Diversity matters
We are building a brand that represents the people of the world. It's what you do that counts, and we are always looking to expand perspectives and voices to shape our future.
We see you, we celebrate you, we want you!
Who we are
You might know us as the inventors of the bath bomb, but there's more to this great-smelling, partly employee-owned, family-run company than pioneering cosmetics. We believe our business should put more back into the world than it takes and demonstrate that capitalism can be a force for good.
The Living Wage Foundation's statement 'a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay' is one that we are proud to commit to in the UK. As an accredited Living Wage employer, we put our people first and fight cruel practices like animal testing, promote regeneration, and show that it is what's inside that counts - whether that's an ingredient in a product, or the minerals in a smartphone.
Purpose/overview
Buying is firmly embedded at the heart of Lush. We are a passionate, committed, resourceful team working hard to embody the ethics of the Company in everything we do.
As Creative Buyer, you will lead sourcing of selected materials to service our manufacturing in Croatia and the UK. You will develop and implement the regenerative strategy for materials in your remit, coordinating direct procurement with strategic local sourcing initiatives while future proofing our supply chains, ensuring compliance with EU regulations and mitigating potential disruption to supply. You will work closely with growers / producers / manufacturers to create supply chain resilience and transparency, supporting our goal of Leaving the world Lusher than we found it.
Location: This role is offered as remote working, either in the UK or Europe. Travel will be expected.
Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive an overwhelming response or our business requirements change.
Key Responsibilities
* Managing sourcing & contracting for selected materials across the portfolio.
* Establishing primary and secondary supply for new materials needed to support UK & Croatian Manufacturing.
* Managing supplier relationships, negotiations, contracting, due diligence and mapping the optimum supply chain logistics for global markets with selected European suppliers (including those with geographical distributor agreements in place).
* Work with other stakeholders to develop a full understanding of tax and duty implications of different sourcing options and movement of goods to optimise our Buying decisions.
* Leading Cocoa category - Driving our cocoa strategy and contracting, aligning standards, traceability and price:
o Cocoa beans
o Cocoa butter
o Cocoa powder
o Cocoa derivatives (including Fragrance materials)
* Fresh & Flowers and other Subscription boxes for European markets - managing localised sourcing as needed.
* Build a pipeline of new potential European suppliers / sources for key materials to develop supply chain resilience and diversify supply base (raw materials including Safe Synthetics, Aroma Chemicals and more).
* Supporting the design and implementation of Supply Chain Improvement / Insetting projects for selected European / Global suppliers (relating to remit).
* Coordination of direct procurement with strategic local sourcing initiatives.
* Work closely with the UK and Croatian team (Buying, Procurement and Forecasting) to build a full understanding of production demands and launch timelines, ensuring all Raw Materials are available at the right time.
* Developing and implementing strategies to future proof your remit, ensuring compliance with EU regulations and minimal disruption to supply.
* Represent the work of Lush Buying internally and externally (trade shows, industry events, internal training, writing articles).
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* A true passion for Buying coupled with a real understanding of our company ethics.
* Excellent organisational abilities to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines.
* Ability to react quickly, build strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams, as well as excellent communication skills and strong attention to detail.
* You'll be an analytical and a creative thinker with strong determination, curiosity and great problem-solving skills.
* Able to research your portfolio of materials in a dynamic and proactive way, identifying innovative and new options and taking ownership of delivering projects in a timely and successful manner.
* Demonstrable negotiation skills, able to deliver the right products at the right prices to meet the needs of the business.
* Focused on self-learning and development in order to maximise the potential of the role and grow within the dynamic nature of the business.
* Previous experience of direct sourcing essential; experience across multiple categories and advantage.
* Strong knowledge of the European Cosmetic & Food Ingredients landscape.
* A confident and considered decision maker, whilst being comfortable with providing reasoning for your decisions to the business.
* A love of LUSH will ensure you will be a fantastic ambassador for the brand!
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