Buyer, Level 7, Waitrose and Partners

About the roleWaitrose & Partners prides itself on being different. Our intention is to combine the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist food shop. Add this to our unswerving dedication to our customers and the highest respect for our suppliers (the provenance and traceability of our food is vital) and, of course, the environment and you can start to see we’re a bit more than ‘just’ a supermarket.

So, it is an exciting time to join the Commercial team at one of the UK’s best-loved brands. We are recruiting for a number of Buyers to join the team (category/areas to be confirmed). 

At a Glance

• Salary - £39,900 - £58,400

• Contract type - We have both Permanent and 12 month Secondment/Fixed Term contract positions until March 2026. 

• Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The team aim for around 3 days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings. 

• Location - This role is based at our Bracknell Head Office. 

• Interviews - These will be held in person at our Bracknell campus on 1 of the following dates to be confirmed: Friday 28th February, Wednesday 5th March or Friday 7th March. 

What will you be doing?

As a Buyer for Waitrose & Partners (Level 7), you will be:

• Working in a Category Pod, consisting of but not limited to Buyer, Merchandiser, Supply Planners, Technologist, Product Developer, deliver shared KPIs for the pod through collaborative working.

• Support Category Pod to deliver individual accountabilities (Indirect Shared KPIs) 

• Facilitate horizontal working across Category Pods

This role would suit someone who is self motivated, with an ability to influence internal stakeholders and inspire our suppliers to invest in Waitrose. It would be ideal for a confident, motivated person, with good communication and numerical skills. The ability to work in a matrix way across the boundaries of hard line reporting is crucial. Creativity and an enthusiasm for products are also desirable.

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Appropriate assessing and reporting on Commercial performance and delivery of KPIs to line manager and other stakeholder

• Responsibility for annual terms preparation and negotiation 

• Proactive cost price management, accurate financial forecasting

• Operate in line with GSCoP, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery, effectively negotiate business terms

• The category covers both branded and own-label assortments and so management of both will be required

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Experience working as an Assistant Buyer, Junior Buyer or equivalent in a similar environment

• Expertise in utilising data for strategic choice processes 

• Continuous improvement mindset 

• Effective performance management skills 

• Experience of working together across boundaries

• Ability to empower others

Please be aware that due to the nature and activities of this role, all successful candidates will have a DBS check carried out on them through a 3rd party registered body. For more details on DBS checks and what these entail, please visit the Government website. A financial probity check will also need to be completed for this role.

#LI-HEADOFFICE

#LI-LB2

#LI-HYBRID

#LI-REMOTE

About The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting. If required, you’ll find out more about vetting throughout the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.