ASSISTANT BUYER JOB DESCRIPTION

An Assistant Buyer turns sales data and trend research into product decisions that land on the shop floor. It's a junior commercial seat, not a clerical one. Sitting within a buying team that manages the full seasonal critical path, from initial concept through fit approval, lab dip sign-off, and on-time delivery, the Assistant Buyer owns the day-to-day rhythm that keeps the range on schedule. Apparel retail demands both analytical fluency and a market eye: open-to-buy discipline and competitor benchmarking are equally part of the brief.

As the Assistant Buyer, you support the development and execution of seasonal merchandise assortments across one or more product categories, translating vendor negotiations, sales performance data, and trend direction into commercially viable range recommendations. You work within a buying team structure, typically reporting to a Buyer or Senior Buyer, and collaborate daily with merchandising, product development, and marketing to maintain critical path adherence and hit department KPIs.

Career Impact: Hands-on exposure to open-to-buy management, vendor negotiation, and range sign-off builds the commercial fluency required to progress to Buyer level within a defined product category.

Business Impact: The ranges you help shape directly determine sell-through rates and gross margin performance for the categories you support, making your analysis visible at a department and company level.

Growth Opportunity: Working across garment fit, lab dip approval, and seasonal market preparation develops a cross-functional skill set that accelerates progression toward a Junior Buyer or Buyer title in branded or multi-brand retail.

• Manage the seasonal critical path across assigned categories, tracking key milestones from product development through to on-time delivery.
• Analyse weekly sales, margin, and sell-through data to identify performance trends and recommend assortment adjustments.
• Coordinate fit sessions and lab dip approvals, communicating outcome feedback directly to suppliers.
• Support vendor negotiations on cost price, lead times, and on-order quantities in collaboration with the Buyer.
• Conduct regular competitor benchmarking and trend research to inform range direction and pricing strategy.
• Maintain purchase order accuracy, processing amendments and ensuring correct specifications within agreed timelines.
• Liaise with marketing, visual merchandising, and product development teams to align range launches with campaign and store requirements.
• Review and manage sample workflows, ensuring all samples are received, correctly labelled, and available for relevant review meetings.

• Bachelor's degree in fashion buying, fashion marketing, business, or equivalent work experience.
• 1 or more years of buying, merchandising, or retail product experience, with exposure to critical path management.
• Demonstrated commercial awareness, including understanding of retail math concepts such as margin, sell-through, and OTB.
• Experience analysing sales and inventory data to form commercially grounded recommendations.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-moving seasonal environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to build working relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Proficiency in spreadsheet applications for data entry, margin calculation, and reporting.

• Experience in a specific apparel category such as womenswear, lingerie, or kidswear, providing category-level product knowledge from day one.
• Exposure to garment construction, fabric types, or fit assessment, enabling faster contribution to technical approval processes.
• Familiarity with ERP or buying systems used to manage purchase orders and product data.
• Additional language proficiency relevant to the supplier base, supporting more effective direct vendor communication.

• Critical path adherence rate, tracking the percentage of milestones met on schedule across assigned categories.
• Sell-through percentage by category, reflecting how well the supported range converts within the selling window.
• Purchase order accuracy rate, measuring the proportion of orders raised without amendment due to data error.
• Supplier on-time delivery rate for managed orders, indicating effectiveness of proactive order expediting.
• Sample receipt compliance rate, tracking whether approval samples arrive within critical path deadlines.
• Typical tools: spreadsheet and data tools (commonly Excel or Google Sheets); buying and ERP systems (commonly SAP or equivalent retail platform).

• Base Salary Range: $45,000 to $58,000 per year
• Bonus: Discretionary annual bonus, typically 5 to 10% of base salary
• Equity: Not typically offered at this level
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus public holidays
• Common Perks: Employee merchandise discount, seasonal market travel, and professional development support

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check, and all applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process upon request.

