Buyer - Men's Tailoring

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS); City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent procurement organization in London seeks a skilled Buyer for Men's Tailoring. The role involves managing supplier relationships, making strategic sourcing decisions, and ensuring product range success. Candidates should have extensive experience in fashion buying and robust negotiation skills. This position offers a hybrid working model, requiring three days in the office, with a competitive salary range of £54,500 to £84,400.

Qualifications

• Experience dealing with large/global brands.
• Collaborative approach is essential.
• Experience in Men's Tailoring is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage supplier relationships and ensure adherence to standards.
• Accountable for the commercial success of the product range.
• Make decisions on product assortment, sourcing, and pricing.

Skills

Proven experience in buying own brand and branded roles in fashion

Strong negotiation skills and stakeholder management

Highly numerate with strong analytical skills

Commercial experience trading in a fast-paced, reactive environment

Collaborative approach across teams

Experience in fabric sourcing and product development

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

We have a great opportunity to join our Buying team as Buyer of Men's Tailoring. As a Buyer in this area you will be a highly motivated, experienced individual who uses their expert knowledge to plan and buy the best ranges for our customer within your category.

Your remit will be to deliver agreed KPIs including sales, profit, stock, margin and achieving required customer metrics and hit rates. You will be buying an assortment of high strategic importance and complexity within your category's commercial product assortment that optimises market trends and creates a competitive advantage.

You will be an experienced negotiator adept at independently managing brand supplier relationships. Working with your Merchandiser, you will analyse commercial input and market data from all channels to develop a category assortment that appeals to the John Lewis & Partners customer base. You will work collaboratively with all relevant specialist functions such as Marketing, Online and Store Design to deliver a compelling brand portfolio.

• Full Salary Range – £54,500 – £84,400
• Expected Salary – up to £58,000 depending on experience.
• Contract type – Permanent contract.
• Working pattern/flexible working – Hybrid; minimum 3 days per week in the office.
• Location – Pimlico, London Office.
• Next Steps – Assessments virtually via Google Meet W/C 20th October.

Key responsibilities

• Work at pace and agility within a collaborative environment with your Buying Manager, Head of Buying, Trade Planning, Trading & Product Operations team, Design and Product Technology; hold strong relationships with external suppliers, brands and teams.
• Accountable for the commercial success of a product range as defined and agreed with your Buying Manager.
• Maintain up‑to‑date expert market knowledge, predict future market dynamics.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring adherence to required standards and terms.
• Make decisions on the product assortment: development, sourcing, brand positioning, price structure and margins in line with category and customer strategy.
• Collaborate with merchandising to make season trading, volume decisions and manage commercial terms and product lifecycle with suppliers.
• Deputise for your Buying Manager when appropriate.

Essential skills / experience

• Proven experience in buying own brand and branded roles in fashion.
• Experience dealing with large/global brands.
• Strong negotiation skills and stakeholder management.
• Highly numerate with strong analytical skills.
• Commercial experience trading in a fast‑paced, reactive environment.
• Collaborative approach across teams.
• Experience in fabric sourcing and product development.

Desirable skills / experience

• Previous experience in Men's Tailoring.

Closing Date

October 15, 2025

Pay

£54,500.00 – £84,100.00 Annual

Contract Type

Permanent

Hours of Work

35 hours

Job Level

Partnership Level 6

Where You'll Be Working

London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, SW1V 2QQ

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We're the largest employee‑owned business in the UK and the home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. As Partners, we share responsibility for ownership and success, working collaboratively across all functions, fostering an inclusive and thriving culture.

Important points to note

• Roles may require pre‑employment vetting, including DBS checks for successful candidates.
• Vetting will be carried out by a third‑party registered body; financial probity checks may also be required.
• Vacancies can close early if we receive a high number of applicants.
• We support flexible working, including compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts where possible.
• Discussion about flexible working arrangements should take place with the hiring manager during the interview.