Buyer, Retail

Are you a lover of allthings outdoors, passionate about product, super motivated and have a strong career history in Apparel Buying?

Does working for a Brandlike ours excite you? If so, becoming part of the Saltrock familyandbeing based in North Devon could be part of your next adventure!

For over 30 years,Saltrock; a British, coastal, lifestyle brand, has had holiday, family, spirtand fun at its heart. Our inspiration flows from land and sea, waves and coastline. Designed in the South West since 1988 we have grown into a loved

Devon brand known for its iconic print designs.

The role of the Buyer is to Formulate and implement the Buying strategy for Mens & Boyswear through planning and trading activities in order to drive profitable growth. Direct the product development cycle to ensure availability is maximised.

• Develop & propose Seasonal department Strategy together with the Buying, Design & Merchandising teams which satisfy the overall company strategy
• Establish key financial parameters for department working alongside Buying and Merchandising and agree with Management Team
• Work closely with Design team to develop seasonal ranges which deliver the overall product strategy
• Contribute to sourcing strategy which sets out mid and long term plans for the global supply base
• Negotiate and agree best payment terms and product costs, ensuring payment lead times are monitored and do not impact launch dates
• Work closely with the Design, Buying and Merchandising teams to develop and select a balanced and commercial range which delivers the department strategy, and successfully sign off with Management team
• Plan seasonal pricing and promotional policy together with Merchandiser in line with strategy and feed into the company business calendar
• Oversee the placement of orders ensuring all KPI’s and delivery targets are met, including barcodes, etc.
• Ensure all key buying documents are upkept accurately, including Range plans, Critical paths and Order Tracking
• Own the critical path process through regular supplier liaison ensuring all product remains on time and that launch availability is maximised
• Collaborate on approval process on all product (lab dips, prints, fabrics, trims etc) with design team during product development, up to final sign off
• Manage approval process post sign off on all components, consulting with design if any major changes occur
• Through weekly trading reviews and proposals, ensure that in season activity maximises profitability, whilst maintaining efficient controls of OTB and commitment, including management of blanks programs

Complete monthly lessons learned, and quarterly reviews with design and merchandising to drive out key lessons learned feeding into future strategies. Astute awareness of brand positioning through regular com shops and attendance at trade fairs, etc

• Passionate about products
• Comprehensive understanding of customer profile, product range & competitors

• Strong negotiation skills to achieve targets.
• Highly numerical - able to interpret data to determine decision making, work to budgets and financial plans.
• Strong communication and influencing skills at all levels.
• Strong presentation skills to all levels.
• Strong planning & organisation skills, able to change plans in line with business needs.

Proven experience of managing opportunities and risks to drive profit.

External :
Suppliers

Internal:
Design, Buying and Merchandising team. Stores, Finance, Warehouse, Ops, Ecom & Marketing

• Brand Integrity – product in line with Brand identity
• Company integrity - relationship with externals
• Financial - ensure profitability of category within Stores and Direct channels, through product strategy, working to timelines and budget