Buying Assistant

Location

Hybrid working with 1-3 days per week in our Support Centre

Why The Works?

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

You sell the paint that turns someone into an artist. You provide the book that unleashes an inner author. You supply the games that help bring families together. You give someone the puzzle book that reconnects someone with a late family member’s memory.

You never know who someone will become. So with your passion, and our products, you will help ignite the spark in helping people unleash their creativity, find new passions, hobbies, or rekindle fond memories.

The unseen possibilities are limitless, and it all starts with you.

Become a Buying Assistant

Are you passionate about retail and progressing your career in buying?

Then look no further because we are always on the lookout for talented individuals who want to start or develop their buying career.

You will be working in a fast-paced, rewarding environment with a dynamic & talented team. If we stock it, we buy it!? We responsibly source and buy great quality products that allow us to give our customers the best offers, range, quality and price.?

…The amazing part of this? You’ll play a really important role in making sure we do this well.

Your Mission

• Helping your manager keep tabs on supplier performance, finding new potential suppliers, and nurturing long-term relationships with them.
• Checking out our stores and website regularly, keeping an eye on what customers are into, trends, and what our competitors are up to. This helps us figure out what products we need to stock in the future.
• Putting together reports and conducting market analysis.
• Pitching in to come up with awesome new products and ranges based on what we know about our customers and the market.
• Haggling with suppliers to get the best deals possible for our products, all in line with what our customers want and our overall strategy, with some guidance from your manager.
• Helping out with planning and running trade, promotions, and events.
• Handling samples; getting them from suppliers, to storing them and then getting rid of them when we're done.
• Working with suppliers and quality teams to make sure our products are top-notch.
• Making sure new products and suppliers get set up properly and on time.
• Keeping all the systems and trackers in your department up to date, like setting up new product lines and making sure everything launches on time.
• Team up with the merchandisers, to make sure we're making the most of sales opportunities and getting products out to our customers when we say we will.
• Assisting your buyer with putting together internal communications and presentations.

Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• A passion for fast moving retail
• Influencing, stakeholder management & negotiation skills
• Able to analyse data
• Product Development/Sourcing experience is desirable but not essential

Our PERKS really are 'The Works’

• 25% Colleague Discount! -Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more!
• Holiday - 33 days including bank holidays.
• Holiday Purchase - Purchase an additional 5 days
• Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• Wagestream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them - for when 'life’ happens!
• Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Mono
  poly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• Healthcare Cash Plan - To support your everyday healthcare costs
• And loads more! - Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading. learning, creativity and play - making lives more fulfilled.

Our Values

We are Crafty | We are Caring| We are Can-do

We Listen. We Care

Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussing part-time and flexible working and, where possible, will try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!