Senior Buyer
Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
Permanent
£38k Circa
Our client based in South Wales, is proud to be an employee-owned company, and has been trading for over 25 years, selling online high-quality products.
As part of their ongoing development and growth they are now seeking a Senior Buyer to add greater focus and value to their product sourcing function. They are looking to appoint someone to add expertise, fresh ideas, and endeavour to their small but perfectly formed business.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking to recruit a commercial, product-focused leader to own and grow our client’s product offering end-to-end in line with their brand strategy. This person will lead their existing purchasing team, help define the product strategy and actively drive new brand and product acquisition whilst ensuring the product range is well-merchandised, profitable, and aligned with their customers’ needs and demands.
This is a hands-on leadership role, ideal for someone with a strong background in execution wanting to take ownership for the buying function within a business.
Key Responsibilities
Product Strategy
Own the overall product vision and roadmap
Define category strategy (core, growth, experimental)
Identify gaps and opportunities in existing collections
Balance heritage brands with new, emerging suppliers
Develop ‘exclusive’ product ranges and brand partnerships
New Brand & Product Acquisition
Work with the existing team to identify, source and onboard new brands and products
Build and maintain strong supplier relationships
Negotiate commercial terms, exclusives, and MOQs
Evaluate products based on: customer demand, margin, and stock risk, brand fit and long-term potential
Buying & Inventory Leadership
Line management and mentor the existing purchasing team
Set clear buying frameworks and decision-making standards
Oversee forecasting, rebuys, and range depth
Appreciate the impact that buying has on cashflow and stock health
Product Lifecycle Management
Develop lifecycle stages to maintain stock health: launch ? Peak ? Decline ? End of Line
Monitor performance and make data-informed decisions that support the management team and business
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Act as the product voice across the business
Work closely with: Marketing Team (launches, content, positioning) and Operations Team (availability, lead times, logistics)
Ideal Background & Experience
To be suitable for this role, you will need:
Essential
Experience in buying, product management, or merchandising (retail or e-commerce)
Proven ability to own a product range end-to-end. This includes proven experience in identifying, building, and maturing a product range or brand
Strong commercial judgement and negotiation skills
Comfortable and flexible leading a small team in a hands-on environment
Possess the ability to constantly improve processes within the business
Desirable
Experience in specialist or enthusiast retail
Brand sourcing or international supplier experience
An understanding of international logistics
CIPS qualification
Personality & Working Style
Commercial but customer-obsessed
Comfortable making decisions with imperfect data
Enjoys building structure and processes
Happy to roll up sleeves and be flexible in a small, fast-moving business
Comfortable working collaboratively within a small team
Benefits
21 days holiday, plus bank Holidays
Pension scheme; 4% from employee and employer
Annual EOT bonus
Job Type: Full time, Permanent
Work Location: In person, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 17:00PM
Hours: 37.5hrs Per week