Category Assistant, Home & Tech or Fashion

About the role:

The roles we are recruiting for are within the Home and Technology and the Fashion category.

**This role would be known externally as Buying Assistant.**

As a Category Assistant within John Lewis, you will be responsible for managing the critical path and interacting with multiple teams to drive this from idea to launch. You will be a process expert supporting end to end buying tasks including range building, marketing briefs and range plan processes. You will take pride in executing work in a timely, accurate manner and you will be able to flex to the ebb and flow of seasonal demands, including supporting more than one category area as and when required.

The role also involves tracking the product development cycle and production timelines in own branded areas, sample and packaging management, supporting pricing & promotional activities, nominating for seasonal marketing campaigns and completing competitor and last season analysis for assortment reviews.

As a Partner, you will have an active say in the way we operate, performing daily analysis around key operational areas and proposing actions to support Trading activity.

To achieve this, you will need to build strong relationships with key collaborators. As part of a matrix team, you will have the opportunity to work closely with the Buyer, Merchandiser, Product Launch Operations, Design, Sourcing and Marketing as well as external suppliers, helping you to gain the broadest experience possible.

• You will set up and manage the critical path for your assigned CPG areas by collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure the product is developed on time.

• You will be responsible for completing marketing/online nomination templates with hero products and trends put forward by your CPG team.

• You will be responsible for coordinating with Suppliers and internal teams to deliver digital assets and samples required for marketing activities/events online and in branches.

• You will complete market, competitor and assortment analysis, working with suppliers and internal teams to collate samples for range building and assortment reviews.

• You will be responsible for executing administrative tasks to support packaging development where required.

• You will be responsible for executing administrative tasks to support pricing activities.

• You will be responsible for making sure any delays/issues are reported to your CPG Team appropriately and immediately.

• You will understand supplier performance and propose appropriate actions to tackle underperformance .

• You will build strong relationships with key collaborators.

Essential skills you’ll need:

• Previous experience working in buying - this also includes work experience/shadowing.

• Great organisational skills, with the ability to manage processes to SLAs, and excellent time management and prioritisation

• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiating skills, with the ability to build both internal and external relationships.

• Strong commercial awareness and understanding.

• Experience of working with range plans, critical paths, assortment review and marketing nomination processes.

• Experience of using Google Suite and Excel.

Benefits of the Partnership and the role:

• You will enjoy 25% discount at John Lewis and 20% in Waitrose

• The Partnership has a competitive pension scheme where your contributions will be matched by the Partnership (up to 8% of pay)

• Excellent work life balance, including focus on well being and flexible working and our marketing leading equal parenthood leave Policy

Find out more about the extensive range of exciting benefits that you could enjoy when you join us on our website under About the Partnership; Benefits.

Next Steps:

• The application form consists of a CV upload followed by application questions. Please ensure you refresh the page each time you complete a task to ensure you complete everything that you need to in time. (If internal, check your Workday notifications and see further guidance on the PDW under "Internal application process").

• Once you've submitted an application the next steps of the process, if successful, are likely to include a 1 stage virtual interview.

• You'll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process. Let us know, and we'll be sure to discuss it with you.

• Thanks for your patience in the meantime and for showing an interest in joining JLP.

If internal, you can view a copy of the full job outline here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zv1N5NI-vfKMfbQiASMjB_gOMJN4jYE2/view?usp=sharing

For internal use only:

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