The Assistant Buyer shapes product assortment strategy by identifying new product concepts, conducting competitive market research, and managing merchandise launches across print, TV, and social media advertising vehicles. Working closely with product development, sourcing, marketing, and visual teams, this role builds and manages a quality merchandise line to increase market share, maximise sales volume, and drive gross margin growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities and recommend new product concepts to the category management team.
• Coordinate cross-functional information for product launches, working closely with product development, sourcing, marketing, and visual teams.
• Participate in department trend discussions, trend board creation, and ideation of new concepts.
• Conduct continuous competitive shopping and market research to strengthen industry positioning.
• Assist in the management of product assortment, promotional cadence, and presentations.
• Analyse and report on SKU performance across vendors, sales, margin, and inventory.
• Assist in vendor negotiations and collaborate with cross-functional partners to manage category open-to-buy.
• Build and manage a line of quality merchandise to increase market share, maximise sales volume, and increase gross margin dollars.
• Develop respectful relationships and responsive communication with vendors.
• Assist with strategic vendor selection to identify and develop strong partnerships.
• Negotiate timely execution of product specification sheets.
• Communicate product needs regarding pricing, specifications, and delivery on a daily basis.
• Establish positive working relationships across the organisation.
• Implement volume-driving product and promotional strategies across all advertising vehicles, including print, TV, and social media.
• Manage and track all aspects of merchandise launches.
• Work cross-functionally with planning, product development, and creative to ensure project deadlines are met.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or job-related experience required.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and utilise database reporting systems.
• Quality leadership, organisational, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to set and achieve priorities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced, ever-evolving retail environment.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Effective analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong professionalism and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with all levels of management.
• Ability to travel and maintain a flexible work schedule.

Embedded within the buying team, the Assistant Buyer supports profit maximisation and commercial range delivery by managing the critical path from initial product development through to delivery and maintaining supplier relationships. Working closely with QC, graphic designers, and internal departments, this role ensures brand consistency, on-time delivery, and commercially viable product ranges at competitive prices.

Core Functions

• Analyse customer buying patterns.
• Work with the buyer to maximise profits and provide a commercially viable range at competitive prices.
• Regularly review stock, sales, and orders and react with appropriate urgency to ensure sales, stock, and profit targets are achieved.
• Maintain relationships with suppliers.
• Liaise with other departments to ensure projects are completed.
• Participate in promotional activities and capsule ranges.
• Create style books for products, identify when to update trim labels, fabrications, and packaging, and liaise with the graphic designer to ensure a consistent brand image.
• Manage the critical path, monitoring all orders from initial product development through to delivery, ensuring smooth running of the development process and maintaining delivery schedules and key deadlines throughout.
• Work alongside QC when creating style books to ensure correct specs and CADs are received.
• Process lab dip and trim approvals and feed back to suppliers after collecting fit and quality information from QC.
• Attend fit meetings with QC and models, making suggestions on fit, styling, and trims, and sign off samples.

Qualifications & Experience

• Relevant experience in an assistant buyer role within a retail chain.
• Experience of fully managing the critical path for a department.
• Awareness of competitors and ability to identify best-value opportunities.
• Commercial awareness with up-to-date knowledge of market trends and changes in demand.
• Ability to fully understand customer needs and demands, including price, quality, and availability.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to build and manage relationships with colleagues and suppliers.
• Confident approach to offering suggestions on the type and quantity of product.
• Strong Excel skills or equivalent for calculating margin.
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritise in a fast-paced environment.
• Ambition to grow, continuously improve, and innovate across all aspects of the business.
• Ability to deal with ambiguity in a fast-paced environment with changing demands.

Reporting to the procurement lead, the Assistant Buyer supports day-to-day purchasing of low-value, repeatable, and commodity products by sourcing competitive bids, placing purchase orders against pre-defined MSAs, and expediting delivery in line with project and product team requirements. Partnering with QA, QC, and business units, this role contributes to departmental KPIs by ensuring quality, budget, and schedule requirements are consistently met.

Primary Duties

• Process prompt ordering of low-value purchases for low-risk supplier relationships, covering repeatable and commodity products and services, both direct and indirect.
• Buy against pre-defined MSAs specifying supplier, part, and price.
• Source and evaluate low-value competitive bids from qualified suppliers based on engineering or generic specifications, ensuring requirements for quality, budget, and schedule are met.
• Negotiate and place purchase orders, ensuring schedule reporting and delivery promises are maintained by suppliers and communicated to project or product teams and other stakeholders.
• Support the administrative requirements of the procurement team under the direction of buyers.
• Expedite orders in accordance with purchase order requirements.
• Communicate with business units to improve delivery wherever possible and update the ERP system accordingly.
• Process supplier non-conformances in conjunction with QA and QC to ensure correct actions are taken to close them out in a timely manner.
• Assist end-user departments with price enquiries for obtaining goods and services quotes from suppliers.
• Contribute to the achievement of departmental and company KPIs and objectives.

