Junior Buyer (Sports)

takealot.com, a leading South African online retailer, is looking for a highly talented Junior Buyer to join our team in Cape Town.

We’re a young, dynamic, hyper growth company looking for smart, creative, hard-working people with integrity to join us.  We offer a market related, Total Remuneration Package which allows full flexibility according to your needs, a great work environment and a promise that you won’t be bored as long as you are prepared for a challenge and want to build something great!

As a Junior Buyer you will contribute to the continued growth of Takealot as a partner to the Buyer within a product category (or categories). Your primary responsibility will be to manage a small buying portfolio with guidance from the Buying Manager and to support the department across all administrative functions related to the purchasing of products.

This position reports to the Divisional Buying Manager.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Execute the strategy/plan to drive growth across the department in sales, margin, brands, ranges, suppliers, and new product listings
• Develop and execute a comprehensive range plan for the department
• Clear understanding of competitor landscape
• Execute on a sourcing plan according to the growth plan and in line with market trends and consumer demand
• Analyze trade performance and action against the key financial and service level performance indicators within the department (sales, margin, availability, stock cover etc.)
• Manage and develop strong supplier relationships.
• Negotiate volumes and price, improve trading terms and manage suppliers according to SLAs
• Execute according to the promotional calendar by sourcing great deals and support site merchandising for the department
• Support the operations team in delivering a world-class customer experience – monitor department returns, support the customer service team on product queries and resolving any customer complaints

Attributes required:

• Strong attention to detail, super organized with superb time management and administration skills.
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinker
• Systems savvy with experience using Excel
• Well presented with excellent communication skills, confident, assertive and determined
• Proven negotiation skills
• Passion for products
• Proven strategic thinking skills

Qualifications and Experience:

• National Diploma (Business or Commerce preferable)
• 2 -3 years related Retail / Commerce experience 
• Strong commercial acumen
• Existing industry networks a significant plus
• Proven track record of negotiation skills and strong relationship management
• Strong knowledge or passion for the sports industry

The Environment:

• takealot.com employees are entrepreneurial and dynamic, smart, customer-centric, fun and have the shared ambition of takealot.com being the leading e-commerce company in Africa.
• We have fun, work hard, take ownership, work in teams to create solutions, and are always open to direct feedback/new ideas on where we can improve.
• We are short on ego and high on output.
• We are doers and not only thinkers, its all in the execution after all.
• We love what we do and what we are creating.

We seek to Employ an Extra Ordinary Mind who:

• is forthright but respectful
• is an expert at doing, who can not only design but also execute
• is analytical, able to use data to make decisions
• is competitive, self-directed and strive to be the BEST (GREAT requires a lot of work and does not only happen during business hours
• is passionate about the potential of e-commerce and delivering a world-class customer experience
• is entrepreneurial, thrives under change and accepts it is a constant and always looks for solutions to do something better and faster
• is able to think about problems from a business perspective using technical and product input
• is curious and challenge the status quo
• is innovative and enjoys iteration
• is collaborative
• will be at the cutting edge of developing new concepts for takealot.com.
• thinks like an owner of the business.
• is SMART, has INTEGRITY and is HARDWORKING

If you meet the above you are an Extraordinary Mind so come and join us!

Takealot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants from the previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities will be given preference