Assistant Buyer - Hardware

About the role

Assistant Buyer - Hardware

12 Month FTC

Up to £45,000 + Hybrid Working (3 dyas per week in the office)

Southampton, Store Support Office

We believe anyone can improve their home to make life better. From our Southampton Store Support office (SSO) we equip our stores, our people, and our whole business with everything it takes to help our millions of customers create a home they’ll love. Join us as a Assistant Buyer and you’ll be a big part of this.

Key responsibilities

Work with the Buyer to create and deliver an inspirational product range that meets the needs of our customers. Driving sales, margin (£GM & GM%)

and market share across all channels, delivering vendor contributions, rebate, and retail price index targets through strong vendor partnerships. Be responsible for the

performance of specific subcategories and the relevant vendor relationships.

• Work alongside the Buyer to develop and implement a category proposition that meets our customer needs,

identifying opportunities and mitigating risk, whilst delivering against sales, margin, and market share targets

• Support the sourcing and development of a compelling product range, through developing relationships with new

and existing vendors, which reflect the category strategy

• Work alongside the Offer & Sourcing (O&S) team to shape and develop an own label proposition that meets the

needs of our customers and market

• Support the buying process, with an awareness of impact on cross functional teams, allowing for flexibility adhering

to a critical path, to ensure stock is ordered and delivered on time

• With the Buyer, support end to end vendor strategy management including contract and cost price negotiation,

delivery of vendor contributions and annual performance review

• Gather insights to support the creation of the category pricing hierarchy in line with framework principles, supporting

the Buying Assistant with inputs into the Minderest comparison tool

• With the category Merchandising team, support the product lifecycle including range performance, identifying and

optimising trading opportunities and the delivery of promotions and range reviews

• With the Visual Merchandising and Digital teams, support the creation and continuous improvement of customer

journeys within our physical stores and online

• With the Buying Assistant, co-ordinate and execute the sampling process for range development, including QA and

Lab set up requirements

• Work collaboratively with vendors, Marketing and Digital teams to support the acquisition and delivery of marketing

assets for range and trading, including leading on brochures for the Category (where required)

• With the Buying Assistant, ensure all products and vendors are set up in line with agreed processes, with accurate

complete data

• Use support tools such as Yammer to share category information and respond to queries
• Conduct regular store (digital & physical), competitor and vendor visits, to increase understanding of the market and

support the creation of the trading plan and inform decisions

• Manage and influence stakeholders across a range of levels, internally and externally, to support the delivery of

KPIs

• Undertake other duties from time to time as may be reasonably required

Required skills & experience

Required Skills & Experience

• Previous experience of sourcing and buying product ranges
• Ability to understand customer insights and market trends
• Experience in vendor management and contract negotiation
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• Ability to build relationships at all levels
• Attention to detail to assist with issue resolution and problem solving
• Experience of managing projects and holding stakeholders to account
• Commercial and financial awareness
• Flexible and adaptable
• Proactive
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills, in particular Excel and PowerPoint

What's in it for me?

As well as a competitive salary, our benefits package includes

• Award-winning pension scheme
• ShareSave options
• 6.6 weeks holiday
• Payroll giving
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Shopping discounts
• Colleague wellbeing benefits

…and much more.

We want to ensure that all employees, future employees, and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Find out more about us, including the benefits we offer and our community, sustainability, and inclusion projects at bandqcareers.com.

If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at

• ssorecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk
• recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk

We want to ensure that all employees, future employees and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk.

Rewards & benefits

Discount card

The one we all love! Get 20% discount on your purchases at B&Q in-store and online, after you've been with us for 1 month.

Share schemes

Share in the success you help create. With our shareplans, from just £5 per month, you can build up a savings pot, or use what you save to be a Kingfisher share holder.

Life assurance

If the worst should happen, Life Assurance ensures those close to you have some protection.

Employee assistance programme

We offer free and confidential support and counselling to help you through matters such as wellbeing, divorce, legal, and financial management.

Salary/Bonus

We offer competitive salaries for all roles, and benchmark them, to ensure that we’re getting it right. And, as we value the contribution of all our colleagues equally, whether they are 17 or 70, our rates of pay for each job is the same.

Pension

You’ll have access to the award-winning Kingfisher Pension Scheme, and we’ll put money in alongside your savings too.

Medical

We have a number of medical benefits available depending on your role to help you and your family look after yourselves.

Leave

All work and no play is no fun! So, you can enjoy 6.6 weeks' leave, plus we'll reward you with additional leave and cash rewards to celebrate long service anniversaries and milestone years.

