Assistant Buyer - Men's Jersey and Brands - 11 Month Fixed Term Contract

What’s in it for you

We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 10% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years’ service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

About the role

We are delighted to share an opportunity for a Senior Assistant Buyer to join our dynamic F&F Menswear team, specialising in Men’s Jersey. As a Senior Assistant Buyer, you will play a key role in building customer‑led, commercial and profitable ranges, partnering closely with your Buying Manager and cross‑functional teams.

This role is ideal for an experienced Assistant Buyer who is ready to take the next step and demonstrate greater autonomy, commercial leadership, and influence across the department.

You will be responsible for

Customer & Product

• Using customer, trend and competitor insight to contribute to recommendations on product and packaging development.
• Demonstrating the ability to develop and deliver consistently successful ranges for the Men’s Jersey category with support from your Buying Manager.
• Negotiating creatively to maximise margin, cost price, MOQ or fabric efficiencies while maintaining flexibility, quality and strong supplier partnerships.
• Broadening network engagement, including with costing engineers and technical teams.
• Successfully signing off product areas within the department’s strategy where appropriate.
• Applying knowledge of manufacturing and production processes to improve cost, lead time and consistency.
• Confidently deputising for the Buyer or Buying Manager when required.
• Leading training masterclasses for BAs and MPP/MPD system users.
• Taking ownership of projects across wider Menswear and engaging stakeholders to deliver combined goals.

Trade & Planning

• Understanding and articulating trade performance confidently, making informed decisions without reliance on your Buying Manager.
• Contributing to and leading elements of the end‑to‑end department strategy.
• Understanding top‑line trade as well as the detailed commercial performance of your category.
• Using comprehensive competitor and market knowledge to inform recommendations across both the Men’s Jersey range and wider Menswear.
• Knowing how to plan strategically for both core and seasonal buying cycles, ensuring resilience through forecasting and scenario planning.
• Presenting with clarity and influence, including leading trade walkthroughs and supplier presentations.
• Successfully supporting new supplier set‑up, onboarding and relationship building.
• Shadowing and understanding margin effects, commercial income forecasting, and cost control measures for the wider department.
• Working cross‑functionally with Supply Chain, TBS, Studio, QA and Merchandising to ensure product is delivered on time in all channels.

Systems & Administration

• Owning product set‑up (GHS and related systems) with high accuracy.
• Loading and managing commercial income, ensuring correct supplier invoicing and resolving discrepancies weekly.
• Managing artwork and POS briefs through to completion.
• Ensuring compliance with Tesco policies, storage and handover protocols, and completing all required training.

You will need

• Strong influencing and negotiation skills
• Effective stakeholder and supplier management
• Advanced buying and range management capability
• Strong trade planning and interpretation of commercial performance
• Confident data analysis skills
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Robust retail maths knowledge
• Clear and impactful communication and presentation skills

About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we’re all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone’s welcome. That’s why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.