Senior Buyer - Apparel - 12 Month FTC

JD Sports Fashion; Bury; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discount

Personal development opportunities

Exposure to multi-brand acquisitions

Job summary

JD Sports Fashion plc in the UK is seeking a Senior Buyer - Apparel for a 12-month FTC. You will work with the Buying Director to shape forward strategy, mentor juniors, and oversee brand onboarding, negotiations, and stock decisions across seasons.

Role requires strong trend analysis, budgeting and market insight with cross-functional collaboration across merchandising and brand teams. Based in Bury, with UK-wide brand exposure.

Qualifications

• Experienced Buyer or senior buying role
• Experience in Sports Fashion buying is advantageous
• Experience in branded goods is essential
• Strong understanding of current and upcoming sports fashion trends at high street and premium level
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Word, Excel
• Organisational skills and ability to work independently
• Creative and trend-led mindset

Responsibilities

• Build forward strategy with Department Head and Buying Director
• Mentor junior buying team members
• Represent Buying on fascia and category discussions
• Attend product launches and trade shows
• Perform market analysis and store visits
• Analyze trade with merchandising to drive actions and meet KPI and margin targets
• Negotiate with vendors and onboard new brands
• Manage budgets and OTB for seasons and forward budgets
• Present ranges and department strategy in meetings
• Stock management with brands and merchandising team
• Collaborate cross-functionally to realise department strategy

Skills

Senior buying

Negotiation

Budget forecasting

Trend analysis

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

PowerPoint

Word

Excel

Job description

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world. JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally. We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Senior Buyer - Apparel - 12 Month FTC

Responsible to: Head of Buying/Buying Director

Department: Buying Location: JD Sports Fashion plc, Hollinsbrook way, Pilsworth, Bury, BL9 8RR

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Work with the Department Head and Buying Director to build forward strategy and ensure implementation.
• Development and mentorship of junior members of the buying team
• Representing the Buying function on relevant fascia and category (tbc)
• Attending all appointments, with involvement in selection, editing and curation of product
• Attending all product launches throughout the year as specified
• Attending all relevant trade shows
• Market analysis/store visits
• Analysis and review of trade with the merchandising department to propose and drive actions for the week/seasons ahead ensuring KPI’s and Margin targets are met.
• Vendor negotiation and New brand onboarding
• Being hyper vigilant on new brands opportunities and trends to diversify and drive department/category sales and ensure market relevancy
• Budget negotiation and planning within internal teams and external brands
• Negotiation with brands re distribution agreements
• Working independently in a creative and trend led environment
• Managing budgets and OTB on in seasons and forward budgets
• Present ranges and department strategy with department head to Buying Director and Merchandising Director.
• Preparation and presentation of performance in trade meetings
• Proposals to assist driving sales in your relevant department
• Stock management in conjunction with brands and merchandising team
• Cross functional collaboration to bring brands/departmental strategy to life.

Core Competencies:

• Extensive knowledge of our store base and website
• Confidence within own decisions and product selection. Comfortable in driving decisions on file and being accountable for all actions.
• Ability to act independently
• Extensive knowledge of product area and market
• Ability to look forward and predict trends both current and future
• Highly numerate and skilled within budget forecasting and planning
• Strong time management skills ensuring all business critical deadlines are met

Skills/Experience/Knowledge needed:

• Experienced Buyer or currently in a senior buying role
• Experience of buying Sports Fashion is advantageous
• Experience of buying branded goods is essential
• Strong understanding and knowledge of current and upcoming sports fashion trends at a high street and premium level price point.
• Be able to exercise a high degree of analytical and numerical skills
• Fully literate in Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Word, Excel
• Organisational skills are essential
• Be able to work under own initiative
• A creative and trend led individual

What we will offer you:

• Development linked to your role with the business
• An opportunity to work across multi-brands both UK and Internationally

We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work. Thank you for your time #JD We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work. Thank you for your time #JD