Description
Location: Poole
Diversity matters
We are building a brand that represents the people of the world. It’s what you do that counts, and we are always looking to expand perspectives and voices to shape our future.
We see you, we celebrate you, we want you!
Who we are
You might know us as the inventors of the bath bomb, but there’s more to this great-smelling, partly employee-owned, family-run company than pioneering cosmetics. We believe our business should put more back into the world than it takes and demonstrate that capitalism can be a force for good.
The Living Wage Foundation’s statement 'a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay' is one that we are proud to commit to in the UK. As an accredited Living Wage employer, we put our people first and fight cruel practices like animal testing, promote regeneration, and show that it is what’s inside that counts - whether that’s an ingredient in a product, or the minerals in a smartphone.
The role
Buying is firmly embedded at the heart of Lush. We are a passionate, committed team dedicated to ‘leaving the world Lusher than we found it’ through everything we do.
While our first question is always whether a product needs packaging - our love of naked products means we remove it where we can - we place great importance on the packaging we do use, from using recycled materials to designing with end of life in mind. Print is at the heart of this role - a fast-moving, creatively demanding remit from campaign materials to product packaging and labels. As a Print and Packaging Buyer at Lush, you will build the most resilient, creative print and packaging portfolio: one that supports the business commercially while having a genuinely positive environmental and social impact.
Want to see where a career at Lush could take you? Head over here to explore real stories of growth and development across the business.
Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive an overwhelming response or our business requirements change.
Key Responsibilities
* Be an internal expert on print and packaging, advising Design, Creative, R&D and Product teams on the most suitable solutions, suppliers and processes for Lush projects, and supporting Global Buyers to localise work for their markets
* Lead the strategy for your remit, setting clear direction for cost, environmental and social improvements across an expanding portfolio with clear deliverables.
* Own your supplier relationships end to end, managing contracts, tendering and continuous supply, while building long-term partnerships grounded in innovation and shared ethics.
* Negotiate costs, stockholding agreements, payment terms and lead times for new items and campaigns, providing clear and timely information to internal teams to ensure launches are delivered on time
* Bring innovation in: source new materials, finishes and processes that align with Lush’s regenerative vision and introduce creative options to the business
* Build the supplier landscape, carrying out local and international supplier visits and attending trade shows to build relationships and bring back inspiration that strengthens the category.
* Work with our Supply Chain Impact team to ensure all suppliers meet Lush’s non-animal testing and buying policies, actively supporting partners on the journey towards regenerative practices
* Ensure compliance by working with internal teams to onboard suppliers and materials and capture all relevant documentation to meet current and evolving packaging legislation.
* Apply end-of-life thinking at the design stage, evaluating new packaging solutions against Lush standards and policies.
* Work in close partnership with Procurement to ensure we have the right products at the right time and at the right cost.
* Represent Buying across the business, from contributing to training and Immersions to external industry events, helping communicate Creative Buying as a core Lush value.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* 5+ years of experience in a print or packaging buyer role, or an equivalent trade position, a strong advantage
* Deep fluency in print technologies and processes: litho, digital, flexo, substrates and finishes - with genuine curiosity about innovation in print and materials
* An expert negotiator able to secure the best outcome for Lush while building supplier relationships that last
* Natural problem solver who thrives in complexity, able to identify blockers early, think creatively and deliver solutions without losing momentum
* A confident, clear communicator who can translate technical data for non-technical audiences, influence stakeholders and work effectively across diverse, global teams
* An understanding of circular design principles, recyclability assessment, recycled materials and relevant packaging legislation.
* Confident and considerate decision maker, whilst being comfortable with providing reasoning for your decisions to the business
* A passion for LUSH will ensure you will be a fantastic ambassador for the brand!
Benefits
* 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
* 6 months of full pay for parental leave (primary caregiver must qualify for SMP)*
* Enhanced paternity leave*
* Bonus scheme
* Day off for weekday birthdays
* Holiday purchase scheme
* 50% discount on Lush products and spa treatments
* Cycle to work scheme
* Discounted rail and bus season tickets
* Employee assistance programme
* There’s a big difference between "Flexible Working " (the legal minimum) and working flexibly. What that looks like varies from role to role and location to location. We actively welcome conversations about what working flexibly could mean and look like for you.
* We’re 10% Employee Owned - all colleagues play a role in protecting our ethics, our independence, contributing ideas for the future and share in the rewards of success when the company is doing well.
* Wellbeing & mindfulness sessions
* Access to employee-led Community Networks, including Disability and Chronic Illness, Family Support, Global Majority (Race and Ethnicity), LGBTQIA+, Menopause and Neurodiversity communities.
* Tailored gender affirming care*
Qualifying period/hours required*
We believe that your information is yours and that it is Lush's responsibility to process your personal information in a secure, fair and accurate manner. Every individual processed by LUSH has certain rights over their data, which are detailed in our Privacy Notice here .
Since establishing in 1995 in Poole, Dorset, Lush has been driven by innovation and its ethics.
Creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bomb, shower jellies and solid shampoo bars, we place emphasis on fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables, fight against animal testing and combat over-packaging by developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the customer without any packaging.
We currently operate in 52 countries with 928 global shops. Through our separate business divisions we invent, manufacture and sell our handmade products direct to our customers through our own shops and online. The fact that we make all our products by hand is something we are really rather proud of!
Lush is 10% Employee Owned since 2017 and our people are the heart and soul of our business.