Buying Manager - Kid's and Women's Footwear

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Job Title - Buying Manager

Reporting To Head of Buying / Buying Director

Location – Bury Head Office

About JD Group

This is JD. Born in 1981. Built for Now.

At JD, we don’t just sell sneakers and outdoor gear, we set trends, break boundaries, and build communities. Whether you're on the shop floor, behind the scenes, or driving innovation, every role here plays a part in shaping the future of our industry.

We’re fast-paced, fearless, and unapologetically ambitious. We celebrate authenticity, thrive on collaboration, and never stop pushing forward, if you’re ready to bring your energy, ideas, and personality to a team that values them.

This is your moment.

This is JD.

Role Purpose

Supporting the Head of Buying in delivering the set strategy to deliver a profitable, customer-relevant, and commercially competitive product range within an agreed category/brand area. The Buying Manager builds and manages supplier relationships, and leads the day-to-day range, margin, stock, and cost decisions to achieve sales, profit and inventory KPIs.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and execute category range architecture across core, seasonal, and innovation, including clear entry and exit strategies, aligned to brand and customer objectives.

Lead the build and delivery of compelling product ranges across core, seasonal and trend-led categories.

Present ranges with confidence to Directors and senior stakeholders, acting as a key liaison between Heads of and wider cross-functional teams.

Lead, manage and develop a team of varying seniority, providing clear direction, coaching and progression opportunities to drive high performance.

Maintain a strong understanding of the customer, competitor landscape and wider market trends; leverage external networks across brands and industry contacts to inform strategy and identify new opportunities.

Use insight and market knowledge to shape category direction and influence broader brand strategy.

Own product selection decisions and range sign-off within delegated authority, ensuring commercial alignment.

Drive pricing strategy, including recommendations on initial pricing and markdown proposals.

Partner closely with trading and allocation teams to optimise availability and minimise lost sales.

Identify and drive operational improvements within the buying function, championing efficiency, process development and commercial accuracy.

Build strong relationships with brand partners to unlock opportunities and ensure competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Collaborate cross-functionally with Merchandising & Planning, Marketing, Ecommerce, Studio/Creative, Retail Operations and Supply Chain to ensure effective execution.

Provide clear briefs, critical paths and timelines to support product launches, campaigns and go-live readiness.

Identify opportunities to improve ways of working within the buying function, driving efficiency, commercial accuracy and process consistency.

Key Measures of Success (KPIs)

Sales and gross margin vs plan

Stock turn, weeks of cover, intake vs OTB (open-to-buy)

Markdown rate and terminal stock

Availability / sell-through / lost sales

Skills & Experience Required

Proven experience in Sports Fashion Buying at a management level

Extensive network within the industry and well connected with strong brand relationships

Experience leading, coaching and developing a buying team (e.g., Buyers, Senior Buyers).

Ability to delegate effectively, set priorities and manage team capacity in a fast-paced environment.

Confident in representing the buying function in cross-functional and senior stakeholder meetings.

What We Offer

As a part of our successful and continually evolving company, you’ll be encouraged to embrace and uphold our strategic priorities: putting people first, at the forefront of digital innovation, staying deeply attuned to our customers, and pursuing operational excellence. We are always exploring new avenues for growth, and we welcome individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact every day.

We know our employees work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits:

Incremental Holiday Allowance

Staff Discount on qualifying purchases across Group retail stores and online

Exclusive Colleague Bike Discount scheme

Discounted Gym membership

Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work

Access to Apprenticeships and accredited qualifications

We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.

Thank you for your time

#JD