Head of Buying & Retail General Merchandise & Food

The Company

Quest Search & Selection are proud to represent one of UK's leading seasonal retailers who have different sites across the UK.

The Role

The objective of this Head of Buying & Retailis guiding the category development team to align product ranges with the retail strategy across all formats. Here you will collaborate with retailers and suppliers to execute the strategy, meet KPIs, and ensure an excellent guest experience.

Key Responsibilities of this Head of Buying & Retail (General Merchandise & Food)position -

• Collaboration with the Operations Director in Retail, Ents & Leisure to contribute to, refine the growth strategy, and action plans across Mini-Markets, Gift Shops, ensuring execution aligns with achieving sales and profit targets.
• Collaboration with Finance to ensure accurate budgeting, tracking, and management of sales and margin performance, while maintaining control over hours and wages.
• Coordination of year-end stock takes, including scheduling and managing processes with external auditors.
• Managing a turnover for circa 60 million to drive annual planning, promotions, SOPs, and training programs.
• Conducting buying trips to China and overseeing the buying and merchandising cycle and critical path for own brand gifting merchandise, including range strategy, product development, open-to-buy, and stock management.
• Supervising a team of Category Development Managers to achieve budgeted sales across all categories, including Ambient, Chill & Freeze Grocery, News & Mags, Tobacco, Licensed, Toys & Games, Gifting, Seasonal, and Vending.
• Leading Category Development Managers in developing category, ranging plans, and ensuring store compliance with planograms.
• Conduct financial analysis across retail formats, including pricing and promotional strategy.
• Fostering relationships with retail teams at all levels through visits and regular conference calls

Requirements for this Head of Buying & Retail (General Merchandise & Food)position -

• Ideally having 6 years + experience as Head of Buying/Category.
• Experience in holiday park/hospitality /entertainment industry that is seasonal that would be highly advantageous.
• Experience in new product development and far east sourcing is highly desirable.
• Critical path management
• If you have operational experience also in a retail or hospitality setting that would be advantageous
• Should have diving licence.
• Experience in P&L accountability.
• Have an understanding or experience of food safety standards and regulations.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of bricks and mortar retail.

Benefits that come along with this Head of Buying & Retail (General Merchandise & Food)position -

• £8,500 Car allowance
• Life assurance
• 20% friends and family discount
• 22 Holiday days (rising to 25 days)
• 50% in office (average 1 day a month in parks)
• Free parking
• Learning and development support

The role comprises of 60% buying/category planning and delivering on strategic commercial activities and 40% driving the operational duties of the sites.If this unique role sounds like you, please send your CV details quoting reference no.JO-2402-111284

We request that candidates send their CV as a Microsoft Word document where possible.

Quest Search and Selection is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.