Head of Product
5 days ago
London
Head of Product | North London | Full Time | £50,000 per annumWith 140+ years of heritage, our client is a leading UK B2B fabric wholesaler, trusted by fabric retailers and manufacturers in the fashion, hobby and craft industries. The business is currently undergoing a bold rebrand and digital transformation to reshape the future of textile wholesale and elevate the customer experience.The RoleOur client is looking for a commercially minded and highly proactive Head of Product to lead the product and purchasing direction of the business.This is a hands-on role focused on driving product strategy, identifying opportunities, developing ranges, sourcing products and suppliers, and making commercially informed buying decisions.The role will report directly to the CEO and lead the Product & Purchasing function, with direct management responsibility for the Merchandiser. You will work closely with the CEO, Sales and Merchandising to ensure product decisions reflect customer demand, market trends and commercial opportunities.This is a primarily office-based role, particularly during training, probation and the initial onboarding period, giving you the opportunity to develop a strong understanding of the company's fabrics, products and ways of working. Some flexibility around hybrid working can be discussed once you are established in the role, although this will not be a fully remote position.There is no regular client-facing travel requirement, although there may be occasional European supplier visits, typically around 2–3 times per year and planned well in advance.Key ResponsibilitiesOwn and drive the overall product and range strategy across the businessBuild seasonal and ongoing range plans based on sales performance, customer demand, market trends and identified gapsIdentify opportunities to strengthen, extend, replace or rationalise existing product rangesMaintain a forward-looking product development pipeline, identifying opportunities proactively rather than relying solely on supplier-led opportunitiesIdentify new fabrics, qualities, constructions, finishes, designs and commercial opportunitiesSource products through existing and new supplier networks in the UK and internationallyManage the complete new-product journey from initial idea and sourcing through sampling, costing, selection and productionLead the design and product-development programme, ensuring design decisions remain commercially focused and relevant to target customers, including managing external designers and creative resources where requiredDevelop briefs for new print, colour and design rangesManage seasonal development calendars and ensure new ranges progress from concept through to production on timeDevelop and maintain strong supplier relationships across pricing, quality, reliability, lead times and product developmentPrepare supplier negotiations and recommendations for review with the CEO where appropriateWork alongside the CEO on significant negotiations, strategic supplier decisions and major buying commitmentsReview supplier performance and manage supplier-side claims and commercial issuesReview and approve significant buying recommendations prepared by the MerchandiserDetermine buying priorities across ranges, suppliers and production programmesMake commercially informed decisions balancing availability, stock investment, demand, margin and lead timeDetermine priorities when shipment or container capacity requires decisions over which products should move firstWork with the relevant Sales/On-Demand team to identify and source products for significant customer opportunitiesAssess whether on-demand opportunities have potential to become wider stock rangesLead the Product & Purchasing function and establish clear priorities, processes and accountabilityManage the Merchandiser and ensure the operational purchasing function supports the wider product strategyMaintain visibility across replenishment, production, inbound shipments and key stock risksEnsure purchasing decisions are made using accurate and timely dataCreate a culture of ownership where issues are identified and acted upon rather than simply reportedRequirementsEssentialStrong commercial experience within product development, buying, sourcing, merchandising or purchasingExperience working with physical productsStrong product instinct with the ability to recognise commercial opportunitiesExperience sourcing and developing products with suppliersConfidence negotiating pricing, quantities, lead times and commercial termsAbility to understand sales and stock data and use it to support buying decisionsExperience managing product or range-development programmesAn understanding of design and trends without necessarily being a hands-on designerStrong supplier-management and relationship-building skillsCommercially sharp, decisive and comfortable taking ownershipHighly proactive and able to identify what should be done next without waiting to be instructedExperience managing or mentoring others, with the ability to set clear priorities and accountabilityDesirableExperience within textiles, fabrics, fashion, interiors or a related wholesale environmentKnowledge of the fabric/textile market and existing industry contacts would be highly advantageousWhat's In It For YouUp to £50,000 per annum (DOE)Annual leave package of 20 days + Bank Holidays, with additional company closure days which vary annually on topBirthday day off in addition to annual leave, additional annual leave entitlement after 2 and 5 years' serviceMonday–Thursday 9:00am–5:30pmFriday hours of 9:00am–4:30pm during summer and 9:00am–3:30pm during winterSome flexibility around hybrid working once established in the role, following an initial office-based periodMonthly staff pizza afternoon & Annual staff outing/activityOpportunity to report directly to the CEO and play a key role in shaping the product direction of an established business undergoing an exciting period of rebrand and digital transformationGenuine opportunity to make a significant commercial impact across product, purchasing and supplier strategyWhat's next? 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