Junior Buyer - The Sports Edit

From Merchandising and Marketing - Product Development and Design, through to Supply Chain and Space Planning - our mission is to bring stylish wardrobe, home and beauty essentials to our customers via an easy, inspiring shopping experience online and in store that will delight them every time.

As we accelerate the transformation of our business to suit the changing needs of our customer, we need results-orientated colleagues that not only have a passion for our product, but a strong team working ethos, creativity and a healthy commercial aim to join us on our journey. Being a part of M&S is exactly that – becoming a part and playing your part. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and always evolving business built on core values.

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…

As the Junior Buyer TSE you will be accountable for supporting the Senior Buyer in delivering the Branded Sportswear product strategy: through strong commercial judgement, range building, and cross-functional execution. You will be accountable for delivering product performance within the framework of the M&S Buying Model and the Sportswear growth plan

• Supplier and Brand Relationships: Build, maintain and, where relevant, lead effective relationships with key brand partners and suppliers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Online, Finance and Supply Chain to align buying decisions with financial, operational and customer objectives.

• Customer & Market Insight: Continuously monitor competitor activity, customer feedback and performance data, turning insight into action and ensuring the range remains relevant and differentiated. Consistently use data and trend analysis to influence future buying decisions and long-term category strategy.

• Product Data & Administration: Ensure product data accuracy and system integrity across all buying systems, maintaining alignment with pricing, imagery, and online presentation standards.

• Team Development: Support and mentor Buying Admin Assistants, ensuring a collaborative environment

• Range Delivery: Support the development, selection and delivery of a balanced, commercial and customer-relevant Sportswear range that aligns with the M&S Sportswear strategy, delivering to agreed sales, margin, and stock KPIs.

• Trading Performance: Track and analyse trading performance, identifying risks and opportunities across brands, categories, and channels (M&S.com, stores, and thesportsedit.com). Make proactive recommendations on in-season actions to maximise sales and minimise mark-down.

Who you are

Your key skills & experience

• • Experience in branded sports buying. Good understanding of the Sportswear market, with awareness of brand positioning, product trends and performance versus lifestyle dynamics.

• • Strong commercial acumen. Experience developing and trading commercially balanced ranges across multiple brands and categories

• • Proven ability to build effective relationships with brands, suppliers and cross-functional partners

• • Agile, adaptable and proactive, able to work at pace and respond to trading and operational challenges.

• • Strong communication and influencing skills, able to build alignment across teams and partners.

• • Numerate and analytical with sound judgement in balancing commercial decisions and customer focus.

  • 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.

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