Are you passionate about retail and eager to make a difference in the charity sector?
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is looking for a dynamic and proactive Junior Buyer to join our new goods Furniture and Electrical team for BHF Home Stores. This is a fantastic opportunity to support our mission and contribute to the development of new goods within our retail portfolio.
Our award-winning retail division is the largest and most successful charity retailer in the UK with rewarding careers in buying.
As a Junior Buyer, you will play a crucial role in supporting the Buyer and wider team in managing the range life cycle, strategic planning, and product development. You will work closely with suppliers, ensuring product quality and optimising stock availability.
As a Junior Buyer, your key responsibilities include:
- Strategically planning new goods furniture and electrical ranges for BHF Home stores in conjunction with Buyer, taking responsibility for a key area and presenting to senior retail management.
- Negotiating pricing, production, display, packaging and product detail
- Maintaining relationships with existing suppliers and sourcing new suppliers
- Communicating with suppliers to drive the critical path and optimise stock
- Working closely with the merchandising team to interpret sales history and analysis to support the buying strategy
- Reducing costs and improving quality of supply
- Achieving budgeted sales and margin for specific product category
- Maintaining the range plan and relevant documentation and systems
- Analysing consumer buying patterns and successfully predicting future trends
- Comparative shop reports, market research and identifying product trends
- Field liaison to gauge sales feedback and range balance alongside donated goods
- Communicating display guidelines and product information to the field teams
- Supporting the Buyer and wider team with administrative tasks
- Training and mentoring junior staff
- Maintaining a high level of QA awareness specific to product category
In this position you'll collaborate closely with multiple internal and external stakeholders including UK suppliers, Marketing, Merchandising and store field teams.
About you
We are looking for someone with experience in a Retail Head Office buying environment, preferably at the assistant buyer level.
You should have excellent negotiation and communication skills, a proven track record of success in buying goods, and a passion for retail, especially within the charity sector.
To succeed in this role you will:
- Proven track record of success in buying, product development, range planning and margin enhancement in a retail environment.
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills
- Strong commercial acumen and a keen eye for product
- Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Great organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to prioritise a busy workload
- A proactive attitude with an ability to think on your feet and problem solve whilst meeting tight deadlines and achieving targets
- A passion for Retail, especially within the Charity sector
- Ability to manage, motivate and develop direct reports
- IT proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint & SharePoint
Line management experience and working in retail shops would be beneficial. In return you get the chance to join a talented team that works on exciting projects that really make a difference.
Working arrangements
This is a blended role, where your work will be dual located between your home and our Northampton office (NN1 2AP).
At the BHF we believe in the power of being together, so our colleagues on blended contracts can expect to spend some time in their office, at least one day each week, on average. The use of our office spaces is driven in part by your role and the activities you need to do. This may vary from time to time, so you will need to work in a flexible way to unlock your best work for our cause.
About us
We value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, celebrate diversity, and make inclusion part of what we do every day.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, Igniting Change, along with our internal EDI group, Kaleidoscope, and a growing number of employee network groups (our Affinity Groups), help us create an environment where all our colleagues and volunteers can succeed.
Interview process
1st stage interviews will be a one-way video interview. 2nd stage will be a panel interview which will be held over MS Teams. These are due to take place mid-end of April.
How to apply
It’s quick and easy to apply for a role at the BHF. Just click on the apply button below. You need your up-to-date CV and a supporting statement, outlining your interest in the role and how you meet the role’s criteria.
As part of our commitment to be an inclusive employer, and ensure fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate for this role, the BHF will use anonymous CV software as part of the application journey.
Should you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us.
Please note that we are unlikely to be able to sponsor applicants for this role, as it does not meet the minimum salary criteria for sponsorship eligibility.