Salary: £37,799 pro rata
Part time/ 3 days a week
Permanent
Hybrid working with 1-2 days on site.
Working pattern: subject to discussion
Role Purpose:
Reporting to the Buying and Product Development Manager, the Buyer plays a key role in contributing to the strategy of maximising profits for the Gallery from its retailing, trade and online businesses.
Key Accountabilities:
Strategic Development
- The Buyer will assist with developing and implementing the product strategy in conjunction with the Buying and Product Development Manager focusing on audience research, sales data and customer feedback.
- Develop product and buy-ins across ecommerce as well as on site sales, ensuring a multichannel, audience-led approach to buying and product development.
- Identifying market trends and working with the managers in the department to develop new retail propositions.
- Constantly developing new relationships and sourcing new suppliers and managing supplier relationships with a view to ensuring effective delivery and inventory controls and maximising margins.
- Keeping ahead of developments in best sustainability practices, with the aim of achieving the gallery’s sustainability goals.
- Reflect the NPG brand with an eye for bringing the collection and gallery programme to the fore, working with a wide range of themes and references in a sensitive and dynamic way.
Buying & Product Development
- Responsible for the development of bespoke range development of exhibition and core ranges, with a flair for interpreting themes and artworks in a refined way that avoids ‘badging’ images onto products.
- Assist in developing an inspiring, profitable, high quality and sustainable product offer appropriate for visitors to the collection, exhibition visitors and destinational shoppers looking for gifts and seasonal items.
- Producing proposals for new range plans demonstrating a variety of products and clear price point and margin planning in line with KPIs.
- Liaise closely with the Ecommerce team to ensure that the product strategy is appropriate for the ecommerce site, that ranges are conceived, edited or further added to for the Gallery’s ecommerce sales platform.
- To work with the rest of the buying team to ensure profits are increased year on year through effective budgetary and financial management, stock and inventory control, and effective and mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers.
- Work closely with suppliers to develop new products, ensuring that the look and quality of merchandise is of the highest standards, to ensure that all stock is ordered in a timely fashion, that a balance of price points and product types is represented in the stock range and that the visitor profile is also appropriately reflected.
- Work closely with artists, curators and other internal and external partners to represent the commercial team and ensure the highest standard of communication, developing longstanding relationships.
- Work to develop a consistent and sustainable approach to packaging to ensure of the highest quality and design.
- Obtain samples, ensuring excellent reproduction quality and signing off bespoke product and packaging samples with the Head of Retail and Director of Commercial and Operations, and other departments and stakeholders as appropriate.
- Present new merchandise ranges at weekly product development meetings and work closely with the Junior Designer and consult with the Curatorial and Exhibitions team to ensure as much insight into the range development as possible.
- Research and create inspiring, profitable ranges of exceptional quality based on the Gallery’s Collection and exhibitions programme. Including attendance to trade events and regular comparative shopping with the product team.
- Liaising with artists, foundations and estates as required on the development of any ranges. In addition, working closely with the Rights and Images team to ensure that all rights in new products are negotiated and cleared and that all opportunities for product licensing are exploited.
- Contributing to product range reviews of seasonal, core and exhibition ranges to ensure customer and internal feedback, sales and lessons learnt are clearly communicated to the Commercial team and other Gallery departments as appropriate and inform future retail plans.
Visual Merchandising
- Assist the Retail Merchandiser with visual merchandising plans and processes and contribute to a programme of innovative promotions and displays, to make the Gallery shops, including online, a memorable and indispensable part of the visitor experience.
- Take part in shop walks both at the gallery as well as external research trips to review displays and product ideas.
- Liaising with the Retail Designer and Retail Marketing team on the creation of product photography and other marketing assets as required to ensure there is a sophisticated and consistent approach that appeals to existing and new customers.
Financial Management
- Managing purchases, costs, margins, stock levels and pricing strategies to achieve agreed targets and performance measures, including stock-turn, gross margin, average transaction values and profitability.
- Working with the Finance Team to ensure the smooth processing of purchase orders and supplier invoices.
Sustainability
- Promoting sustainable working practices and reducing the environmental impact of the Gallery’s operations in line with its sustainability policy.
- Develop sustainability audits for new suppliers, buying and product development check lists and onsite actions to ensure that NPG retail is ambitious in its approach to sustainability
The postholder will be expected to demonstrate relevant knowledge and experience in relation to these aspects of the role.
The above list is indicative but not exhaustive. As such, in addition to the key accountabilities and responsibilities listed the post holder may be required to perform other duties commensurate with the scope and/or level of the role
To read the full job description, please follow the link: Buyer Job Description
Key Experience, Skills and Criteria:
After 6 months in post, the successful candidate will have:
- Established good professional relationships with colleagues in the Retail team and across the Gallery, and suppliers
- Developed a good understanding of departmental systems and procedures and how these relate to systems and procedures in the wider Gallery
Developed buying skills:
- Raising purchase orders and amending records
- Compiling sales reports
- Understanding NPG audience
- Trend & social media awareness
Developed production skills:
- Checking and preparing images & files for reproduction
- Colour-correcting proofs and assessing samples
- Developed knowledge of rights clearances and permissions
- Demonstrated confidence an accuracy in the retail management system
We offer a competitive benefits package, including:
- Generous pension scheme
- 29 days annual leave allowance, in addition to bank holidays
- Interest free season ticket and bicycle loans
- Rental deposit scheme
- Employee assistance programme
- Free entry to many UK museums, galleries and exhibitions
- Staff discounts on purchases in-store and on the online shop
- Professional & personal development opportunities
Closing date for returned applications is 9:00am on 20th July
First round interviews will take place week commencing 27th July in person at the gallery offices on Orange Street.
Please indicate on the notes section of your application form, if you will be unable to make these dates.
We are committed to the employment and development of disabled people. When assessing and shortlisting our candidate pool for interviews, we are committed to removing any bias through our process to ensure all individuals with a disability are included. To be invited to the interview stage, you must show through your application that you meet the minimum criteria and/or the desirable skills required for the role. If you tell us that you have a disability we can make reasonable adjustments at interview, and, if you join us, to your work arrangements.
