Buying Sample Assistant

Animal; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Holiday allowance

50% staff discount

Pension scheme

Job summary

Animal is seeking a Buying Sample Assistant to support the Buying team in London. The ideal candidate will maintain and organise product samples, ensuring accuracy and accessibility for meetings and photoshoots.

This full-time role requires strong attention to detail, excellent organisational skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Enjoy benefits such as a competitive salary, holiday allowance, and a generous staff discount.

Qualifications

• Experience in sample management, showroom operations, or a retail environment is desirable.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple sample priorities.
• High attention to detail to ensure samples are correctly handled.
• Comfortable with physical tasks such as unpacking deliveries.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and organise the sample cupboard and storage areas.
• Track all incoming and outgoing samples accurately.
• Prepare and label samples for internal meetings and fit sessions.
• Manage sample product tagging and documentation.
• Prepare samples for e-commerce photography.

Skills

Sample management

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Microsoft Excel

Team collaboration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Buying Sample Assistant

Department: Buying

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: London

Description

As a Buyers Sample Assistant, you will play a key role in supporting the Buying team by ensuring that all product samples are organised, tracked, and prepared for meetings, fit sessions, and photoshoots. You’ll be responsible for maintaining a well-managed sample area, coordinating the movement of samples within the business, and ensuring accuracy in sample documentation. Your attention to detail and excellent organisational skills will help ensure products are presented correctly and on time.

This role is 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) at our London, Victoria head office.

Key Responsibilities

Sample Management

• Maintain and organise the sample cupboard, rails, and storage areas, ensuring the space is tidy, clearly labelled, and regularly reviewed.
• Track all incoming and outgoing samples using internal systems and spreadsheets, ensuring samples are logged accurately and handled with care.
• Prepare and label samples for internal meetings, fit sessions, range reviews where necessary.
• Manage sample product tagging, ensuring all samples are correctly labelled and maintained to a high standard.
• Understand the difference between proto , fit sample , PP and Shipment sample and ensure the correct sample is used for the relevant meeting
• Take ownership of filing and maintaining accurate sample documentation and records.
• Organise and maintain all sample areas, including the sample cave, ensuring efficient storage and accessibility.
• Lead seasonal and ongoing clear-outs, including boxing up samples for sample sale or archive.

Photoshoots & Web

• Prepare samples for e-commerce photography.
• Oversee the intake of samples to the studio and coordinate their return to the relevant storage area.
• Work closely with the Studio teams to ensure shoot samples are clearly identified and easily accessible.
• Keep internal trackers up to date with sample movement to ensure that the wider team has visibility on where samples are

Fit Sessions

• Prepare samples for fit sessions, adding samples that need to be fitted to a rail for the team to review.
• After fit sessions, ensure samples are returned, repackaged, or stored as appropriate.

Admin & Organisation

• Manage incoming post and sample deliveries, ensuring timely distribution to the relevant team members.
• Support the buying team with day-to-day sample-related administrative tasks such as pulling samples for ad hoc meetings, diarised meetings, and samples needed for approvals.
• Prepare samples for meetings, ensuring all production samples needed are ready in the office prior to the relevant range review. in line with the buyer’s direction of order.

We would like to meet someone who is

• Experience in sample management, showroom operations, or a retail environment is desirable.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple sample priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail to ensure samples are always correctly handled, labelled, and presented.
• Confident using Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Comfortable with physical tasks such as unpacking deliveries, hanging samples, and maintaining storage areas.
• Proactive and hands-on, with a can-do attitude and willingness to support across the team.
• Calm and efficient when working under pressure or to tight deadlines.
• A collaborative team player who contributes positively to group goals while also demonstrating the ability to take ownership of individual tasks and work independently.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Holiday allowance
• 50% staff discount & 25% for family and friends
• Pension scheme