Head of Buying (Maternity Retail)

About Seraphine:

Seraphine is a global leader in maternity and nursing wear. With over two decades of experience, we help women feel confident in their changing bodies and enable them to continue to express the choice and style they had prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy, whilst providing them with product innovations that make motherhood a breeze.

We're more than just a clothing brand. We're a community that understands the unique needs and challenges of expectant and new mothers. Our commitment to quality, comfort, and style has made us a trusted choice for women worldwide.

Workplace and Culture:

Driven by innovation and a passion for excellence, our team thrives on achieving market-leading results. We value resourcefulness, dependability, and diverse perspectives, fostering a culture of go-getters who push boundaries every day. At Seraphine, we do what we love and invite exceptional individuals from all backgrounds to join us on this exciting journey.

Job Summary:

The Head of Buying will be responsible for developing and executing the buying strategy that aligns with Seraphine's vision and objectives. This role involves leading the buying team, managing supplier relationships, analysing market trends, and ensuring that our product offerings meet customer demands while maximizing profitability. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in fashion buying, exceptional negotiation skills, and a keen eye for emerging trends.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a comprehensive buying strategy that aligns with business goals, customer preferences, and market trends.
2. Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of buyers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture focused on achieving sales targets and customer satisfaction.
3. Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, competitive landscape, and consumer behaviour, ensuring that the product assortment remains relevant and appealing.
4. Supplier Management: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and vendors, negotiating favourable terms and conditions to optimize product quality and cost.
5. Product Selection: Oversee the selection and booking of seasonal collections, ensuring a balanced and diverse product range that meets seasonal demand and aligns with the brand identity.
6. Sales Performance: Monitor sales performance and inventory levels, making data-driven decisions to optimise stock levels and product mix while minimising markdowns in conjunction with Merchandising.
7. Collaboration: Work closely with the design, merchandising and marketing teams to ensure cohesive brand messaging and timely product launches.
8. Budget Management: Develop and manage the buying budget, ensuring alignment with financial goals and tracking expenditures effectively.
9. Reporting: Provide regular reports and insights on buying performance, market trends, and competitor analysis to senior management.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or a related field; MBA is a plus.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in fashion buying or a related field, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of fashion trends, consumer behaviour, and retail strategies.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Proven track record of successful supplier management and product assortment strategy.
• Ability to analyse data and make strategic decisions based on market insights.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits:

• Annual leave entitlement - 25 days FTE paid holiday + any bank/public holidays.
• Birthday Leave - Paid day off for birthday to be taken within 30-day time frame.
• Early finish Friday - Early finish on Fridays at 3pm (or another agreed day).
• Core Hours - Core hours are from 10:00am - 4:30pm.
• Staff discount - Employee will be entitled to 50% off on full-price & 20% on sale items.
• Life Assurance - Insured for a lump sum benefit of 4 x their basic annual salary, which shall be paid tax free at the discretion of the trustees to their nominated beneficiary.
• Income Protection - if an employee is unable to work, as a result of illness or injury for a prolonged period, they will be entitled to a monthly payment of 50% of their salary.
• Auto-enrolment Pension Scheme - 5% Employee and 3% Employer contribution.

Upon successful completion of the probationary period:

• Salary Exchange Benefits via Enjoy Benefits Hub.
• Health Cash Plan: Medicash - Claim back the total or some costs of several health related services, such as Dental Treatment, Eye Tests/Glasses, Physio etc.

On the completion of 1 years' service:

• Electric Car Scheme - 1 car per person (Salary sacrifice).
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave.