River Island is looking for a Buying Admin Assistant to join the team in London.
The Buying team at River Island play a key role in realising the commercial opportunities created by our unique designs across all of our channels. This is achieved through effective range planning, awareness of key commercial data and customer trends, excellent supplier relations and internal networks, and execution of the Buying Strategy to deliver sales and profit plans. The Buyers Admin Assistant supports this through the smooth running of the critical path through the whole Buying cycle, from placing purchase orders, creating and maintaining the critical path, attending fit sessions and maintaining the sample library.
Key Accountabilities of the Buying Admin Assistant:
Efficient and accurate order and invoice management, including maintenance of supplier base details and fabric orders
Effective sample management, including labelling, working with suppliers, maintaining the development tracker and ensuring the correct samples are available to support meetings
Supporting fit meetings with relevant paperwork and rails
Co-ordinating labelling and ticketing to a high standard
Monitor and review Critical Path, ensuring dates and deliveries on track and highlighting risks to the Assistant Buyer/Buyer
Support weekly trading reviews, updating and providing information to the Buying team as needed
A working knowledge of competitors, key market trends, customers and channels; produce comp shops with recommendations to positively impact performance
Through a working knowledge of sustainability practices and ethical trading, ensure that work duties are managed responsibly so as not to have any detrimental impact throughout the supply chain
Work cross-functionally with the Core Merchandising team for effective ways of working and internal teams (Ecommerce, Wholesale, Visual Merchandising) to provide full and correct collections for meetings
What River Island is looking for:
Experience in Retail or as a BAA is not required; just a track record that demonstrates a good work ethic
Good verbal and numerical reasoning skills
A minimum of intermediate Microsoft Office skills.
Computer literate, able to learn new systems quickly
Highly organised and proactive, good time management skills
Collaborative, with strong communication and interpersonal skills
Good commercial and market awareness
Disciplined and conscientious, results-oriented
Resilient and adaptable with the ability to multitask
Curious, continuous learning mindset
Takes initiative
A keen interest in Product and the River Island brand
No specific qualifications are required for this role, just the ability to learn quickly and apply that learning
About River Island
We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.
This role is based at our Head Office in West London.
What River Island offers:
Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.
A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
Flexible working, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
23 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!
