBS checks

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong analytical skills to assess market trends and performance, while effectively managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Capable of formulating range frameworks and brand plans, with a keen eye for product and a methodical approach to decision‑making under pressure.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Assistant Buyer Experience
• Trend Awareness
• Strong Communication Skills
• Analytical Performance Assessment
• Stakeholder Relationship Management

Hard Skills

• Range Framework Formulation
• Brand Plan Development
• Market Trend Analysis
• Competitor Activity Tracking
• Performance Analysis

Soft Skills

• Strong Eye for Product
• Highly Organised
• Demonstrated Initiative
• Ability to Delegate
• Decision-Making Under Pressure

Certifications & Qualifications

• Right to Work Check
• DBS Check

Industry Keywords

• Commercial Range Plans
• Supply Chain Management
• Category Performance
• Best Seller Maximisation
• Worst Seller Minimisation