Buying Admin Asst Advanced

We have an exciting opportunity at M&S for a Buying Admin Assistant to join our International Buying Team. This role comes at a pivotal time, as we strengthen our International business as part of a wider transformation and growth strategy. 

As Buying Admin Assistant, you’ll report into a Senior Buyer and work closely with the wider International Buying and Commercial teams. You’ll play an important role in supporting the delivery of our International Product Strategy, helping to bring our global brand and business unit plans to life across international markets, and ensuring we offer the best possible brand and product proposition. 

What’s in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…

• After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry-leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

Key Accountabilities

As Buying Admin Assistant – International, you’ll play a key role in supporting the delivery of our International Product Strategy. Working closely with Buyers, Business Units, and cross-functional teams, you’ll help ensure our product offer is relevant, competitive, and aligned with the M&S global brand vision. 

In This Role, You Will:

• Support the delivery of Fashion, Home and Beauty sales, profit and buying KPIs in line with our international objectives. 
• Assist the International Buying Team in delivering the product strategy, ensuring it reflects our global brand vision and meets customer needs across diverse markets. 
• Build and share a strong understanding of international customers and markets, putting their needs at the heart of decision-making. 
• Partner with Business Units and Design teams to adapt ranges for international markets, ensuring products are differentiated, targeted, and relevant. 
• Support Junior Buyers and Buyers with product selection, assortment planning and range building across markets, channels and Business Units. 
• Help manage the ‘Go to Market’ process, ensuring product catalogues and data are accurate, sell-in opportunities are optimised, and timelines are met. 
• Collaborate with teams such as Trading, Partnerships, Marketing, VM, Retail and eCom to ensure smooth delivery of international priorities. 
• Be a key point of contact for product-related queries from internal and external stakeholders. 
• Support the wider team during International Buying events to maximise sales opportunities. 
• Contribute to projects and initiatives as needed, fostering a positive team culture and strong cross-functional relationships. 

Key Skills & Experience 

• We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic, proactive and keen to develop a career in Buying. You’ll need to bring: 
• Experience in Buying or have worked within a retail environment. 
• Experience working across critical path management. 
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail and the ability to prioritise under pressure. 
• A commercial mindset with a strong interest in sales, product and market trends. 
• Confidence using (or quickly learning) Buying systems and managing data. 
• The ability to communicate clearly and build strong relationships with stakeholders across teams and geographies. 
• Adaptability, agility and resilience in a fast-paced, evolving environment. 
• A genuine passion for product, retail, and understanding the international customer. 

Preferred skills (not essential, but a bonus): 

• Knowledge of the retail marketplace and competitor activity. 
• Understanding of cost negotiations, sourcing and supply chains. 

Key Relationships

You’Ll Work Closely With:

• International Junior Buyers, Head of Buying, and Commercial Director 
• Assistant Buyers and fellow Buying Admin Assistants 
• International Customer Team 
• Fashion, Home and Beauty Buying & Merchandising Teams 
• International Partnerships, Marketplace & Trading Teams 
• International Wholesale Partners 
• Press, Marketing & Visual Merchandising Teams 
• International Sourcing Offices 

Everyone’S Welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating, and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted, and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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