Buying Admin Assistant Third Party Brands

Team
Fashion, Home & Beauty
Store
London Support Office
Location
London, Greater London
Contract type
Permanent
Position type
Full Time
Salary
Competitive + Benefits
Closing date: 5th May 2026
Apply now

How We Hire

Everyone is welcome at M&S. No exceptions. It’s your background, abilities and differences that make you, uniquely you. And when you’re part of M&S, that individuality has the potential to make waves.

About the role

This section tells you all you need to know about the position and its responsibilities, outlining everything we hope to see in a successful candidate.

Summary
Join a fast-paced, dynamic Brands team as a Buying Admin Assistant (BAA), supporting some of the leading names on the high street.

This is a fantastic entry-level opportunity within the branded buying team at M&S, perfect for someone detail-oriented, organised, and confident in a fast-moving, transformational environment.

In this role, you’ll provide vital administrative support across multiple product areas, owning the critical path and ensuring accurate, on-time product set-up. You’ll also help maintain key data and support the team in delivering against the buying cycle.

There’s also the opportunity to support the Assistant Buyer by attending branded appointments and contributing to buying decisions.

Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, excellent time management, effective communication, and the ability to build relationships with both internal teams and external brand partners.

All the details
Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:· 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you’ve completed your probation· Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more· Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours [*REMOVE THIS FOR RLA/B roles*]· Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future· Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one· Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal· Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave· 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services· One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

What you’ll do

Your key responsibilities will include

  • Manage product set-up via the M&S buying portal by liaising with brands and offshore teams to ensure accurate pricing, product attribution, and timely receipt of brand assets, while monitoring and leading critical path meetings to identify risks and drive solutions that keep all stages on schedule.
  • Prepare Sign-Off and Trading Packs to support key meetings.
  • Manage sample requests and sign-offs.
  • Build strong relationships with internal teams (Merchandising, .com) and external partners to support product delivery and launches.
  • Stay informed on product trends and competitors while developing a strong understanding of key brand partners and the M&S customer, providing valuable feedback to the team.

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include

  • Experience in buying or retail environment, ideally working at BAA level, with a strong passion for fashion brands as well as a solid understanding or desire to learn the end-to-end buying process and critical path management
  • Highly organised with excellent attention to detail, able to anticipate and manage problems, prioritise tasks and escalate when necessary.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook) and quick to learn new systems, with a solid understanding or desire to learn the end-to-end buying process and critical path management.
  • Good communication skills; communicating clearly using phone, email, VC etc.
  • Comfortable working in a fast paced, agile workplace

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

#LI-AP1

#hybrid

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Adam Junior Merchandiser
Kadeem Assistant Merchandiser

Merchandising is all about getting the right stock, in the right place, in the right quantities, to drive up profit. So I like getting out to stores, seeing the products on display and hearing what customers are saying. That helps me to seize the moment and capitalise on current opportunities to go way beyond forecast.

Adam (He / Him) | Junior Merchandiser Read full story

I am fascinated by fashion trends but for me it really makes sense when I see the sales figures on screen. When I’m able to paint the picture with percentages, we can be more innovative as a team.

Kadeem (He / Him) | Assistant Merchandiser Read full story

Benefits

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Colleague Networks

We want you to feel supported, no matter what.

Health and Wellbeing Network

Providing a safe space for colleagues with all types of health conditions or disabilities and supporting with business initiatives to ensure our stores are truly accessible for our customers.

Culture and Heritage Network

Raising awareness of various religions and cultures through events and comms, to educate others and better represent our M&S colleagues and customers.

Menopause Network

Initiating and encouraging open conversations about menopause by offering support and sharing experiences.

Gender Equality Network

Addressing gender-related challenges, raising awareness, and driving action to ensure equal opportunities for all.

Cancer Network

Fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, addressing stigma, providing guidance and raising awareness to empower and assist colleagues affected by cancer.

Family & Carers Network

A support network for parents and carers, offering a space for colleagues to share experiences, exchange ideas, and access useful resources.

LGBTQ+ Network

Proactively representing LGBTQ+ issues and opportunities to deliver a truly inclusive place to work and shop for our colleagues and customers.

Forces Community Network

Supporting colleagues connected to the Armed Forces, aiding their transition to civilian life, and ensuring that they thrive in the workplace.

How to Apply

Here’s what to expect at each stage of the application process. This can change depending on the role you’ve applied to. If you need any reasonable adjustments made at any stage, let us know and we can help.

Send us your application

Fill in our short application form and hit submit.

Online assessment

We’ll invite you to take part in an online assessment. This could be before or after your interview.

Interview

We'll invite you to join us for an interview. This could be remote or in person. Here, we'll ask you some role based technical questions and examine the behaviours we're looking for. 

Decision

After we’ve decided, we’ll be in touch. If you’ve been successful, we’ll officially invite you to join the team and let you know the next steps.

Buying Admin Assistant Third Party Brands

Team
Fashion, Home & Beauty
Store
London Support Office
Location
London, Greater London
Contract type
Permanent
Position type
Full Time
Salary
Competitive + Benefits
Closing date: 5th May 2026
Reference: 117498