Skills & Qualifications

• Good standard of general education, including English and Maths at GCSE Grade 4/5 or equivalent.
• Commercial or business degree and/or CIPS certification preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience with MRP/ERP systems.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work well with cross-functional teams and departments.
• Ability to identify and solve problems, manage multiple priorities, and multitask.
• Excellent commercial skills with a passion for driving success.
• Ability to manage time and prioritise effectively to achieve the requirements of the role.
• Positive, can-do approach with the ability to work as part of a team.

Sitting at the intersection of merchandising analytics and luxury retail strategy, the Assistant Buyer maintains retail math metrics, generates weekly business recaps covering sales and inventory by store and product department, and supports seasonal open-to-buy planning for the director of buying. Operating across retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels, this role enables inventory maximisation through strategic allocation, end-of-season transfers, and competitive price analysis that directly inform category profitability.

Duties

• Maintain a strong understanding of retail math and key metrics to provide regular analysis, selling reports, and recaps.
• Perform all necessary data entry for the department, including creation of purchase orders and input of financial goals for stores.
• Run shipping reports, provide delivery analysis comparing current year to prior year, and flag any issues or late shipments that impact overall sales.
• Create buy books for each store to provide information on seasonal assortments.
• Create daily store goals based on quarterly goals and projections.
• Generate and analyse weekly business recaps covering sales and inventory by store and product department, best sellers, and key KPIs.
• Maintain and analyse inventory levels in both store and local warehouse to ensure sufficient stock and identify additional needs from the central warehouse.
• Execute weekly product allocations in partnership with stores, and monitor shipments and special requests.
• Maximise inventory by executing transfers between retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels.
• Strategically execute end-of-season transfers from full-price locations to outlets, as well as returns to the local warehouse.
• Support the director of buying with seasonal market activities and prepare end-of-season reporting before seasonal markets.
• Prepare competitive price analysis and provide seasonal open-to-buy support.
• Partner with the VP of retail and operations team on seasonal store employee uniform orders and allocations.

Requirements

• 2+ years of buying experience across multiple product categories.
• 2+ years of experience analysing sales and merchandise data.
• Expertise in Excel, including V-lookups, Pivot Tables, and SUMIFS, and proficiency in PowerPoint.
• Experience in retail math concepts related to pricing, margins, and profitability, with the ability to leverage KPIs.
• Knowledge of the luxury and fashion market and associated trends, with the ability to identify and capitalise on market trends.
• Good understanding of retail math concepts and knowledge of the competitive landscape for relevant brands.
• Ability to substantiate a point of view using facts and analysis.
• Proficiency in Retail Pro is a plus.

A key member of the buying team, the Assistant Buyer manages the critical path and OPO delivery to ensure department targets and on-time supplier performance are achieved across lingerie, swim, and sleep categories. Collaborating across product, studio, VM, finance, and warehouse functions, this role owns fit sessions, maintains supplier relationships, and ensures all product reaches the studio and site accurately and on schedule.

Functions

• Manage a BAA on the critical path and OPO management to ensure department targets are achieved and deliveries are on time.
• Negotiate cost prices to achieve the best prices and meet department BIM.
• Understand open costings, including fabric prices, consumption, and fit amendment implications.
• Maintain awareness of department strategy, frameworks, and OTB with the support of the buyer, junior buyer, and merchandising team.
• Check new-in product daily to ensure all details of each product are correct online.
• Take ownership of fit sessions and action fit comments directly to suppliers.
• Maintain and grow relationships with wider business functions, including product, studio, VM, finance, and warehouse.
• Ensure, alongside the BAA, that all product is sent to the studio promptly, managing the process from sample to site and ensuring all details are correct.

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in lingerie, swim, and sleep is a benefit.
• Strong trend awareness and ability to find inspiration across multiple channels.
• Ability to understand and anticipate customer preferences.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills.
• Agile, quick-thinking, and comfortable working at pace.
• Team player with a willingness to support others and go above and beyond.
• Drive to continuously improve, learn, and innovate.

Delivering a commercially competitive, customer-focused range depends on the Assistant Buyer, who contributes to competitor benchmarking, planograms, pricing, promotional activity, and own-label quality criteria while managing administrative duties, approvals, and sample management. Based within the buying team and working alongside the global sourcing team, product technologist, and product development function, this role enables optimal balance between quality and price across the product area.

