Junior Packaging Buyer

**About Matalan**:
From humble beginnings to disruptive innovations in the retail industry, find out about how Matalan is ever-evolving here.

We know as a team, we are stronger together - we champion equality for all and make lasting connections that go beyond work. We thrive off our inclusive culture, encouraging our colleagues to bring their true selves to work and contributing to collective creativity, open-mindedness and growth.

**About the role**:
As Junior Packaging Buyer you are responsible for ensuring Packaging is fit for purpose using the most cost effective methods, negotiating costs with nominated Print Partners, providing monthly reports and rebate trackers, tracking volumes and stock levels and identifying opportunities to deliver business benefits and cost savings. ?

Working closely with the relevant buying, merchandising, QA, QC and DC teams to control packaging for all Matalan products, you will provide guidance and education on packaging issues and compliance requirements.

Key Responsibilities
- You?
- You manage new development, pricing and quality with nominated Print Partners and Hanger suppliers?
- You liaise with nominated print partners, reviewing and managing stocks, open orders and rebate payments?
- You understand and identify potential growth and/or shortfall on rebate, with monthly reviews versus product intake?
- You monitor and feedback on nominated print partners performance against agreed KPI’s?
- You provide work with accuracy and are an excellent communicator providing feedback when required

Customer ?
- Develops and maintains excellent working relationships across the Packaging team and wider company attending briefing and development meetings as required?
- Develops and maintains workload and development of the Packaging Assistants & Packaging Administrator?
- Develops and maintains excellent working relationships with print partners and Buying Teams?
- Develops a deep understanding of the Matalan customer and ensures work is targeted accordingly?

Commercial?
- Manages their workload effectively, meeting required timescales?
- On locally sourced packaging, work on developing through nominated print partners whilst achieving cost benefits and rebate for Matalan?
- In line with changes in the business strategy, work with nominated print partners to reduce lead times and/or localise supply?
- Regularly reviews own work, managing workload requirements and communicating progress to Head of Sourcing?

Process?
- Liaise with the Distribution Centres to monitor and rectify non-compliant packaging?
- Maintain Packaging Guidelines to support B&M teams, Suppliers and global QC Teams?
- Ensure all products produced through nominated source achieves maximum rebate without impacting BIM?
- Maintain all admin relating to the above tasks?

Team?
- Reporting to the Packaging Buyer, working closely to manage status and updates of business strategy and cost savings?
- Supports and manages development of the Packaging Assistants and Administrator?
- Works closely with the Creative Packaging team to manage deadlines/workflow?
- Works closely with the B&M teams to understand packaging requirements?
- Liaise with external suppliers to provide education and guidance on Packaging?

Product?
- Provides work with accuracy and within deadlines?
- Works closely with nominated print partners?
- Implements and helps to support the company brand guidelines

**About You**:

- Previous packaging role with at least 3 years industry experience?
- Retail Packaging/Print experience desirable?
- Ability to deliver to deadlines and manage changing priorities in a fast paced retail environment??
- Outstanding work management and organisational skills?
- Strong attention to detail?
- Experience of working directly with senior management ?
- Strong negotiating skills?
- Proven ability to work well under pressure?
- Thorough and systematic ?
- Professional approach

**Benefits**:
In addition to competitive salaries, we also offer the below core benefits:

- 20% staff discount, which increases with length of service
- Thrive Recognition Scheme
- Wellbeing support provided by the Retail Trust
- Life Assurance
- Retail Rewards platform offering discounts for other retailers
- Pension Scheme
- Access to a wide range of career development