Senior Buyer - Lingerie

Sainsbury's; Coventry; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount 10%

Employee discount 15%

Pensions

Life cover

Performance bonus up to 20% of salary

Private healthcare

Cycle to work

Season ticket loans

Job summary

Sainsbury's in the United Kingdom is seeking a Senior Buyer for Lingerie on a 12-month fixed-term contract. You will lead end-to-end strategy, translate category priorities into compelling product propositions and work with Design, Merchandising and Trading to drive availability, margin and customer satisfaction.

You will own range architecture, guide sourcing routes, coach Buyers, and build strong supplier partnerships while balancing creativity with commercial targets across channels.

Qualifications

• Proven senior-level buying experience with accountability for category strategy and financial performance.
• Strong commercial, analytical and data-driven capability using insight to shape buying and trading decisions.
• Experience building and delivering customer-focused ranges within the lingerie product area.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience developing strategic supplier partnerships.
• Ability to operate confidently at pace, making timely, well-informed commercial decisions.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing others.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills across functions.
• Passion for product and customer experience balanced with commercial discipline.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the category strategy for Lingerie, owning range architecture, selection, sourcing routes and in-season trading performance across all channels.
• Lead sourcing, buying and trading strategies that balance creativity, commerciality and pace to market.
• Own financial performance, proactive trade management and clear decision-making to optimise sales, margin and stock outcomes.
• Build strong, strategic supplier partnerships with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing and Digital teams.
• Lead, coach and develop Buyers and Assistant Buyers to build capability and drive high performance within the team.

Skills

Senior-level buying

Commercial analytics

Lingerie category expertise

Negotiation skills

People leadership

Cross-functional influence

Customer-focused mindset

Strategic supplier management

Job description

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Here, everything in our stores starts in Sainsbury’s Commercial. From product, proposition, packaging and price, to whether it meets our sustainability commitments or simply tastes great, our team is responsible for, all food, non- food and Clothing items available in Sainsbury’s stores, online and on demand. It’s an incredibly fast-paced environment. People here are in it together and aren’t afraid to take risks. The knowledge and experience you gain here could set you up for career moves anywhere else in the business. So, if you’re passionate about your products and just as hungry to learn, you’ll fit in perfectly.

Senior Buyer Lingerie - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

As a Senior Buyer within Lingerie, you’ll lead the end‑to‑end commercial and product strategy for a key growth category within TU Clothing. You’ll translate category strategy into a compelling, customer‑led product proposition, ensuring ranges are relevant, profitable and aligned to brand and business objectives.

This is a senior buying role with accountability for shaping and delivering ranges at scale, driving performance across sales, margin, stock, availability and customer satisfaction. Working in close partnership with Design and Merchandising, you’ll lead sourcing, buying and trading strategies that balance creativity, commerciality and pace to market.

What You’ll Do

You’ll define and deliver the category strategy for Lingerie, owning range architecture, selection, sourcing routes and in‑season trading performance across all channels. Using strong customer, market and data insight, you’ll lead the development of engaging, age‑appropriate and commercially sound product propositions that resonate with customers and deliver strong performance.

The role includes ownership of financial performance, proactive trade management and clear decision‑making to optimise sales, margin and stock outcomes. You’ll build strong, strategic supplier partnerships to drive quality, innovation and value, while working closely with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing and Digital teams to ensure end‑to‑end execution. Alongside delivery, you’ll lead, coach and develop Buyers and Assistant Buyers, building capability, protecting talent and driving high performance within the team.

Who You Are

You’re a commercially strong buying leader with experience operating at pace in a fast‑moving, customer‑focused retail environment. You combine strong analytical capability with sound judgement and bring a clear understanding of customer needs, particularly within lingerie. You’re collaborative, resilient and confident influencing across functions while developing and motivating high‑performing teams.

To be considered for this role, you must have demonstrable end‑to‑end buying experience at a senior level, with clear accountability for category strategy, trading performance and people leadership within a commercial retail environment.

Essential Criteria

• Proven senior‑level buying experience, with accountability for category strategy and financial performance
• Strong commercial, analytical and data‑driven capability, using insight to shape buying and trading decisions
• Experience building and delivering customer‑focused ranges, within the lingerie product area
• Strong negotiation skills and experience developing strategic supplier partnerships
• Ability to operate confidently at pace, making timely, well‑informed commercial decisions
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing others
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across functions
• Passion for product and customer experience, balanced with commercial discipline

Commercial

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:

• Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance‑related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
• Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).