Assistant Buyer - Ladies - 6 Month Fixed Term Contract / Secondment
| Posting date: | 29 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | Competitive |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 11 May 2026 |
| Location: | Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1GA |
| Company: | Tesco |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | tesco/TP/12955979/987299 |
Summary
About the role
We are delighted to share an opportunity for a Senior Assistant Buyer to join our dynamic F&F Ladieswear team.
As a Senior Assistant Buyer, you will play a key role in building customer‑led, commercial and profitable ranges, partnering closely with your Buying Manager and cross‑functional teams.
This role is ideal for an experienced Assistant Buyer who is ready to take the next step and demonstrate greater autonomy, commercial leadership, and influence across the department.
Please note: If you are applying for a Secondment opportunity, your benefits, including bonus, will continue to align to your current role, for further information please refer to the Secondment policy.
You will be responsible for
- Customer & Product
- Using customer, trend and competitor insight to contribute to recommendations on product and packaging development.
- Demonstrating the ability to develop and deliver consistently successful ranges for the Ladieswear category with support from your Buying Manager.
- Negotiating creatively to maximise margin, cost price, MOQ or fabric efficiencies while maintaining flexibility, quality and strong supplier partnerships.
- Broadening network engagement, including with costing engineers and technical teams.
- Successfully signing off product areas within the department’s strategy where appropriate.
- Applying knowledge of manufacturing and production processes to improve cost, lead time and consistency.
- Confidently deputising for the Buyer or Buying Manager when required.
- Taking ownership of projects across wider Ladieswear and engaging stakeholders to deliver combined goals.
Trade & Planning
- Understanding and articulating trade performance confidently, making informed decisions without reliance on your Buying Manager.
- Contributing to and leading elements of the end‑to‑end department strategy.
- Understanding top‑line trade as well as the detailed commercial performance of your category.
- Using comprehensive competitor and market knowledge to inform recommendations across Ladieswear.
- Knowing how to plan strategically for both core and seasonal buying cycles, ensuring resilience through forecasting and scenario planning.
- Presenting with clarity and influence, including leading trade walkthroughs and supplier presentations.
- Successfully supporting new supplier set‑up, onboarding and relationship building.
- Shadowing and understanding margin effects, commercial income forecasting, and cost control measures for the wider department.
- Working cross‑functionally with Supply Chain, TBS, Studio, QA and Merchandising to ensure product is delivered on time in all channels.
Systems & Administration
- Owning product set‑up with high accuracy.
- Loading and managing commercial income, ensuring correct supplier invoicing and resolving discrepancies weekly.
- Managing artwork and POS briefs through to completion.
- Ensuring compliance with Tesco policies, storage and handover protocols, and completing all required training.
You will need
- Strong influencing and negotiation skills
- Effective stakeholder and supplier management
- Advanced buying and range management capability
- Strong trade planning and interpretation of commercial performance
- Confident data analysis skills
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Robust retail maths knowledge
- Clear and impactful communication and presentation skills
What’s in it for you
We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!
- Annual bonus scheme of up to 10% of base salary
- Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
- 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years’ service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
- Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing
About us
Tesco has become a market leader by doing the little things that really matter for our customers and colleagues.
It’s part of what makes Tesco such a great place to work, and we’re proud to have been accredited as one of Britain’s Top Employers again this year.
We're the UK's number one retailer and we pride ourselves on offering a great shopping experience. We are passionate about our food, merchandise and services and will always try to get things right for our customers.
But did you know we also offer great job opportunities? With stores, distribution centres and offices across the UK, and a vast variety of roles, we are always looking for people who have a hunger to work with customers and colleagues across our exciting business.
We believe in treating each other with respect and giving everyone an equal opportunity to get on. It's our people that make the difference every day - helping us make a difference for our customers
Should you be successful in your application, your offer will be subject to and conditional upon you providing your bank account details before your agreed start date.
For more information about us please visit www.tescoplc.com
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