Buyer (Gifting / Promotional Items and Bags)

**Job Purpose**

The purpose of the buyer is to be responsible for the sourcing, development and implementation of a product range as per the requirements of the product forecast in order to ensure profitability and fulfill customer demand.

**Job Objectives** Product development**
- Responsible for developing a proposal in terms of products that need to be introduced to the product line within a specific category based on product forecast, product research, competitor analysis and visiting different product exhibits
- Responsible for identifying and liaising with potential suppliers and establishing whether they are able to meet our product demand and quality requirements
- Develop product policy and verify samples and pre-production samples according to requirements
- Responsible for liaising with suppliers around developing products according to tech packs
- Present proposed product range to Senior Buyer for approval and communicate outcome to relevant suppliers
- Work with Senior Graphic designer around the look and feel of the creative brief for the products and work with the Technical trainer to develop training content on all new products

**Tactical sourcing**
- Responsible for developing and analysing the company’s spend cube in terms of product range and make recommendations in terms sourcing opportunities
- Responsible for identifying new suppliers, negotiating terms including negotiating price(s), costing, lead times and MOQ’s
- Responsible for placing indent orders after verifying the viability of the order through conducting pre-screening

**Supplier Management and development**
- Responsible for the reliable (timely and quality) supply of products by managing suppliers according to the service level agreement (SLA)
- Escalate non-compliance issues to Senior Buyer to resolve

**Process Improvement and Efficiency**
- Follow the procurement process which clearly defines the interdependencies between the buyer and planner which is underpinned by analysis and decision-making processes guided by key performance indicators

**People Management**
- Encourage, implement and reinforce Barron’s Values, Leadership principles and relevant people strategies and initiatives
- Ensure an open, motivated and harmonious work environment in line with Barron’s guidelines

**Intelligence - Merchandise**
- Assess and understand international and local markets to evaluate and identify trends suitable for incorporation into local strategies
- Research and evaluate local and international product corporate assortments for measuring business performance and identify opportunities for aligning Barron with best practice standards

**Financial Ratio - Merchandise**
- Provide comprehensive feedback on factors affecting merchandise movement so that appropriate actions can be initiated to promote slow-moving products or cancel the stock and chase into winners. All decisions need to be approved and presented to the senior buyer

**Job Requirements**

**Qualifications and Experience**
- NQF 7 Fashion Design / Textile Technology
- 3 - 5 years’ Buyer Merchandiser or Product developer in merchandise or retail industry

**Skills, Abilities and Job-Related Knowledge**
- Negotiation Skills
- Attention to Detail
- Communication Skills
- Product and range development
- Research
- Verbal Comprehension
- Numerical Comprehension
- Analytical and conceptual problem solving
- MS D365
- Adobe Illustrator
- Ability to navigate through complexity

**Competencies**
- Information Management
- Task Management
- Business Management
- Interpersonal Management