Accountabilities

• Support and contribute to team objectives to build a commercial, customer-focused range through competitor benchmarking, market data, and trend direction.
• Maintain an understanding of sales and profit variables and use relevant levers to trade effectively.
• Take responsibility for range optimisation and understand the in-store experience and impact of product ranges on customers and store colleagues to inform future decisions.
• Contribute to planograms, pricing, promotional activity, product specification, and supplier selection as appropriate to the product area.
• Support negotiations with suppliers alongside the global sourcing team.
• Ensure adherence to buying milestones alongside the product development and global sourcing teams within the agreed critical path.
• Support the buyer and senior buyer in liaising with the product development team and product technologist in setting quality criteria for own-label products to maintain the optimal balance between quality and price.
• Take responsibility for administrative duties, approvals, and sample management.

Technical Qualifications

• Previous buying experience, preferably from a clothing or accessories background.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organisational and administrative ability, with knowledge of Word and Excel.
• Negotiation skills and experience with suppliers.
• Knowledge of market trends.
• Passion for product, balanced with commercial acumen.
• Ability to demonstrate problem-solving and provide resolution in a fast-paced environment.

As the Assistant Buyer, this role leads seasonal data flow management and timeline coordination across DTC and wholesale lines, including style definition for the Asia line and the EMEA line for APAC wholesale. The category team relies on this work to maintain data accuracy across buying, production, and supply chain functions, enabling precise pre-season and in-season execution through system inputs, pricing uploads, and master table maintenance.

Activities

• Manage seasonal data flow and timeline and communicate updates to relevant team members.
• Support coordination between different divisions on deadlines and consolidations.
• Complete style definition for the Asia line for DTC and for the EMEA line for APAC wholesale.
• Manage in-season activities, including promotions, markdowns, product returns, and season code updates.
• Manage pre-season activities, including season recode upload, pricing upload, and tracking of price changes.
• Support the category team on systems-related inputs, updates, report generation, sample management, and picture management.
• Coordinate with buying, production, and supply chain teams for data accuracy and maintenance.
• Create and maintain the master table covering sizing, Asia hierarchy, and colour.
• Aid the team with ad-hoc requests and reports.

Position Requirements

• Excellent proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify opportunities based on quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Excellent proficiency in English, both verbal and written; proficiency in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean is a plus.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and accurate, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritise work based on broader business needs.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn and develop, with a solution-oriented mindset.

Assistant Buyer supports procurement teams with tendering, supplier evaluation, market analysis, and risk and opportunity assessments to facilitate efficient and compliant material and plant procurement. Success in the position means delivering an agile, value-adding service grounded in a deep understanding of customer requirements, technical competence, and process efficiency that advances departmental procurement objectives.

Operational Focus

• Support procurement teams with tendering, market analysis, supplier selection, risk and opportunity assessments, and forecasting requirements.
• Carry out supplier evaluations and commercial checks on suppliers and past performance.
• Facilitate an efficient and compliant process for all material and plant procurement.
• Support the development of procurement plans and packaging strategies.
• Assist in the development of efficient value-added reports.
• Deliver an agile, value-adding service with a deep understanding of customer requirements, technical competence, functional knowledge, and process efficiency.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge and understanding of basic financial and accounting principles for sound judgment in decision-making.
• Knowledge of effective negotiation skills with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to deconstruct contractual information into smaller categories to conclude.
• Ability to understand the commercial aspects of procurement and their impacts.
• Ability to focus on targets and work well under pressure with tight deadlines.
• Ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task.
• Proven ability to work both as part of a team and on own initiative.
• A measured approach to decision-making with the ability to ensure best-value procurement.

The Assistant Buyer produces timely purchase orders, monitors inventory levels, and acts as the main point of contact for shipping and receiving while researching new suppliers and building positive, long-term vendor relationships. Reporting to procurement leadership, this role ensures products are sourced, purchased, and delivered to specification, supporting overall supply chain continuity and inventory accuracy across the organisation.

Key Deliverables

• Assist the procurement lead with day-to-day purchasing activity.
• Negotiate with vendors and build positive, long-term relationships.
• Enter, process, and track purchase orders.
• Ensure products are purchased at the right time, to specification, and at a fair price.
• Ensure products are delivered from vendors in a timely manner.
• Research new suppliers and make recommendations.
• Monitor and maintain suitable inventory levels.
• Act as the main point of contact for shipping and receiving of materials and enter information into the inventory management system.

