Assistant Buyer

Are you a passionate Buying Assistant or Junior Buyer looking to take your career to the next level, in the fast paced world of cruise retail?  

Can you work effectively as part of a team in a fast-paced environment, utilising strong planning, organisation, and interpersonal skills?  

If so, the Assistant Buyer vacancy here at Harding+ could be the perfect opportunity for you! 

About the role: 

As an Assistant Buyer, you will support the Buyers in our Duty Free categories (focusing on beauty) with range selection, product development, assortment planning and supplier meetings. You’ll represent your category and the company by maintaining positive relationships with suppliers, whilst negotiating terms and pricing, and developing other key relationships internally and externally. 

This is a great time to join our Buying team, with opportunity for growth and exposure to new and exciting projects across all categories in a global business.  

The role is offered on a hybrid working basis, typically with 2-3 days per week in our Avonmouth office plus additional national/international travel as required.  

Compensation – competitive salary, bonus scheme, pension, 4 x life assurance, healthcare, 25 days leave annually (including Christmas shutdown)   

What you’ll be doing:  

Vendor Management  

• Support the Buyer in liaising with all vendors, reporting on performance, managing critical path meetings and supporting in negotiations. 

Range Management  

• Support the Buyer with maintenance of the category range across all ships.  
• Obtain samples for range reviews, and update critical paths and schedules for new product launches.   
• Oversee the maintenance & management of Buying data ensuring accuracy  
• Review weekly trade and contribute to the department trading meeting, developing and producing business reports/trade decks, as required in order to monitor the categories performance. 

Cross-functional working  

• Work in partnership with teams across Merchandising, Marketing, Operations and Customer Service to ensure optimal category performance and guest experience. 

About you: 

• Previous experience in a Buying Assistant role in a retail environment is essential, ideally working in the beauty category 
• A team player who relishes the opportunity of working within an entrepreneurial environment and delivering results against challenging targets 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and attention to detail is crucial, with strong presentation skills an advantage 
• Adaptable attitude towards change, opportunities and project management as designated from time to time 
• High level of competence with the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Microsoft Excel   
• Structured planning, organisation and time management skills 
• Must have an existing right of eligibility to work in the UK 

Key Attributes – trust, collaboration, respect, passion, drive, resilience   

About us:   

Harding+ is leading the way in innovative onboard cruise retailing, working closely with our cruise line partners and brand partners to ‘make every cruise better’.? We stay at the forefront of retailing and consistently provide outstanding customer service, culminating in winning the Cruise Retailer of the Year award for 2022 and 2023.   

Harding+ is an equal opportunities employer.  We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success, making recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills.  We value your passion to discover, invent, simplify, and build.  Protecting your privacy and the security of your data is a longstanding top priority for Harding+.   

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