ABOUT VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Vivienne Westwood is one of the most iconic British fashion brands, renowned for its heritage, innovative design, and commitment to culture and activism. We care deeply about our people and the environment, and our core values — Gaia, Quality not Quantity, Activism, Culture & Heritage — guide us daily. If you share our passion for creativity, sustainability, and innovation, we’d love to hear from you.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Vivienne Westwood is looking for a Junior Buyer – Japan and Accessories to join the Head Office in the Conduit Street Office.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Supports buying for five Japan stores and Japan e-commerce, covering end-to-end buying across all product categories and ensuring alignment with Head Office strategy.
Also supports selected Accessories buying across UK, EU and US markets, including e-commerce, as required.
Works within a structured, Head Office-led buying process, incorporating external stakeholder input and feedback.
Ensures effective coordination between Head Office and Japan stakeholders to drive alignment and execution.
Operates within a multi-stakeholder environment, balancing Head Office direction with partner input and influencing outcomes to ensure commercial alignment.
Previous experience in the Japanese market is preferred; Japanese language skills would be advantageous.
Supports the Buying team with analysis, reporting, budgeting and administrative task.
Collaborates with other Junior Buyers to manage AB/BAA workload, ensuring prioritisation and timely delivery.
ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Prepare seasonal budgets and buying schedules; consolidates feedback into Head Office-led orders for review and sign-off.
Manage the end-to-end order process, ensuring accuracy across data and systems.
Produce analysis, reporting and meeting materials, contributing commercial insight.
Monitor sales, sell-through, stock and deliveries; flags risks and proposes actions.
Support range building with Merchandising and Design using sales, trend and competitor insight.
Review pricing, product data and online accuracy, escalating issues where required.
Track Japan store and e-commerce performance, identifying opportunities for improvement.
Ensure actions, follow-ups and meeting minutes are completed in a timely manner.
Support AB/BAA workload allocation and maintains quality control.
Identify and drives process improvements to increase efficiency.
COMPETENCIES
Strong commercial awareness and understanding of company strategy.
Ability to balance Head Office direction with stakeholder input.
Effective stakeholder management across internal and external partners.
Strong analytical and numerical capability.
Clear, concise communication, including with senior stakeholders.
Strong prioritisation and time management under pressure.
Proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex workflows.
Strong organisational and influencing skills.
Experience supporting or managing junior team members.
TECHNICAL SKILL
Advanced Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Strong analytical and reporting capability.
Understanding of buying systems and product lifecycle.
Awareness of trading calendars, delivery schedules and phasing.
Competitor and market analysis skills.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
Previous experience in a Junior Buyer (or equivalent) role.
Experience in a multi-market buying environment is advantageous.
Experience in the Japanese market is preferred; Japanese language skills are an advantage.
Proven ability to work across complex stakeholder groups, influence outcomes, and drive alignment across internal and external partners.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Commercially balanced and market-relevant Japan range.
Accurate and timely execution of buying processes.
Strong alignment between Head Office and Japan stakeholders.
Effective management of stock, sales and performance risks.
High-quality analysis and reporting output.
Continuous improvement of processes and efficiency.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Internal
(Please note this is not an exhaustive list of duties and you may be required to perform additional duties to fulfil the requirements of the role)
BENEFITS
Staff discounts
Health & Wellbeing support (includes Private Medical Health Insurance, EAP, Gym Discounts, Access to Financial Planning Service, etc.)
Perkbox Discounts and Wellness Hub
Cycle to work scheme
Generous annual leave allowance
Pension Scheme
Training and hands-on experience
Opportunities to build new skills and gain valuable industry knowledge
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, so we recommend applying early to avoid missing out.
Vivienne Westwood is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by local government laws. For our privacy statement please visit this link
