Assistant Buyer (Furniture)

Mamas & Papas Limited; Huddersfield; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days holiday increasing with length

Buy & Sell holiday schemes

Company Bonus Schemes

Pension contribution from day 1

Staff discounts for family & friends

Benefits Hub discounts

Family-related leave policies

Employee Recognition

Job summary

Mamas & Papas Limited is seeking an Assistant Buyer to support the Buyer in developing and managing the Nursery Furniture category across stores, ecommerce and wholesale channels. You'll collaborate with internal teams and suppliers to drive growth and successful product launches.

This role offers exposure to product development, commercial analysis and supplier management, with a focus on accurate specs, supplier negotiations and on-time launches.

Qualifications

• Previous experience within a Buying, Assistant Buying or commercial product role.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong analytical skills and commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint capability.
• Ideally, experience within furniture, nursery, homeware or consumer products.
• Understanding of product development and sourcing processes desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of nursery furniture collections from initial concept through to customer launch.
• Assist with product briefs, development samples and product approvals.
• Coordinate sample reviews ensuring all feedback is communicated clearly to suppliers.
• Maintain accurate product specifications, dimensions, material details and finish information.
• Work closely with Design and Technologist teams to ensure products meet brand, safety and customer requirements.
• Support the management of colourways, finishes and product variations across furniture ranges.
• Assist with competitor reviews, market research and trend analysis.
• Analyse weekly sales, margin, intake and stock performance to identify risks and opportunities.
• Produce regular trading reports and performance summaries.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, promotions and market developments.
• Support recommendations for range reviews, markdown activity and promotional opportunities.
• Review customer feedback and product reviews to identify product improvement opportunities.
• Build strong working relationships with supplier partners and factories.
• Support cost negotiations and commercial discussions.
• Track supplier performance against agreed timelines and quality standards.
• Coordinate supplier communications relating to product development, samples and launches.
• Assist in identifying opportunities for cost savings and product enhancements.
• Maintain critical paths to ensure products launch on time.
• Coordinate product launches across multiple functions.
• Support the successful launch of furniture collections across all customer touchpoints.
• Work with Ecommerce teams to ensure product descriptions, imagery and specifications are accurate.
• Support creation of launch materials for stores, online and wholesale customers.
• Collaborate with Retail teams to optimise displays and customer experience.

Skills

Organisational skills

Administrative skills

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Communication & stakeholder management

Product development understanding

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Role Purpose The Assistant Buyer will support the Buyer in the development, trading and management of the Nursery Furniture category across retail stores, ecommerce and wholesale channels. Working closely with internal teams and supplier partners, the role will help deliver category growth through new product development, commercial analysis, supplier management and successful product launches.

This role offers an opportunity to develop strong commercial, product and project management skills while playing a key part in shaping the future Nursery Furniture proposition at Mamas & Papas.

Role & Responsibilities

• Support the development of nursery furniture collections from initial concept through to customer launch.
• Assist with product briefs, development samples and product approvals.
• Coordinate sample reviews ensuring all feedback is communicated clearly to suppliers.
• Maintain accurate product specifications, dimensions, material details and finish information.
• Work closely with Design and Technologist teams to ensure products meet brand, safety and customer requirements.
• Support the management of colourways, finishes and product variations across furniture ranges.
• Assist with competitor reviews, market research and trend analysis.

Commercial & Trading Performance

• Analyse weekly sales, margin, intake and stock performance to identify risks and opportunities.
• Produce regular trading reports and performance summaries.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, promotions and market developments.
• Support recommendations for range reviews, markdown activity and promotional opportunities.
• Review customer feedback and product reviews to identify product improvement opportunities.

Supplier Management

• Build strong working relationships with supplier partners and factories.
• Support cost negotiations and commercial discussions.
• Track supplier performance against agreed timelines and quality standards.
• Coordinate supplier communications relating to product development, samples and launches.
• Assist in identifying opportunities for cost savings and product enhancements.
• Maintain critical paths to ensure products launch on time.
• Coordinate product launches across multiple functions.

Customer & Channel Execution

• Support the successful launch of furniture collections across all customer touchpoints.
• Work with Ecommerce teams to ensure product descriptions, imagery and specifications are accurate.
• Support creation of launch materials for stores, online and wholesale customers.
• Collaborate with Retail teams to optimise displays and customer experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Previous experience within a Buying, Assistant Buying or commercial product role.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong analytical skills and commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint capability.
• Ideally, experience within furniture, nursery, homeware or consumer products.
• Understanding of product development and sourcing processes desirable.

We're a business that cares. Here's just some of our benefits on offer;

• 33 days holiday, increasing up to 40 with service.
• Buy & Sell holiday schemes
• Company Bonus Schemes
• Employer pension contribution from day 1 enrolment.
• Significant staff discounts for family & friends from our shops & online
• Ongoing offers & discounts across a variety of external organisations, from holidays, travel, restaurants, gifts & services to many more worthy discounts through our Benefits Hub
• Supportive family related leave policies (including company enhanced pay for maternity, IVF & Fertility, surrogacy, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave)
• Employee Recognition and Appreciation Schemes

At Mamas & Papas, we’re a business for the future. Every day, we help to welcome a new generation of children into the world, and we want them to grow up in a world that’s sustainable – one that’s full of opportunity and hope.

...Oh, and a great bunch of people to work with too.

We also operate at Head Office:

• Hybrid flexi office working with 2 days working from home
• Flexi-time schemes based around core working hours whether in the office, or working from home(NB*: All benefits subject to individual schemes criteria & terms)