Senior Buyer (FTC Maternity Cover)

The Works Stores Ltd; Coleshill CP; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25% Colleague Discount

MyWorks discounts

Family Friendly Leave

Holiday 33 days

Holiday Purchase

Can-Do Academy

Stream wage access

Share Scheme

Employee Assistance Program

Healthcare Cash Plan

Long Service Awards

Pension

Cycle to Work

Charity giving

Job summary

The Works Stores Ltd in Coleshill is seeking a Senior Buyer to own a large product group and lead the full buying cycle within our Commercial team. You will drive range strategy, negotiate with suppliers, and ensure ethical compliance while collaborating with creative, marketing, and store teams.

As a senior buyer, you will influence product direction, manage budgets, and coach junior colleagues in a fast-paced, Can-do environment. Hybrid role with 1–2 days at our Support Centre in Coleshill.

Qualifications

• Experience in buying across own label and branded products.
• Strong range-building and product selection capabilities.
• Ability to manage budgets, timelines and supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Strategy: define range, sources, and market edge; test ideas based on data.
• NPD Briefing: identify new trends; work with Creative teams for artworks.
• Selection: balance private label and branded products; manage product lifecycle.
• Critical Path Management: monitor trackers and flag risks.
• Trade: narrate performance variances with the Senior Merchandiser; adjust plans.
• Supplier and QA Collaboration: ensure ethics and compliance.
• Trackers and Analysis: keep Sales, Sell-through, and KPI trackers updated.
• Negotiation: secure terms and funding with suppliers.
• Internal Communications: produce packs and presentations.
• Coaching and Development: mentor junior team members.
• Leadership: guide product area with stakeholders through buying process.
• Board Presentations: prepare sign-off materials.
• Additional Responsibilities: set budgets; strategic sourcing; store and web reviews.

Skills

Product Development

Attention to Detail

Colleague-Focused Approach

Influence & Challenge

Initiative & Passion

Teamwork & Collaboration

Networking & Relationships

Negotiation Skills

Self-Starter

Microsoft Skills

Job description

Location

Hybrid: 1-2 days at our Support Centre in Coleshill, Birmingham.

Why The Works?

We don’t just sell products.

We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

We The Works. It literally means everything. And whatever your story or background, we’re all about unlocking imagination and making creativity accessible to everyone. Whether you’re engaging with customers on the frontline or supporting our colleagues behind the scenes, your impact can be profound and far-reaching.

This is more than toys and books and art supplies. This is about inspiring people to read, learn, create and play. So, with the right passion, it all starts with you.

Become a Senior Buyer

As one of our Senior Buyers, you’ll have the exciting responsibility of managing a large product group, owning the entire buying cycle from start finish. As a key player in our vibrant Commercial team, leading the way and making a real impact will be your second nature as you contribute to our Caring, Crafty, and Can-do culture. As an experience Buying professional with a proven track record of success in a similar sector or category, your passion for making impactful decisions will allow for you to drive value and lead with creativity and joy!

Your Mission

• Strategy, determine what should be in the range and why, identifying the best sources and driving a competitive edge in the market. Test and trial new ideas for future growth based on market data.
• NPD Briefing, identify new product trends that offer something unique to our customers. Work with Creative teams to deliver in line with our internal trends and create unique artworks for our ranges.
• Selection, demonstrate excellent range-building skills, articulate product selection, balance private label and branded products, and manage product exists with a clear change plan. Understand the cost of change and ensure payback for newness.
• Critical Path Management, review development trackers and flag any risks to BM & MM.
• Trade, with the Senior Merchandiser, articulate a clear narrative on performance and any variances to plan, including build-back opportunities. React to sales trend and take appropriate action to maximise sales and opportunities, and seasonal space. Manage markdowns and contribute in WSSI meetings to manage budget and OTB. Work with marketing to support all activities and drive agreed key products.
• Supplier and QA Collaboration, ensure product specifications are met with ethical compliance.
• Trackers and Analysis, keep all trackers up to date (Sales, Sell-through, KVI) and suggest actions based on findings to BM.
• Negotiation, negotiate trading terms and funding support with suppliers. Secure ad-hoc funding when needed.
• Internal Communications, collate and produce internal communications and presentations/sign-off packs.
• Coaching and Development, coach and develop junior team members, embodying what good looks like as a Senior Buyer
• Influencing Skills, understand your impact on others and develop your influencing skills accordingly.
• Leadership, lead your product area with all internal stakeholders, guiding them through the full buying process and ensuring they have the information they need at each stage.
• Board Presentations, present the Board members for their sign-off, consistently completing all required sign-off packs.
• Additional Responsibilities, set budgets, engage in strategic sourcing, provide challenging feedback when necessary, and conduct store and web reviews, including working with a ‘buddy’ AM to understand operational issues.

Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• Product Development: Sourcing experience across own label and brands/licenses.
• Attention to Detail: You have a forensic attention to detail to help us get things right the first time passionate and able to analyse data. Highly organised decision maker.
• Colleague-Focused Approach: You prioritise making things easier for our colleagues, clearly explaining the why, how, what, and when.
• Influence and Challenge: You can influence and constructively challenge when necessary to ensure we do the right thing.
• Initiative and Passionate: You use your initiative and have the energy and passion to make things happen. Problem solving and innovative thinking.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: You believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration as the best way to achieve results.
• Networking and Relationships: You understand the importance of networking and building strong relationships and stakeholder management.
• Negotiation Skills: Hone and flex style of approach.
• Self-Starter: Committed to driving your own development, emotionally resilient and calm under pressure.
• Microsoft Skills: Intermediate to Advanced.

Our PERKS really are ‘The Works’

• 25% Colleague Discount! - Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more
• Family Friendly Leave - Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Holiday - 33 days including bank holidays.
• Holiday Purchase - Purchase an additional 5 days
• Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• Stream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them - for when ‘life’ happens!
• Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs
• And loads more! – Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

Our Values

We are Crafty | Smart with what we've got.

We are Caring | Heart in every action.

We are Can-do | Energy that gets it done.

We Listen. We Care

Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. And, where possible, we'll try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview you might attend with us, let us know in your application and we’ll be happy to help!

The Works is the UK's leading specialist retailer of affordable, screen-free activities for the whole family, providing customers with fantastic value across four product categories: arts and crafts, stationery, toys and games, and books.

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play. Because when people spend time doing what they love, it’s Time Well Spent.

And with the right passion - It All Starts With You.