Beauty Buying Manager

Beauty Buying Manager

Job Introduction

What is the role?

As our Buying Manager, you will support the Director of Beauty Buying to manage our Beauty division. You'll be instrumental in driving the creative and commercial direction of the category - sourcing new brands and products, negotiating the best terms for Selfridges, and ensuring Selfridges remains at the forefront of the beauty industry. You will manage the performance of a defined buying area, leading a team and working cross-functionally to drive sales, optimise profitability, and enhance our unique product offer.

Key Responsibilities

1. Work with the Director of Beauty Buying to develop and implement the creative strategy for the Beauty division, focusing on short-term and long-term objectives.
2. Source new brands and products to ensure that Selfridges maintains a market-leading position, through knowledge and expertise of the product and market.
3. Negotiate the best possible commercial terms with suppliers, including margin, trade discounts, and marketing support.
4. Secure exclusive brand launches by developing compelling, commercially-led propositions that align with brand objectives and enhance Selfridges' point of difference.
5. Drive sales and profitability, ensuring all buying decisions are grounded in a sound commercial framework.
6. Work closely with the Merchandise team to plan and monitor the OTB, review in-season, and take necessary actions.
7. Lead range planning, working closely with the Merchandiser Manager and Buyers.
8. Manage existing brand performance through regular analysis, making informed decisions on continuity, exit strategies, or further investment.
9. Manage concessions through regular meetings with the concession manager and performance analysis, making recommendations to keep or discontinue within the business.
10. Ensure effective communication with retail operations teams, especially regarding new season launches and support plans.
11. Collaborate with Social Media, Marketing, PR, and Digital teams to support key brands, new, and exclusive product launches.
12. Work with Property to implement new concepts effectively, meeting commercial and creative requirements.
13. Coordinate with Retail Management and VM to optimize product placement for best performance.
14. Oversee the ordering process, ensuring compliance and supporting the admin team in resolving errors.
15. Lead, develop, and coach your team, embedding training, succession planning, and effective communication.
16. Partner with the legal team on contract negotiations and concession agreements.
17. Identify and implement new concepts, drive and present CAPEX proposals, and collaborate with the property team.
18. Support seasonal activities across the business.

Candidate Profile

You will be:

1. An experienced Buyer or above, ideally within a premium, luxury, or specialist retailer.
2. A strategic thinker, capable of identifying opportunities to differentiate and elevate the beauty offer.
3. Deeply knowledgeable about the beauty industry, with awareness of current and emerging trends globally and locally.
4. Proactive in sourcing new brands and concepts, passionate about innovation.
5. Commercially savvy, with a strong understanding of profitability and performance drivers.
6. Excellent in negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
7. An influential leader, capable of driving alignment and support across teams.
8. A collaborative leader who motivates and develops high-performing teams.
9. Passionate about delivering an exceptional customer experience through curated products and services.
10. Experienced in developing long-term category strategies aligned with business goals and brand values.
11. Confident in interpreting data, market insights, and performance metrics for strategic decisions.
12. Skilled in working cross-functionally with marketing, VM, e-commerce, and supply chain teams.
13. Adaptable and agile in a fast-paced environment.
14. A proven track record of sales growth and margin improvement in a luxury setting.
15. Capable of building strategic supplier relationships for long-term success.
16. Creative, solution-oriented, and innovative in tackling challenges.
17. Highly organized, forward-thinking, and able to translate strategy into action.
18. Flexible and willing to embrace new challenges.

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