Assistant Buyer - Cosmetics - 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Tesco; Digswell; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Tesco Cosmetics is seeking an Assistant Buyer on a maternity cover contract (12-14 months) to drive range strategy and trading plans. You will partner with global brands and manage third-party distributors to optimise assortment, promotions and commercial outcomes.

The role emphasizes collaboration with cross-functional teams and data-driven decision making. The position offers hybrid working arrangements, with a mix of office and remote work.

Qualifications

• Experience in buying, range management and trade planning, with the ability to support commercial decision-making.
• Strong report preparation, data analysis and Microsoft Excel skills.
• Proven influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience managing supplier relationships and driving collaborative outcomes.
• Knowledge of buying, range management and trade planning processes across a commercial environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of the end-to-end P&L for Home Fragrance, contributing to key KPIs including sales, profit, volume, and market share.
• Identify Buy for Less opportunities and support supplier negotiations to help deliver sustainable savings and improved commercial outcomes.
• Build and execute the trade and promotional plan, ensuring strong delivery and performance across the category.
• Support the development and execution of the category strategy, contributing to clear plans that drive growth and competitiveness across channels.
• Help manage and optimise the product range, supporting new product development, innovation and range changes to meet customer trends and commercial targets.
• Build effective day-to-day supplier relationships, supporting the delivery of Buy, Move, Grow plans to unlock value.
• Use data and insights to support performance analysis, identify opportunities and inform decision-making within the category.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth execution of launches, promotions and category initiatives.
• Monitor competitor activity and market trends, providing insights to support forward planning and maintain a strong category position.
• Adhering to all Tesco policies, storage and handover protocols and successfully completing all your training so that you have zero GSCOP breaches. Ensuring all agreements are recorded in writing, reporting GSCOP complaints to Legal within 48 hours of receipt.
• Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence.

Skills

Buying & range mgmt

Data analysis

Negotiation & influence

Stakeholder mgmt

Commercial processes

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

As Assistant Buyer Cosmetics, you are fully accountable for range and trade strategy. Key success in this job will be sourcing the next great Cosmetics brand to launch in Tesco. Day to day, you partner with global brands such as L’Oreal, Max Factor, Rimmel, Maybelline. Working closely with the Buying Manager, you’ll help drive sales, profit and market share by building winning plans with your supplier partners and executing them seamlessly. Unlike other areas of the store, cosmetics is distributed and merchandised by 3rd party companies, which you will be accountable for managing and collaborating with to reduce waste, and shrink.

This role is a maternity cover, with an expected duration of 12-14 months.

• Support the delivery of the end-to-end P&L for Home Fragrance, contributing to key KPIs including sales, profit, volume, and market share.
• Identify Buy for Less opportunities and support supplier negotiations to help deliver sustainable savings and improved commercial outcomes.
• Build and execute the trade and promotional plan, ensuring strong delivery and performance across the category.
• Support the development and execution of the category strategy, contributing to clear plans that drive growth and competitiveness across channels.
• Help manage and optimise the product range, supporting new product development, innovation and range changes to meet customer trends and commercial targets.
• Build effective day-to-day supplier relationships, supporting the delivery of Buy, Move, Grow plans to unlock value.
• Use data and insights to support performance analysis, identify opportunities and inform decision-making within the category.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth execution of launches, promotions and category initiatives.
• Monitor competitor activity and market trends, providing insights to support forward planning and maintain a strong category position.
• Adhering to all Tesco policies, storage and handover protocols and successfully completing all your training so that you have zero GSCOP breaches. Ensuring all agreements are recorded in writing, reporting GSCOP complaints to Legal within 48 hours of receipt.
• Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence.

• Experience in buying, range management and trade planning, with the ability to support commercial decision-making.
• Strong report preparation, data analysis and Microsoft Excel skills.
• Proven influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience managing supplier relationships and driving collaborative outcomes.
• Knowledge of buying, range management and trade planning processes across a commercial environment.

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we’re all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone’s welcome. That’s why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.

When you join us in this role, you'll be employed by Tesco Stores Limited, the Tesco legal entity responsible for your employment.