Buyer (12 Month Maternity Cover Contract)

Oliver Bonas Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Part time

Job summary

A fashion retail company is seeking a Buyer to manage the Clothing team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. The role involves defining the clothing buying strategy, collaborating with design and merchandising teams, and leading a team of 2. Ideal candidates should have buyer-level experience in clothing, a love for the brand, and strong leadership skills. This position offers hybrid working with generous benefits including employee discounts, flexible holidays, and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Generous employee discount up to 50% off

Flexible holiday – 33 days

Annual discretionary bonus scheme

Free access to onsite gym

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience at Buyer level on clothing preferred.
• Multi-product area experience.
• Understanding of OB customer is essential.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of department strategy and sales.
• Collaborate with Design team for unique collections.
• Manage product critical paths and delivery timelines.

Skills

Leadership and team management experience

Strong communication and collaboration skills

Creative with commercial awareness

Print expertise

Deadline-oriented work style

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

Job description

We are looking for a Buyer to join our Clothing team on a 12 month maternity cover contract.

As a Buyer at OB you will work with our Senior Buyers and Head of Buying to help define and deliver the clothing buying strategy. This role requires a strong affinity with the OB brand and capability to push boundaries with our fashion collection. The position involves managing and developing the Clothing team while working collaboratively with Fashion Design, Merchandising, and the wider Fashion Buying team to ensure timely and seamless range delivery.

Reporting in the Head of Buying, you will manage a team of 2.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

A bit about us …

At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work.

Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do.

Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility.

More about the role …

An OB Buyer will:

• Take ownership of your department, working closely with both design and merchandising teams to drive both new developments and department sales.
• Set clear, achievable department strategy highlighting growth, decline, risk, and opportunity areas
• Research and coordinate product ranges aligned with company vision and design direction, taking time to fully understand and immerse yourself in the product brand brief
• Deliver commercial clothing collections on time and within margin targets
• Collaborate with Design team for unique and innovative collections
• Work with Merchandising Team on weekly trade analysis
• Coordinate new product range releases across stores and ecommerce
• Manage product critical path and delivery timelines
• Approve lap dips, bulk fabrics, trims, and prints
• Optimize department sales through product knowledge and business understanding
• Conduct competitor analysis and maintain supplier relationships
• Monitor administrative systems and conduct warehouse/store visits
• Lead and develop the Clothing Buying team
• Conduct progress chats and set developmental targets
• Collaborate with Garment Technologist on fit and quality standards
• Maintain team motivation and critical path adherence
• Develop multi-product clothing ranges with designers
• Attend print meetings and fit sessions
• Work with Merchandise team on commercial planning
• Ensure product quality and brand alignment
• Maintain and develop supplier relationships, reviewing performance and strategy
• Source new suppliers and manage existing partnerships
• Represent Fashion department in internal meetings

Bonas Benefits:

• Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products
• Free access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional and vocational support
• Flexible holiday – 33 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service
• Annual discretionary profit related bonus scheme
• Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical
• Auto-enrolment into our pension plan
• Free access to our onsite gym
• Cycle to work scheme
• Refer a Friend incentive
• Quarterly free lunch
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team
• Mental Health First Aider support
• Education and support through 360L eLearning platform

What we look for:

• Experience at Buyer level on clothing preferred
• Love for the OB brand and product
• Multi-product area experience
• Leadership and team management experience
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Adaptable and self-motivated
• Understanding of OB customer
• Creative with commercial awareness
• Print expertise
• Deadline-oriented work style
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB

At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included and most importantly, can be themselves at work.

It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role however we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities.

Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme.

To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: https://www.oliverbonas.com/meet-the-team/diversity