Buying Assistant

TAILORED ATHLETE; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports apparel company based in Leicester is seeking a Buying Assistant to support the Buying team in administrative tasks and product management. This hybrid role requires on-site attendance 3-4 days a week. Ideal candidates will have experience in fashion buying or a related degree. Responsibilities include overseeing sample management, contributing in meetings, and building relationships with suppliers. The role offers competitive salary and opportunities for growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Bonuses

Flexible working opportunities

Diverse and inclusive work culture

Qualifications

• Experience as a Buying Assistant or related role.
• Proven ability to deliver results within targets.
• Strong collaboration with design and merchandising teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to the Buying team.
• Manage product samples from development to sign-off.
• Input updates in weekly critical path meetings.

Skills

Passion for fashion industry

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Commercial awareness

Tech-savvy (Google Sheets, Microsoft Office)

Education

Degree in Fashion Buying or Merchandising

Job description

Role Summary

To provide support to the Buying team in all areas of administration, including critical path and sample management, helping and supporting the product team in the development and delivery of our product range.

This UK based role is hybrid with in‑person office attendance required between 3–4 days per week in Leicester. We offer a competitive salary, with bonuses and benefits. You have the autonomy to develop and expand within the role.

About Tailored Athlete

Remember the feeling of a new pair of football boots? Your first tennis racket? Your favourite gym shorts? And how it made you feel like you were going to perform better than you ever have… That’s the feeling we replicate in every one of our products here at Tailored Athlete. As a team and a company we are here to unlock the full potential of athletes to become the best version of themselves.

What you will be doing

• Keep the engine running by delivering day‑to‑day administrative support across the product team, ensuring information is accurate, organised and accessible.
• Take ownership of samples from development through to sign‑off – from logging dates and approvals to managing lab dips, bulk fabrics, print strike‑offs and trim approvals.
• Manage all photography samples for marketing, ensuring products are prepared, organised and ready for shoot schedules.
• Chase outstanding samples weekly, proactively communicating issues or delays and keeping stakeholders informed.
• Input into weekly critical path meetings, contributing updates that help keep launches on track.
• Support weekly and monthly trade reviews, building your analytical skills by understanding performance, trends and customer behaviour.
• Present best and worst sellers weekly to the team, helping influence decisions quickly and commercially.
• Assist preparation for range reviews, including layout, samples and material swatches to support effective decision making.
• Lead on organisation of seasonal development files, building and maintaining OneDrive folders and cost sheets with accurate product information.
• Help maintain the range plan so the team always has a real‑time view of product status, costs and key information.
• Support preparation for strategic meetings such as Autopsy, Base Plan, Strategy and Selection, including presenting best and worst sellers.
• Assist with ad‑hoc admin tasks to support wider product team priorities and seasonal deadlines.
• Learn and assist with price negotiations and margin targets, building foundational commercial skills that will support your career progression.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers, driving communication and follow‑ups to keep development moving.
• Stay on top of product knowledge and continuously improve your understanding of fabrics, trims, fit and quality.
• Understand the Tailored Athlete customer, ensuring product decisions reflect their needs, lifestyle and preferences.
• Research competitors through regular market visits, keeping a pulse on trends, retail shifts and opportunities.
• Complete monthly competitor price benchmarking, sharing insights and recommendations back to the team.

Who you are

You might be a graduate with a fashion buying or merchandising degree, a freelancer looking for a more permanent role, or someone keen to dive into working at a startup.

• Previous experience working as a Buying Assistant or a graduate with a Fashion Buying / Merchandising degree.
• Hard‑working with strong passion and enthusiasm for the fashion industry and product.
• Strong product development and range planning experience.
• Proven track record of delivering results to target and margin improvements.
• Experienced working closely with design, merchandising and supplies.
• Experience working with a global supply base.
• Excellent attention to detail, consistently exceeding results through the setting of high standards.
• Great organisational skills and a methodical approach.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Flexible to suit the needs of the business.
• Capable with tech such as Google Sheets and Microsoft Office.
• Team player.
• Self‑motivated with the ability to work under pressure.
• A self‑starter who enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment and taking the initiative.

You must live within a reasonable distance of Leicester as in‑person attendance is required 3–4 days per week.

You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. We are committed to creating a safe, diverse, inclusive and empowering culture at Tailored Athlete, free from discrimination. It is our responsibility to ensure employee wellbeing and diversity is celebrated, embraced and at the forefront of our culture.

If you have any questions or would like a casual conversation about the role, please email [e-mail].