Professional Experience

• High school diploma required.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in purchasing and/or inventory management.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Domestic and international shipping experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in Google Suite is a plus.

Reporting to department managers and buyers at the Wayne, PA headquarters, the Assistant Buyer advances order entry, follow-up, and supplier placement operations by processing, pricing, expediting, and monitoring orders while maintaining complete documentation for all quotations, orders, and claims. Working closely with suppliers, dealers, and internal personnel, this role ensures timely communication of order status, pricing accuracy, and programme knowledge that keeps the supply chain aligned with business objectives.

Areas of Ownership

• Process orders, including taking, pricing, placing, and expediting.
• Provide routing pricing quotations at the direction of a buyer and follow up on incorrect pricing with supplier contacts.
• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of products and market pricing on a delivered basis.
• Initiate late-shipment follow-up with delinquent suppliers and keep dealers and customers updated on order status.
• Communicate with suppliers and dealers regarding the status of orders and special programs and incentives.
• Establish and maintain records, logs, and files such as pricing and customer files.
• Type and proofread reports, forms, graphics, manuscripts, and memorandums.
• Compose correspondence on matters of standard procedure requiring some interpretation or judgement.
• Coordinate preparation of reports to ensure appropriate personnel and customers receive information in a timely manner.
• Monitor order status, including shipping dates, prices, product availability, and back orders.
• Relay messages and decisions to management and internal and external personnel to keep them informed of project or programme status and performance.
• Perform word processing assignments for internal and external documents, including those of a confidential and sensitive nature.
• Expedite all claims handling for orders for fair, timely, and equitable resolution.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation for all quotations, orders, claims, and significant dealer or vendor interactions.
• Attend vendor meetings as required to gain working knowledge of programmes.
• Keep the supervisor informed of the status of all projects and purchasing and sales activities in a timely manner.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate's degree in business administration, marketing, or equivalent work experience preferred.
• 1–2 years of related experience required.
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with internal and external contacts.
• Basic knowledge of computer programmes, including Excel and Word, and ability to learn automated systems.
• Basic knowledge of the co-op business and lumber or lumber yard industries preferred.
• Ability to organise, prioritise, and initiate work.

Reporting to the buying director, the Assistant Buyer refines assortment strategies at department, class, and vendor levels by developing purchase orders, tracking key item performance, and partnering with financial planning to support in-season item-level changes that maximise sales, inventory, and bottom-line profitability. Partnering with vendors, merchandise planning, marketing, and pricing teams, this role enables Macy's to compete effectively by translating product performance data into actionable advertising strategies and featured product selections.

Role Responsibilities

• Liaise weekly with financial planning to provide insights for forecasting and support in-season item-level changes.
• Update receipts on order for ROF and review with the buying director, and reconcile orders with financial plans to manage receipt flow in line with the financial plan.
• Articulate and present customer lifestyle differences within each department.
• Develop assortment strategy for key items and track key item performance to maximise sales revenue.
• Participate in style-outs to present assortments independently and recommend and execute assortment edits.
• Develop purchase orders and partner with the buying director, merchandise planning, and vendors to secure merchandise.
• Negotiate with vendors for on-order quantities and ship date adjustments, resolve shipping problems, and relay issues to the buying director.
• Serve as the first point of contact with the vendor community, marketing, visual, stores, and pricing teams.
• Communicate with vendors to ensure timely collection of MDAs, markdowns, and RTVs, and partner with financial planning to ensure alignment with in-season VMT input.
• Partner with the pricing team on pricing strategy and in-season adjustments.

Background & Experience

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university required.
• 1–2 years of related experience.
• Knowledge of MS Office programmes required.
• Excellent leadership, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work across functional lines and at many levels.
• Ability to think creatively, analytically, strategically, and technically.
• Ability to interpret financial information accurately.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on department and business needs.
• Proficiency with Excel and Outlook.

Sitting at the intersection of product development and commercial buying, the Assistant Buyer supports range building, sample management, and supplier communication to help deliver a product range that meets customer requirements for pricing and fashionability at a Coalville-based head office. Operating across marketing, visual merchandising, PR, and internal departments, this role contributes to consistent brand image and commercially aware product selection grounded in regular competitive shopping and weekly sales performance review.

