Role Purpose:

The Assistant Buyer is responsible for supporting the Buyer in all areas of category management.

Playing a vital part in supporting the end-to-end process of developing & launching new products.

Your key objective is to support the buyer in delivering the department strategy, exceeding all financial targets, and managing the day-to-day tasks of trading the category. You will deliver vital administrative support and feed into a highly dynamic and creative category. 

Key skills:

• Ability to look ahead and plan
• Clear and effective communicator
• Adaptable and flexible to changing priorities
• Ability to focus and make progress working with multiple deadlines
• Organised & able to prioritise and manage own time as well as others  
• Evidence of persuading & influencing others and developing successful relationships, a natural a team player

Reports to: Confectionery Buyer

Direct Reports: Confectionery Buying Assistant 

Key Accountabilities:

• Supporting the buyer throughout the new product development process from idea conception through to launch, managing and updating the critical path to ensure launches stay on track.
• Communicate progress on new launches to teams across the business at the relevant stage of the critical path, and carry out product training when new products launch in store.
• Focus on owning and delivering launches for some of our seasonal campaigns, identifying trends, building out a range, and working across our supplier base and with internal stakeholders to launch these ranges.
• Demonstrate good attention to detail, ensuring accuracy of data management and data entry on our systems and across multiple range plans.
• Strong commercial awareness - analysing sales performance, understanding product costs, retail pricing and margins. Run and update weekly trade reports for analysis with the buyer.
• Demonstrate a passion for food products and innovation, carrying out market reviews and sharing ideas for newness. Have an authentic and passionate understanding of brand, product, and the competition within the market.
• Work cross-functionally across many teams within Fortnum’s, developing and maintaining effective relationships, and well as developing positive working relationships across the supply base.
• Supporting the management and development of the confectionery assistant buyer. 

Management:

• NPD
• Sales Analysis
• Margin/ ROI
• Ranging
• Sales
• Negotiation
• Product Knowledge
• Problem Solving
• Supplier Management

Role Specific Criteria (Experience/Behaviours/Technical Ability)

We expect the successful candidate to have the following skills and experience: 

• Excellent Microsoft Office skills
• Experience of working with people in a dynamic and ever-changing environment.
• You will be organised, forward thinking, resilient and highly adaptable to the needs of the business.
• You will be most effective in this role if you are a team player, who can manage your own time as well others.
• You will have a collaborative approach to your work and be an exceptional communicator, both written and spoken, confident in influencing stakeholders across the business.
• A keen eye for detail in this role is essential.
• You will relish problem solving and overcoming challenges that you will face daily, both systematic and creative.
• You can demonstrate an ability to quickly learn about product and have a passion for quality and the brand.
• You will be excellent in managing multiple tasks and projects at the same time and have a positive outlook and can do proactive attitude.
• You will enjoy the balance in this role encompassing both a need for being organised and structured to being creative and innovation led.

We are committed to developing your career and nurturing your talent, regardless of age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation. We respect and embrace each other's differences, to create a truly inclusive environment.

In the last year alone, our people have been recognised and celebrated, winning awards for their outstanding contributions to Retail, Technology, Global Hospitality & Tourism, Visual Merchandising & Display, Customer Service and Local Community Awards.

In return, we offer:

• A competitive salary
• A generous store and restaurant discount of up to 40%
• 25 days holidays (excluded bank holidays) and an extra day off for your birthday
• A fantastic subsidised staff restaurant which uses Fortnum’s ingredients
• A range of opportunities to develop and grow personally and professionally
• Excellent pension scheme