Buyer (12 months maternity cover)

N Brown – who we are and why work for us?  

N Brown is a leading UK digital retail platform for clothing, footwear, home and technology, headquartered in Manchester and employing over 1,200 people nationwide. Through our strategic retail brands JD Williams, Jacamo and Simply Be and our unique payments offering, we exist to champion inclusivity and serve the underserved. Our customers are our passion, and we take great pride in delivering products that ensure they can look and feel amazing, without compromising on choice, value and accessibility. 

We’re committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. Our vision is that by ‘championing inclusion, we’ll become the most loved and trusted fashion retailer’. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are, therefore, at the heart of our culture.

In May 2024 we were delighted to be named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024. We work hard to create a happy and inclusive culture for everyone and we’re so proud to have made this list - as voted for by our very own colleagues!

The role 

The Buyer role reports to a Head of Buying, working collaboratively to deliver the best ranges for our customer, as well as operating in the wider team structure such as Design, Merchandising, QA and Sourcing.

 The aim is to deliver a profitable and customer centric range that is relevant in the current market, whilst delivering key KPI’s and managing a team.

A day in the life of a Buyer at N Brown 

*        Lead the buying process for your category, delivering a customer-focused, commercially balanced and trend-led product range that reflects brand strategy and meets customer demand.

*        Champion the customer throughout the buying cycle, building a deep understanding of their lifestyle, preferences, shopping behaviours and feedback, and translating these insights into relevant product decisions.

*        Drive range planning using data, market insight, customer analytics and trend forecasting to create the right product mix, pricing architecture and level of newness.

*        Demonstrate a strong passion for product, proactively identifying emerging trends, and working closely with Design to interpret these into ranges that feel right the customer, ensuring alignment across silhouette, fabrication, colour, styling and price point.

*        Take ownership of category financial performance, monitoring sales, Bought-In Margin (BIM), pricing architecture and profitability to ensure competitive positioning in the market.

*        Lead sign-off’s and strategy meetings, presenting product vision, trend direction, customer insight and commercial strategy with clear recommendations.

*        Build strong supplier relationships, leading negotiations on costings and product development to achieve margin targets while maintaining product quality, fit and design integrity.

*        Travel regularly within the UK and internationally to source product, strengthen supplier relationships and ensure development aligns with brand and customer expectations.

*        Work closely with Merchandising to review weekly trade, reacting quickly to in-season performance and identifying risks and opportunities to maximise sales.

*        Collaborate with Marketing, E-commerce and Creative teams to shape product storytelling across all channels, contributing to campaign briefs, launches and photoshoots to ensure ranges are presented in the most compelling and customer-relevant way.

*        Support campaign planning, shoot selection and product prioritisation to ensure key trends, hero pieces and commercial drivers are effectively represented online and in marketing activity.

*        Lead and attend regular fit sessions, taking accountability for fit integrity and consistency across the range.

*        Maintain a strong focus on product quality, monitoring returns and customer feedback to identify issues early and drive continuous improvement in fit, fabrication and construction.

*        Oversee critical path management across suppliers to ensure on-time delivery while maintaining development and quality standards.

*        Conduct ongoing competitor analysis and market research to ensure the product offer remains relevant, differentiated and aligned with customer.

*        Manage, coach and develop Assistant Buyers and Buying Administrators, fostering a high-performing, product-focused team culture with clear development pathways.

*        Support the Head of Buying on strategic projects and cross-functional initiatives, acting as a key ambassador for the Buying function across the business.

KPI’s

*        Deliver department trading targets.

*        To inform the cost price, selling price which delivers the BIM.

*        To inform the demand and NAM on the area.

*        To inform the team’s development and performance on the segment.

*        To fully understand and meet the customer needs by increasing sales and lowering returns.

Key Stakeholders:

The Buyer is responsible to and works closely with the Head of Buying, Merchandising, QA and Design.

What skills and experience will you have?

*        Relevant experience in buying or similar.

*        Good analytical skills.

*        Creativity.

*        The ability to recognise future trends.

*        Excellent commercial awareness.

*        Communication skills.

*        Confidence and presentation skills.

*        Ability to make decisions under pressure.

*        Organised.

*        Negotiation skills.

*        Ability to meeting targets under pressure.

*        Attention to detail.

What’s in it for you?

• Hybrid working  (2-3 days in the office at a minimum)
• 24 days holiday (+ 8 bank holidays)
• Annual bonus scheme 
• Enhanced maternity and adoption leave 
• Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution 
• Mental Health support both internally and externally, including access to our wellbeing champions and counselling services  
• A range of financial wellbeing support  
• Stream - a financial wellbeing tool that helps you track your pay, access earnings early and manage your money with confidence
• Colleague discount across all N Brown brands 
• Onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts! 
• Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance 
• Paid volunteer time – all our colleagues can take a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice  

Ways of Working

We offer hybrid working which varies across the business depending on the role you’re in. Our Head Office is located in the Northern Quarter in Manchester City Centre. So if you are travelling by train, tram or bus we’re perfectly located, plus we’re surrounded by cool cafes, trendy bars and the best places to eat!