Job Functions

• Develop positive working relationships with suppliers.
• Build effective relationships with the marketing department, visual merchandising, and PR teams to assist in developing strong and consistent marketing messages, visual merchandising strategies, and brand image, while keeping the buyer informed.
• Continually communicate with suppliers and internal departments about the status of orders, queries, and issues to keep the product critical path up to date and accurate.
• Maintain commercial awareness by monitoring the customer profile, current trends, and competitors, and continually developing knowledge of all aspects of the supplier base.
• Conduct regular competitive and store visits to develop customer-focused knowledge of the market and trends, and assist the buyer in selecting and delivering a product range that reflects customer requirements in terms of pricing and fashionability.
• Take ownership of sample management, ensuring all samples are kept tidy, correctly labelled, and available for fit sessions, best sellers, and all other meetings, and that all approval samples are received to correct specifications.
• Manage all relevant administrative duties for the department, including preparing and managing reports as requested.
• Create orders accurately within required time frames using internal systems.
• Review weekly sales performance and identify opportunities and issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Fashion, design, or business qualification preferred.
• Experience with a clothing retailer or supplier.
• Clear understanding of how to serve customer needs and requirements.
• Product knowledge with a commercial understanding of garments and a passion for product quality and design.
• Retail market knowledge, including an understanding of buying, design, merchandising, and quality processes.
• Ability to develop new products and new markets with creativity and a strong eye for detail.
• Commitment to own learning and to sharing knowledge with others.
• Ability to influence and build relationships.
• A passion for product and an eye for detail.

A key member of the procurement function, the Assistant Buyer oversees purchasing activities, including pricing negotiations, bid document preparation, and custom commodity management, while applying government laws and regulations to ensure alignment with management objectives. Collaborating across supply chain, vendor, and internal stakeholder networks, this role reduces supply risk and maintains accurate purchase order data in the purchasing system to support uninterrupted manufacturing operations.

What You'll Do

• Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for the procurement of goods, services, and supplies.
• Perform on-time delivery of products or services and negotiate with suppliers to achieve the highest quality at best value.
• Initiate the bid and quote process for services, supplies, and equipment; prepare bid documents, oversee the bid process, perform bid analysis, and make recommendations regarding purchases.
• Resolve problems and issues arising from the purchase of services, supplies, and equipment.
• Evaluate reports to define the need for purchased products, prepare requests for quotations, evaluate quotes, select suppliers, and create and approve purchase orders.
• Manage specific custom commodities with high variability to balance demand and maintain an understanding of each supplier's capabilities and current capacity.
• Apply an understanding of basic market drivers to determine reasonable pricing and reduce supply risk.
• Develop appropriate sources of supply and maintain cooperative working relationships with vendors to stay current with trends, technologies, products, and services.
• Maintain current and accurate purchase order data in the purchasing system, including delivery dates, pricing, and change orders.

Required Qualifications

• 3–5 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience in acquiring materials necessary for manufacturing while maintaining vendor relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to write specifications, prepare bid documents, handle the bidding process, and analyse all bid results.
• Strong experience negotiating contracts with a track record of success.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Solves complex problems and exercises judgement based on the analysis of multiple sources of information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to drive tasks to completion.

Enabling accurate, on-time merchandise execution depends on the Assistant Buyer, who manages order entry and product creation into the ERP system, maintains purchase orders, and prepares seasonal recaps of product performance before design meetings. Serving as a cross-functional partner to the buying team and working closely with the Sample Coordinator, this role supports analytics, reporting, and logistics handoff to ensure shipment receipt deadlines are met with precision.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Manage order entry and product creation into the ERP system with a focus on deadlines and accuracy.
• Perform daily updates, revisions, and maintenance of all purchase orders and products.
• Update the buys-by-category report with stock month, stock week, cancellations, and shifts post-receiving recap and planning meeting.
• Assist the team with day-to-day activities and contribute to reporting, analytics, presentations, and meeting preparation.
• Attend sample fittings, take sample pictures, and assist with note-taking.
• Prepare seasonal recaps of product performance before design meetings.
• Work to improve all processes leading up to the shipment receipt date.
• Help maintain the product development tracker and order form.
• Communicate with vendors to provide and verify SKU accuracy.
• Assist in the communication and handoff of shipment documentation and PO data to the logistics associate.
• Troubleshoot outstanding issues related to order entry with the buying team and provide support with bulk procurement tasks as needed.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proficiency in Excel and ability to learn new software platforms quickly.
• Outstanding communication skills with a team-player attitude.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail with strong problem-solving ability.
• Interest in data analytics to drive decisions.
• Proactive nature with the ability to identify issues and contribute to solutions.
• Adaptability and a positive attitude with energy and enthusiasm.
• Eagerness to learn and willingness to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

