Junior Buyer/Administration Clerk

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Responsible for selecting and negotiating with approved vendors and placing purchase orders in response to product, materials, services and supply requirements established by various departments within the organization. Can understand the customer’s needs and then use the knowledge to help the company to be more profitable. Lastly, to study & identify trends in the marketplace. Responsible for other admin related duties – PO’s; stationary; cash ups etc.

MAJOR TASK HEADINGS / KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS (KPA)

• Achieve Budget Sales and Margin
• Stock Turns
• Achieve EBIT budget
• Superior Customer Service
• Market Intelligence
• Marketing and Promotions
• Store visits
• General Administration (PO’s; cash ups etc)
• Reporting

OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and trends.
• Business Acumen
• Ability to motivate self
• Passion for retail and a deep understanding of consumer behavior and retail trends
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with vendors.
• Computer literacy – Microsoft Office at Intermediate level
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to plan and organize workload to consistently achieve deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Being able to present ideas for approval.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION

1. Achieve Budget Sales & Margins

• Aim that the chain achieves budget in the following areas:
• Department Sales
• Department Margins
• Markdown sales and price adjustments
• Department SOH at Retail and Cost
• Control input margin to maximize margin.
• Monitor spending and ensure that purchase stays within budget.
• Optimize the balance between cost, quality, and availability of products.

2. Stock Turns

• Managing the monthly OTB as per the monthly budget
• Understanding lead times by supplier and placing orders to ensure that deliveries fall within these periods (JIT – Just in time).
• Monitor inventory levels and turnover rates to prevent stockouts and excess inventory.
• Conduct regular inventory analysis and make recommendations for replenishment, IBT’s, or discontinuation of products.
• Analyze sales data to determine which products are selling well and which are not.
• Monitor inventory levels and adjust orders to avoid overstocking or stockouts.

3. Superior Customer Service

• Ensure the company’s purpose is fully understood and lived by all team members in daily activities.
• Deliver superior customer service experience to all internal staff.
• Build relationships with Suppliers.
• Maintain strong relationships with suppliers and vendors, resolve issues, and ensure timely delivery of merchandise.
• Negotiate the best possible prices, discounts, and payment terms with suppliers.
• Deal with store issues / complaints decisively and with empathy in a way that protects company interests.
• All e-mails must be responded to within 24 hours.

4. Market Intelligence

• Undertake to gather appropriate market analysis & identify relevant competitor / merchandise intelligence / trends. Test products be measured monthly.
• Analyze sales data, inventory levels, and product performance to make data-drive buying decisions.
• Forecast demand to various product categories and adjust purchasing strategies accordingly.
• Brand development of portfolio managed brands
• Understand demographic profile
• Develop a merchandise strategy and assortment MAP
• Grow market share

5. Marketing & Promotions

• Be first to market all new products listed.
• Compile marketing campaign, in conjunction with the Marketing Department, for all new products.
• Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing and operations, to coordinate promotions, displays, and inventory management.
• Analyze and build block-plan, 45 days prior to all promotions.
• Finalized products for all promotions to be submitted 45 days prior to promotion. No submissions will be accepted on products where demand will exceed supply for the promotion period.
• Personally, it checks that there is sufficient stock of promotional items to meet the demand relating to any concerns to the Planning Manager.

6. General Administration

• Buy sheets to be completed ensuring that 100% of the information is captured and is correct. All buy-sheets must be sent to suppliers to verify and confirm that information is 100% correct.
• All buy-sheets must be submitted to the suppliers before the agreed buy date
• All Sale PO’s must be sent to the supplier no later than 1 month prior to promotion starting date.
• All new product PO’s must be sent to the supplier no later than 2 weeks prior to the launch date.
• All new codes to be created, once the buy-sheet is completed and sent to the supplier, in InTouch ensuring that the following information is correct:
• All fashion PO’s to be raised in InTouch once all codes have been created. These PO’s must be sent to the supplier at least 2 weeks prior to the expected delivery date.
• Maintenance of prices (Latest Cost and RSP’s) in InTouch is 100% always correct and as per the supplier price lists
• Price adjustments are to be applied on the 3rd Wednesday of every month as agreed between buyer and Buying Manager. Once applied this price adjustment must be communicated to stores, web and marketing via the comms. Portal and e-mail.
• General admin duties – check daily cash ups from stores
• Adjust PO’s to match Invoices from suppliers
• Send out all invoices to Managers of stores.
• Ordering of stationery

