The Role
Supports the Buying team across the product purchasing cycle by managing orders, invoices, suppliers, samples, fit meetings, labelling, ticketing, and critical paths. Monitors deliveries, supports trading reviews, researches competitors and market trends, and coordinates with merchandising, ecommerce, wholesale, and visual merchandising teams. The role requires strong organisation, numerical reasoning, communication, commercial awareness, and the ability to learn systems quickly.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 though 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
- 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 practises 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 Core Merchandising team for effective ways of working and internal teams (Ecommerce, Wholesale, Visual Merchandising) to provide full and correct collections for meetings
Key experience required:
- This is an entry level role so previous experience in Retail or as BAA is desirable, but not essential; a track record that demonstrates good work ethic is a must
- No specific qualifications are required for this role, just the ability to learn quickly and apply that learning
Job role competencies:
- Good verbal and numerical reasoning skills
- Intermediate MS Office skills
- Computer literate, able to learn new systems quickly
- Highly organised and pro-active, 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 is a must
About Us
We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. We understand our assignment, take ownership and deliver amazing results. Our people 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, that’s why we are the ultimate place to work. Winning together is what a career at River Island is like.
This role is based at our Head Office, Chelsea House, in West London. Check us out here on a map.
What we can offer you:
💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
🛒 Reducing your 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 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!
💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
🎓 Progression focus throughout Retail & Head Office. Support with upskilling skills through on the job training and qualifications.
💰We contribute toward your retirement and offer a private pension plan.
This role is based at our Head Office, Chelsea House, in West London. Check us out here on a map.
What we can offer you:
💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
🛒 Reducing your 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 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!
💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
🎓 Progression focus throughout Retail & Head Office. Support with upskilling skills through on the job training and qualifications.
💰We contribute toward your retirement and offer a private pension plan.
☀️ 23 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!
Keeping You Safe
We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We expect all employees to uphold our values and contribute to a positive working environment.
Our business is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.
Our business is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.
Skills Required
- Good work ethic
- Ability to learn quickly and apply learning
- Good verbal and numerical reasoning skills
- Intermediate Microsoft Office skills
- Computer literacy and ability to learn new systems quickly
- Strong organisation and time management skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Commercial and market awareness
- Interest in the product and River Island brand
- Previous retail or Buyers Admin Assistant experience
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The Company
What We Do
Family owned from day one, we’ve been a big part of life on the UK high street for over 70 years. Today, still guided by shared values and a clear focus on our customers, we’re one of the strongest and most successful fashion brands around. And we’re changing like never before – exploring new ways to connect with our customers in person and online. And our talented Islanders are thinking differently about everything from products and stores to wellbeing and sustainability. The result is an energising culture you’ll love, work that’ll stretch you, a career you can build and a brand you’ll be proud to belong to. This is life on the island. Come and be part of it.
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