As the Assistant Buyer, this role processes purchase orders via EDI and manages delivery tracking, supplier relationships, and quarterly forecast reporting to support service-level objectives across the supply chain. The trade relations and accounts payable teams rely on this work to resolve invoice discrepancies, maintain open order reports, and ensure products are received with adequate expiration dates and lot sizes that meet operational requirements.

Scope of Work

• Process purchase orders and send to suppliers via EDI, email, or other appropriate means.
• Track the delivery status of all purchase orders and maintain expected delivery dates in the system.
• Work closely with production and materials management to ensure the availability of all materials, providing timely ETAs, manufacturer backorder information, and other pertinent details.
• Participate in weekly meetings to discuss material supply issues with personnel responsible for service-level objectives.
• Perform file maintenance, including item, vendor, and purchase order data, and maintain current open order reports.
• Work with suppliers to ensure products are received with adequate expiration dates, pack-by dates, and lot sizes.
• Serve as liaison with supplier customer service representatives, fostering relationships, expediting deliveries, and resolving issues.
• Provide the trade relations department with quarterly and as-needed supplier product requirement forecast reports.
• Request RFPs and provide analysis and comparisons to management.
• Check catalogues and other references to obtain prices and specifications for sourcing and comparisons.
• Obtain and complete new supplier setup information packets for management approval and maintain the retention file.
• Assist accounts payable in resolving invoice discrepancies.
• Work throughout the organisation to resolve routine questions and issues and refer more complex issues to higher levels.
• Assist in the training of new buyer assistants as required.

Skills & Qualifications

• Strong customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills, both oral and in writing.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Good decision-making and analytical skills.
• Ability to resolve supplier issues quickly and creatively to improve customer satisfaction.
• Ability to successfully execute multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Demonstrates leadership qualities and the ability to effectively train others.
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and other computer-related applications.

Assistant Buyer executes end-to-end buying support for a branded womenswear line, from reviewing last season's performance and conducting price negotiations to managing the critical path, approving samples, and checking BMI reports daily to correct system discrepancies. The work directly supports the buyer and junior buyer in developing a balanced, commercial product range by ensuring purchase orders are accurate, samples move through communication channels on time, and range sign-off activity adheres to critical path dates.

Work Activities

• Support the team with the review of last season's performance and lessons learned.
• Keep up to date on trends through comparative shopping and research.
• Support the development of product ranges to reflect the visual style of the brand.
• Attend supplier meetings with the buyer.
• Approve samples, lab dips, and bulk materials where relevant.
• Ensure range-building and range sign-off activity adheres to the critical path by managing ad-hoc requests and queries from internal and external parties.
• Ensure all purchase orders contain the correct information and are raised in line with critical path dates.
• Support the buyer with the pre-shipment process and the management of the critical path and fit sessions, and put forward solutions.
• Review sales data and offer commercially viable suggestions to the buyer.
• Conduct price negotiations.
• Check BMI reports daily and correct system discrepancies daily.
• Ensure samples are received within the critical path and that samples and information are passed to all communication channels on time, including press, international, and web.
• Develop a balanced and commercial product range with the support of the line manager.

Requirements

• Experience in branded womenswear.
• Keen interest in fashion and trends with a good commercial eye.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Excellent PC skills in Microsoft Word and Excel, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Active team player who contributes to and supports other team members.
• Ability to deputise and support the junior buyer closely.
• Flexibility and ability to work at pace in a fast-moving environment.

The Assistant Buyer creates vendor pricing strategies, evaluates ongoing brand performance across sales, margin, and sell-through, and supports merchandise assortment development with ownership over a small portfolio of brands for Hypebeast HBX. Collaborating with cross-functional teams and suppliers, this role curates the brand list and product assortment to reflect the brand's aesthetics and vision while driving revenue and profitability improvements.