7. KEY DIMENSIONS AND BEHAVIOURS

• Contributing to Team Success – Actively participating as a member of a team or move the team toward the completion of goals.

Key Behaviors:

• • Facilitates goal accomplishment – makes procedural or process suggestions for achieving team goals or performing team functions; provides necessary resources or helps to remove obstacles to help the team accomplish its goals.
  • Involves others – Listens to and fully involves others in team decisions and actions; values and uses individual differences and talents.
  • Informs others on team – Shares important or relevant information with the team.
  • Models commitment – Adheres to the team’s expectations and guidelines; fulfils team responsibilities; demonstrates personal commitment to the team.

• Business acumen – Profit-mindedness, cost consciousness, interest in and aware of cost control and profitability, having the ability to recognize business opportunities and to relate costs to profit, having the desire to improve effectiveness and results.

Key behaviors:

• • Seek opportunities to save/make money
  • Concern with spending – OTB
  • Show interest in Company financial well-being and adjust costs accordingly
  • Ensure relevant cost figures at hand when making business decisions
  • Have a “Winner” attitude, being results orientated
  • Realizing the value of money
  • Know your stock e.g. fast and slow sellers.
  • Implement promotions, presentation of merchandise as best you can within brief
  • Know who to approach for information/assistance
  • Do not abdicate areas of responsibility
  • Set daily/weekly/monthly priorities

• Communication – Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.

Key Behaviors:

• • Organizes the communication – Clarifies purpose and importance; stresses major points; follows a logical sequence.
  • Maintains audience attention – Keeps the audience engaged through use of techniques such as analogies, illustrations, an appealing style, body language, and voice inflection.
  • Adjusts to the audience – Frames message in line with audience experience, background, and expectations; uses terms, examples, and analogies that are meaningful to the audience.
  • Ensures understanding – Seeks input from audience; checks understanding; presents message in different ways to enhance understanding.
  • Adheres to accepted conventions – Uses syntax, pace, volume, diction, and mechanics appropriate to the media being used.
  • Comprehends communication from others – Attends to messages from others; correctly interprets messages and responds appropriately.

• Negotiation – Effectively exploring alternatives and positions to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all parties.

Key behaviors:

• • Clarifies the current situation – Explores all parties’ needs, concerns, and initial positions, including own.
  • Identifies points of agreement/disagreement – Builds common ground by highlighting areas of agreement; focuses efforts by pointing out areas of disagreement.
  • Keeps discussion issue orientated – Manages the interpersonal process to stay focused on the task; constructively addresses emotions and conflict.
  • Develops others’ and own ideas – Engages in mutual problem solving by brainstorming alternative positions or approaches and evaluating them openly and fairly.
  • Builds support for preferred alternatives – Builds value of preferred alternatives by relating them to the other party’s needs; responds to objections by emphasizing value; exposes problems with undesirable alternatives.
  • Facilitates agreement – Seeks a win-win solution through a give-and-take process that recognizes each party’s core needs.

JOB SPECIFICATION

• EDUCATION
  • (Formal education)
  • Min: Grade 12 with 2/3 years’ experience
  • Ideal: Studying towards diploma/degree in Business/ Buying/ Sourcing or relevant
• TRAINING
  • (On the job training, should the present incumbent leave)
  • Min: 1 month
  • Ideal: 2 months
• EXPERIENCE
  • (Career path that should ideally be followed before attaining this position)