What can we offer?
- Competitive salary
- Potential to earn bonus
- Company car or car allowance
- Personal private medical care cover
- Free on-site car park
- Onsite coffee lounge
- Discount Card – 10% discount on most purchases in-store
- Family Friendly Benefits
- Loyal Service Awards
- My Staff Shop – exclusive discount portal
- Apprenticeships & Career Development
- Life Assurance Cover
- Health & Wellbeing – employee assistance programme to support you
- Holiday Allowance – 33 days, along with the option to purchase additional holiday (annually)
- Birthdays are important, so each year, you can take the day off as an extra day's holiday
- Pension scheme
About the opportunity...
As a buyer you will be ultimately accountable for delivering sales, cash margin and margin rate through their ranges and promotional space, whilst working closely with the merchandising/supply team.
Negotiating and managing the buying and supply of all products within designated product categories for Poundland & Dealz.
In this role you will travel weekly to our office based in Watford and every three months travel to our office based in Poznan, Poland.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
What you'll be doing...
- Leading a team
- Accountable for the category's performance to the Senior Buyer, spotting opportunities or threats, resolving issues or making recommendations for action, by working closely with the broader category team.
- Reduce unit costs in a structured and planned way and in the right way
- Predict, and identify and react to market trends by attending trade fairs and shows, understanding high street trends. Forecast future buying needs and proactively source new product and categories based on customer insight.
- Liaise with Supply/Merchandisers on the sourcing of product that meets promotional and seasonal activity.
- Visit factories to develop ranges, negotiate the cost of goods, explore new markets in developing countries/economies
- Visit suppliers (Worldwide) to review product, price and supplier performance
- Maintain existing contacts with suppliers ensuring awareness of market conditions at all times
- Negotiate payment terms that favourably influence the cash flow of the business
- Proactively manage supplier relationships to identify areas where greater savings or business advantage could be made through supplier strategies.
- Manage own time effectively by pro-active planning, organisation and self-management
- Coach junior members of the team and share good practice across the wider team.
What you'll need...
- .Knowledge of the market place
- Thorough understanding of the Supply Chain Process
- Good understanding of product & logistical issues
- Good understanding of Suppliers and their needs
- Thorough knowledge of in house procedures, legalities and QA process
- Good understanding of the whole retail process down to Store level
- Experience of buying from big brands
- Good understanding of the Sector and the wider Sector (competitors)
- Maintain knowledge of the market by reading relevant journals and media
- Understand commodity pricing and knock-on effects
- A Good understanding of Excel - Solid Microsoft Office skills, including Excel (VLOOKUP's, Pivot Tables, etc)
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- How to use Excel and Powerpoint to a high level
- Three years of experience in buying
- Experience of leading a small team
- Have a degree level qualification
About us..
Since our humble beginnings in 1990, Poundland has evolved into a retail powerhouse with over 900 stores and nearly 18,500 dedicated colleagues across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The addition of Dealz in 2011 further solidified our presence, enabling us to reach millions of customers with our unparalleled value offerings.
At Poundland & Dealz, we don't just offer products at unbeatable prices; we cultivate an environment where every colleague can thrive and contribute to our mission of providing amazing value to millions of customers. Our commitment to excellence, inclusion, and sustainability forms the foundation of our culture, empowering our team members to be the best versions of themselves while making a meaningful impact on the communities we serve.
It is our behaviours and the hard work, commitment and passion of our wonderful colleagues that make it all possible.
We like to keep things simple, so we have just three behaviours that lie at the heart of everything we do, and they keep us on track.
They are Love our customers, Care for our colleagues and Protect the Pounds & Euros...
By living our behaviours every day, we've created a land which is fun, friendly and full of surprises — a place where our people can truly be the best version of themselves!