Solent Group work with a diverse portfolio of Retailers and supply bespoke products within various categories, including Health & Beauty, Household Impulse Snacking and Reusable Bags. We are proud to be best-in-class when it comes to own-label product innovation. Our Categories are fast-paced with ever-evolving trends and a host of ground-breaking products coming to market on a regular basis – we add value to retailers by leading and owning each category
Here at Solent we want people to be extraordinary. We pride ourselves on creating and producing amazing products and brands for our Global Customers. You will be joining a company with offices globally across South Africa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, and the UK
Reporting To: Global Sourcing & Product Director
Location: Hybrid, Commuting distance to Head Office in Christchurch, Dorset
Travel: Internationally & Locally
About the Role
The Head of Buying will lead the UK buying team to deliver our group strategy with our UK & European suppliers, working consistently alongside the ASIA buying team ensuring consistent collaboration with key internal stakeholders across the group to deliver growth and continual improvement
As a member of the leadership team, the Head of Buying is accountable for the effective leadership, performance and delivery of their area of responsibility. The successful candidate is expected to operate with a Group mindset, working collaboratively across the business to achieve shared objectives, deliver sustainable results and support the wider strategic priorities of the Group
Key Accountabilities
- Metrics - Track key metrics and ensure the department delivers measurable results
- Stakeholder Management (internal/external) - Act as the bridge between senior leadership, employees, and external partners
- Budget & Cost Management - Handle financial planning, resource allocation, and cost efficiency
- Delivery of Continuous Improvement - Drive continuous development, embrace new technologies, and optimise processes
- Cross functional Collaboration - Ensure working collaboratively with peers ensuring you lead by example for your teams to work across all dept functions
- Business Continuity Planning - Ensure your area of responsibility works with the business to ensure all BCP planning is in place
- Risk Management - Oversee decisions, providing expert insight and ensuring risks are managed effectively
- People & Structure Management - Lead, support, and develop a team, ensuring productivity and morale remain high
- Process Management - Optimise processes throughout your areas of responsibility to maximise efficiency and accuracy
Key Responsibilities
Group Buying strategy:
- Develop and own the end to end UK & Europe buying strategy, ensuring alignment with overall business goals, brand positioning, and regional trading priorities
- Translate long-term commercial objectives into actionable seasonal buying plans, category strategies, and range architecture across multiple markets
- Continuously evolve the buying strategy based on market trends, consumer behaviour, competitor activity, and performance insights to drive growth and profitability
- Lead Buying group strategy quarterly meetings and ensure annual top to-top suppliers meetings
- Cascade and embed buying strategy through category plans, ensuring alignment across teams to deliver NPD, volume, and profitable growth targets
- Own performance across UK & Europe buying team, driving action plans to deliver KPI targets & reporting on performance
- Ensure we have up to date plans for emergencies and incidents which may impact normal business
Team management:
- Lead, coach and develop the UK & Europe Buying team, ensuring strong performance culture, succession planning, and capability development aligned to business needs as well as ensuring the team all have personal development plans
- Own succession planning and organisational design for the buying function to ensure long-term capability and leadership pipeline strength
Stakeholder management:
- Organise, monitor and improving relationships with suppliers, customers and cross functional colleagues
- Lead cross-functional and group wide collaboration to drive improvement & optimise performance
Budget & Cost Management:
- Show monthly budget management & VO delivered to improve cost efficiencies
- Deliver supplier income
- Drive VO to drive continual GP2 improvement
- CPI mitigation plans
Processes:
- Ensure all Buying documented processes and guides are kept up to date and trained across the team
- Constant review of processes to drive improvement
- Planning, execution and oversight of workflows to ensure buying tasks get done quickly and effectively
Skills & Experience
- A buying leader with 5+ years’ experience managing global sourcing, product development and project management in a complex, multi-site or multi-brand environment
- A proven track record of leading a sizeable team and building effective relationships with senior business leaders
- Strong product knowledge across beauty/household/shopping bag/food/hardlines products
- Excellent supplier relationship management
- Strong market, business & commercial sense with strong analytical skills and risk assessment
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Strong experience in handling clients/customers, budget control is a must
- Presentable, confident, calm, and with professional manner
What we offer
- Competitive salary with annual salary reviews
- 25 days holiday per annum, increasing to 27 days after 3 years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service
- Extensive benefits programme including buying additional holiday, medical cash plan, access to mental health support and many other benefits
- Flexible hours and work from home available to all staff with an office presence ideally once a week
- Great learning and development and progression opportunities
- Yearly bonus structure (based on company targets)
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
- Generous Company Sick Pay
- Pension Scheme Contribution
- Annual social events
- Cycle to Work scheme