Flexible working

The chance to achieve more balance between work and your other commitments.

Shopping discounts

Take advantage of fantastic discounts on loads of products and services, just for being a B&Q colleague!

Gym discounts

We have a network of over 3,300 health clubs offering discounts to colleagues and their partners of up to 25% on self-paid gym memberships.

Eye care

If you use a computer regularly for work, then we pay for your eye test every two years. If you do require glasses, then you’ll also get £50/€70 towards single focal lenses and frames too.

Cycling to work scheme

Whether you are thinking green, trying to get fit or saving money, our cycle to work scheme helps colleagues spread the cost and save money on any bike and safety equipment through salary sacrifice.

Long service

Just like most families, we like to celebrate anniversaries and milestone years. For every 10 years up to 40 years’ service we give extra annual leave and a cash payment.

Training & development

Learn & Develop at B&Q

When you join B&Q, we want you to be all you can be. From the minute you walk through our doors to the exciting moment you make that next career move, we're here to help you make the most of every opportunity. Thanks to our friendly learning system, LEO, we make sure you always have the support you need to take on every challenge and fit your learning around your life. Here, we know that the best way to grow is together.

Flexible learning with Leo

LEO is your every day, on the go learning and development partner. Helping you build the knowledge you need now and in the future. With LEO, you can access training and content, anywhere, anytime and on any device. You can even influence the type of training on offer by rating and recommending content, and letting us know what we can do to improve. Award-winning and featuring over 500 different learning activities - like short videos, articles, workshops and webinars - think of LEO as your 24/7 training pal, designed to help you make the most of your B&Q career journey.

Developing in role

Learning never stops at B&Q. Whether you've been in your role for one day or five years, there's always something to be curious about. It's why we're always creating learning opportunities and experiences that'll give you the chance to develop your skills. Like our

First Line Manager programme

a course that helps our newest line managers build their confidence and management skills. Or our Leadership Development programme that challenges our more experienced leaders to reflect on and adapt their approach for our ever-evolving ways of working.

Building expertise and know-how

We believe anyone can learn the technical skills to do their job with excellence. It's all about attitude and behaviour here. So, if you're passionate about customer service and design, we'll teach you how to create beautiful kitchens. If you're someone who loves being outdoors, we'll help you learn about our garden ranges. And, if you're someone who just loves what we do but doesn't know where to start, we'll help you find the perfect role for you to grow into.

Accelerated Development Talent Programmes

Whatever goal you're working to at B&Q, we want to help you get there. We do this by designing a number of programmes which help you to practice your skills and learn new ones, gain valuable experiences, learn from others and jump on opportunities that are right for you. From leaders taking their first steps into management to those simply looking for a new challenge, we're there to make sure you achieve your ambitions.

Induction

At B&Q, we want every new colleague to understand our values, our customers, and how we work together to achieve our purpose. That’s why we’ve designed an induction programme that’ll give you real insight into our business, our culture and help you feel included from day one. For your first few weeks on the job you’ll work with your team and line manager, mixing online learning with practical tasks, to grow your knowledge a little every day.

Take a tour around our office

Our Store Support Office sits within B&Q House and supports our colleagues and stores right across the UK and Ireland. In our bespoke, modern and eco-friendly building just north of Southampton, you’ll find a friendly team of talented people in a huge range of roles.

Explore our store support office

Facilities

In B&Q house, you’ll enjoy an onsite gym, a subsidised Costa, a canteen and restaurant, prayer room, plus open plan and cosy work spaces, an outdoor picnic area, and bike sheds for those who cycle in.

Sustainability

B&Q House has a biomass boiler, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. Our building also makes use of upcycled and recycled furniture and fittings, and features natural ventilation, heat retention and CO2 management, all via our very own weather station on the roof.

Why choose us?

Why Commercial at B&Q?

We want every visit to every one of our stores to be the start of something big for our customers. So, to go with the excellent service, our Commercial colleagues offer our customers a product range that ignites their imagination and kits them out with everything they need to tackle their boldest projects.

Ready to apply?

Step 1

Apply via bandqcareers.com

Step 2

We'll contact you for a phone interview

Step 3

We’ll carry out a face to face or online interview (and we may request a 2nd interview if the role you're applying for is more complex).

Step 4

We’ll contact you with feedback, and maybe even a job offer.

Check out our FAQs for more information about interviewing at B&Q.

Assistant Buyer - Hardware

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Eastleigh, Hampshire

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Fixed Term/Secondment - Fixed

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Competitive