Marks & Spencer - Manager - Buying (5-10 yrs)

Job Title: Manager Buying.

Experience: 5+ Years.

Key Deliverables (Essential Functions & Responsibilities of the Job):

- To formulate a detailed plan for the products to be offered each quarter.

- Range presentation to sign off the BU plan with the Buying and Merchandising Head.

- Booking quantities of products to meet launch and respond to in-season variables.

- Generating analysis to be able to support buying decisions.

- Reacting to sales Information and working with suppliers to revise production flows and maximize sales.

- Agreeing and reviewing targets for sales, margin, stock, commitment and availability.

- Assisting operating plan review and lessons learnt.

- Completing catalogue intentions and IRP.

- Managing the plans for all markdown periods.

- Agreeing on the range production plan with the manager and monitoring suppliers.

- Working with the supplier for the prompt input of flows to ensure alignment between production and commitment.

- Production plans to manage MSI capacity.

- Provide information to the retail team to allow them to provide layout plans to stores.

- Providing input into price point strategy for ranges.

- Maintaining awareness of the competition's product offer.

- Planning, optimizing and reviewing the catalogue by shape of the chain.

- Implementing and exploiting new systems and processes.

Key Requirement:

- Operating Plan for the department.

- Product selection from Marks and Spencer global catalogue that captures trend, volume and key drivers.

- Local product development to address local requirements, gaps in the offer and margin opportunity.

- Flow and phasing planning.

- Product bought to plan.

- Product delivered to critical path.

- Managing the catalogue plan.

- Plan to develop a shorter lead time product in season.

- Develop 'value fashion' for tier 2 markets.

- Work with VM and Marketing to deliver and highlight the 'look'.

- Maximize product opportunity in 'peak selling' eg. gifting in.