Junior Buyer - Japan & Accessories

ABOUT THE ROLE

Vivienne Westwood is looking for a Junior Buyer – Japan and Accessories to join the Head Office in the Conduit Street Office.

• Supports buying for five Japan stores and Japan e-commerce, covering end-to-end buying across all product categories and ensuring alignment with Head Office strategy.
• Also supports selected Accessories buying across UK, EU and US markets, including e-commerce, as required.
• Works within a structured, Head Office-led buying process, incorporating external stakeholder input and feedback.
• Ensures effective coordination between Head Office and Japan stakeholders to drive alignment and execution.
• Operates within a multi-stakeholder environment, balancing Head Office direction with partner input and influencing outcomes to ensure commercial alignment.
• Previous experience in the Japanese market is preferred;
  Japanese language skills would be advantageous.
• Supports the Buying team with analysis, reporting, budgeting and administrative task.
• Collaborates with other Junior Buyers to manage AB/BAA workload, ensuring prioritisation and timely delivery.

• Prepare seasonal budgets and buying schedules; consolidates feedback into Head Office-led orders for review and sign-off.
• Manage the end-to-end order process, ensuring accuracy across data and systems.
• Produce analysis, reporting and meeting materials, contributing commercial insight.
• Monitor sales, sell-through, stock and deliveries; flags risks and proposes actions.
• Support range building with Merchandising and Design using sales, trend and competitor insight.
• Review pricing, product data and online accuracy, escalating issues where required.
• Track Japan store and e-commerce performance, identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure actions, follow-ups and meeting minutes are completed in a timely manner.
• Support AB/BAA workload allocation and maintains quality control.
• Identify and drives process improvements to increase efficiency.

• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of company strategy.
• Ability to balance Head Office direction with stakeholder input.
• Effective stakeholder management across internal and external partners.
• Strong analytical and numerical capability.
• Clear, concise communication, including with senior stakeholders.
• Strong prioritisation and time management under pressure.
• Proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex workflows.
• Strong organisational and influencing skills.
• Experience supporting or managing junior team members.

• Advanced Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong analytical and reporting capability.
• Understanding of buying systems and product lifecycle.
• Awareness of trading calendars, delivery schedules and phasing.
• Competitor and market analysis skills.

• Previous experience in a Junior Buyer (or equivalent) role.
• Experience in a multi-market buying environment is advantageous.
• Experience in the Japanese market is preferred;
  Japanese language skills are an advantage.
• Proven ability to work across complex stakeholder groups, influence outcomes, and drive alignment across internal and external partners.

(Please note this is not an exhaustive list of duties and you may be required to perform additional duties to fulfil the requirements of the role)

• Commercially balanced and market-relevant Japan range.
• Accurate and timely execution of buying processes.
• Strong alignment between Head Office and Japan stakeholders.
• Effective management of stock, sales and performance risks.
• High-quality analysis and reporting output.
• Continuous improvement of processes and efficiency.

• Japan Partners and e-commerce stakeholders
• Head of Buying
• Senior Buyer / Buying Manager / Buyer
• AB / BAA
• COO
• Retail Management
• Designers
• Product Developers
• Merchandisers
• Licensing team
• Wholesale team
• Shop Managers

• Staff discounts
• Health & Wellbeing support (includes Private Medical Health Insurance, EAP, Gym Discounts, Access to Financial Planning Service, etc.)
• Perkbox Discounts and Wellness Hub
• Cycle to work scheme
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Pension Scheme
• Training and hands‑on experience
• Opportunities to build new skills and gain valuable industry knowledge

Vivienne Westwood is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by local government laws. For our privacy statement please visit this link.