Superbalist - Head of Buying at Superbalist.com

Job Description:

• Work closely with the Head of Planning to develop and execute the retail strategy in line with the business strategic targets of sales, margins and stocks.
• Define the sourcing and product strategy that will deliver the company targets and lead a high-performance team toward achieving them.
• Work closely with the planning team to drive in season trade, influence promotional activity and support the OTB buying principles.
• Engage closely with marketing and editorial to ensure retail alignment with the communication strategy.
• Actively develop private labels strategic brand direction and ‘handwriting’. Work closely with the Department Managers to generate, and communicate key product direction.
• Direct and oversee balanced range assortments are developed and/or procured in line with the Brand and customer strategy.
• Have deep understanding of the business's customer base and develop new product ranges appropriate to each customer archetype
• Possess a passion for product, an understanding of the market and an awareness of trend both locally and internationally.
• Commercial acumen that is balanced with strong knowledge of the market and the “know how” to competitively position assortments against them.
• Develops a sound supply policy for the Brand, striving for consistent best practice partnerships. Foresees future weaknesses / needs and suggests possible solutions and negotiate key trading terms with new and incumbent suppliers.
• Aggressively trade the business by driving and implementing initiatives to reach company's financial goal
• Analyse and report on trading patterns, advises teams and ensures appropriate action is taken to unforeseen sales reactions.
• Acts in pivotal role for the CEO, teams and internal functions to co-ordinate projects and provide two-way communication.
• Builds and maintains a strong and varied network of contacts. Communicates with all to achieve win-win situations.
• Continually review process to ensure that the business is fast and first
• Work closely with the CEO and exco on broader company-wide initiatives

Qualification and Skills:

• Relevant degree
• 10+ years Buying and product development experience (4+yrs leadership/managerial experience)
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills (excel expert)
• Working within budget guidelines. Manages budgets and projects effectively and can communicate status clearly
• Proven experience leading teams to succeed through clear coaching, development and strategy
• Analytical thinker with strong business acumen with the ability to use innovation to solve complex problems
• Ability to drive, negotiate, question, evaluate and communicate ideas and initiatives
• Strong and convincing presentation skills – able to get ideas across quickly and effectively and gain relevant buy-in and support.
• The proven ability to negotiate and drive performance of external as well as internal teams.
• Excellent creative flair with the ability to predict forthcoming moods, trends, themes.
• Retail system experience