Performance Expectations

• Support the buyer with the development of merchandise assortments, with ownership over a small portfolio of brands.
• Monitor shipments, deliveries, RTVs, and transfers.
• Evaluate the ongoing performance of each brand, including sales, margin, sell-through, stock control, and replenishment, and seek opportunities to improve revenue and profitability.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to highlight brand focuses.
• Develop pricing strategies based on competitor analysis, market research, and business financials.
• Establish vendor relationships to obtain favourable terms of agreement that mitigate margin erosion.
• Work with suppliers to achieve timely deliveries and meet internal targets.
• Understand the brand's culture and curate the brand list and product assortment to reflect the brand's aesthetics and vision.

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in fashion, fashion marketing, or a related discipline preferred.
• 1–2 years of experience, preferably with a multi-brand retailer.
• Strong analytical skills and understanding of retail math.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel required.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong sense of personal style and awareness of fashion trends.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English required.

Embedded within the purchasing team, the Assistant Buyer executes RFQ preparation, purchase order conversion, and ERP data accuracy maintenance while managing supplier relationships and supporting supplier performance improvement. Working closely with key stakeholders across the business and supply chain, this role delivers compliant, timely procurement that advances operational objectives within an engineering-oriented procurement environment.

Core Responsibilities

• Prepare, issue, and review supplier RFQs and recommend preferred options to relevant stakeholders.
• Convert purchase requisitions into purchase orders and issue to suppliers.
• Take ownership of the purchase order book, expediting orders and proposing risk management where required.
• Manage supplier relationships and support supplier performance improvement.
• Ensure data accuracy of the ERP system is maintained with valid pricing and purchase requirements.
• Manage goods-in and invoice queries associated with the order book.

Technical Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification and/or relevant engineering, supply chain, or lean culture experience preferred.
• Membership of a relevant professional body, such as CIPS, preferred.
• Proven procurement experience, ideally in an operational procurement environment.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and IFS preferred.
• Willingness to obtain procurement and supply chain skills and qualifications.
• Ability to establish relationships with key stakeholders across the business and the supply chain.
• Ability to communicate at all levels of the business.
• Ability to work in a team to deliver shared objectives.
• Self-motivated with a flexible approach to workload and the drive to go above and beyond.

Reporting to the purchasing team at a multi-award-winning global manufacturer, the Assistant Buyer coordinates supplier negotiations, price file maintenance, and ERP purchasing view creation to support both operational and strategic purchasing across direct and indirect materials. Partnering with internal departments on continuous improvement projects and supplier shutdown management, this role drives cost reduction and forecasting accuracy while offering CIPS development opportunities within a global, fast-paced business.

Key Responsibilities

• Negotiate with suppliers to ensure the best cost and report weekly on supplier delivery performance.
• Maintain the price file to ensure efficient invoice processing and minimised transaction costs.
• Create purchasing views in the ERP system for new components and strategic supplier changes.
• Manage supplier shutdown processes by collating information and contacting all direct material suppliers.
• Support sourcing on non-standard consumable items.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve processes in existing direct and indirect material supply.
• Conduct data analysis to enable effective forecasting and planning.
• Work closely with internal departments on various projects to drive continuous improvement.

Position Requirements

• MS Excel experience, including Pivot Tables and Vlookups.
• ERP/SAP experience desirable.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload and produce and process documents accurately.
• Experience of working to deadlines and under pressure.
• Flexible approach to work with the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Sitting at the intersection of procurement operations and supplier management, the Assistant Buyer monitors procurement reports, manages supplier onboarding to the e-invoicing system, and coordinates with appropriate parties to resolve invoice workflow issues and ensure supply availability. Operating across procurement and cross-functional teams, this role advances ERP system accuracy and minimises overdue invoices to sustain reliable supply continuity.

Core Functions

• Monitor procurement reports, evaluate trending data, and report on trends to management.
• Interact with suppliers to assist with onboarding to the e-invoicing system.
• Actively manage supplier onboarding and assist with problem resolution.
• Work with appropriate parties outside of procurement to resolve invoice workflow issues, minimise overdue invoices, and ensure supply availability.
• Assist procurement and other teams in resolving ERP system issues.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in supply chain management, logistics, business administration, or a related discipline.
• Coursework towards CPM and/or CPIM certification preferred.
• ERP/MRP experience preferred.
• Power BI experience preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Office, including Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with good negotiation, multitasking, and organisational skills.