Buyer – Tobacco & Vape in Aldgate Head Office – London

At WHSmith our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers.  The ones that enable our growth.  That’s why our Commercial team is passionate about creating an environment where people can be creative and trailblazing in order to do their best work.
As a Buyer (Grade D), you will drive the commercial performance of your category across all our formats. This role will be managing a category with scale and complexity, so you will need to have previous relevant commercial experience. You will be the key decision maker with the autonomy to deliver your category strategy.

What you will be doing:Leading one of the largest categories across the business
Driving nicotine alternatives over and above convention tobacco by improving the range, driving promotions and agreeing media campaigns
Accountable for P&L of Tobacco. Ensuring costs, sales and supplier income targets are delivered
Create pricing and promotional strategies for nicotine alternative products to drive sales into our key areas
Identify new trends and suppliers entering the market to ensure we have the best customer offering
Be part of the largest media campaigns across the business. Improving the education to customers who want to quit smoking
Negotiating with and managing the supplier base, including a clear supplier strategy and the ongoing maintenance/improvement of terms
Generating a continuous pipeline of value creating initiatives to deliver sales and profitability
Being responsible for the category and trade plan that aligns to the overarching business plan
Delivering projects and trials within your own area with cross functional engagement

What we are looking for:Previous buying/commercial experience with strong negotiation skills– necessary
Sense of urgency for goal achievement.
Manages simultaneous projects, multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment.
Results focused idea generation. Innovative and creative problem solving. Rapport and relationship building focused on achieving results.
Action-oriented and collaborative decision making.
Extroverted, confident, enthusiastic, persuasive influences. Stimulates others to action.
Authoritative leadership based on generalist expertise and knowledge of systems.
Delegation of details as necessary, with follow up on timeliness and quality.
Accountability for results.

How we reward our teams:Hybrid Working Model from home and in the office
4pm Friday Finish
Flexible Working
25 Days holiday, plus your Birthday off, plus Bank Holidays with an opportunity to buy extra days holiday
Family Friendly Leave
Competitive Pension Contribution
Sharesave Scheme
Annual Bonus based on company and personal performance
Competitive Salary and Car Allowance
Private Medical (Grade D and above)
Staff Discount Card for stores and online