Senior Trader - International

We’re seeking a commercially driven and passionate International Senior Trader / Merchandiser to join our fast-paced International team at M&S. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of our global omnichannel strategy, bringing our iconic Clothing, Food, and Home products to over 32 million customers worldwide. You’ll play a key role in driving profitable growth across diverse markets, collaborating with Buying, Merchandising, Partnership teams, and Logistics to deliver a globally relevant range. With product at the heart of everything we do, your market insight, commercial eye, and strategic planning will be instrumental in delivering success. In this role, you’ll be responsible for leading a trading team in a Business Unit – setting budgets, managing order books, and maintaining forecasts. You’ll identify risks and opportunities through rigorous weekly trade routines, share international performance insights, and challenge our partners to optimise sales. You’ll manage and develop your high-performing team, championing consistent and efficient ways of working to support the delivery of a truly global M&S brand.

What's in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special…

• After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry-leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.
  

What you will do

To contribute to the maximisation of international sales, through the effective planning, selling, and trading of a global product range that delivers profitability at channel, range and option level, for M&S as well as for our International partners.

• To drive profitable International growth across all International channels
• To develop a BU and Departmental product strategy and to translate this into plans which maximise Int retail sales, reported sales and profit
• Accountable for the delivery of the Int C&H P&L and key International KPI’s for your product area e.g. fulfilment at final intake, sales and op profit
• To lead, motivate and develop the International Trading team in delivering their agreed financial targets and KPI’s
• To promote an International mindset and be a catalyst for International in your BU, ensuring it is fully integrated with, and treated as a priority by, the global buying teams and that the needs of International customers/partners are fulfilled
• To create an environment which cultivates a selling and trading culture across your International team

RESPONSIBILITIES

Plan

• Create and deliver an International product strategy, which maximises sales across all International selling channels and routes to market (e.g. order-based markets, marketplaces, online D2C) and aligns to the International strategy
• Identify product requirements that satisfies partner requirements to maximise in-market sales (e.g. global range extensions, local sourcing) and ensure the Global range is delivered right first time as part of range reviews
• Ensure product ranges meet International garment compliance requirements
• Plan the product level forward sales for International online sales fulfilled through the UK stock pot
• Ensure International participates in production capacity planning and tenders prior to seasonal buying
• Collaborate with International supply chain strategically plan optimal routes to market and drive efficiencies

Sell

• Ensure iBT partner buying information is accurate – including cost prices, images, attribute/product data
• Lead the delivery of Int buying events g. Buying fairs or remote/digital buying events
• Utilise product knowledge to recommend product catalogues for partners, creating cohesive ranges which max partner retail sales
• Drive International volume orders to assist with C&H price negotiation which drives value back into UK
• Ensure the International online team is set up to maximise sales with a trading plan which is aligned to the forward sales plan and stock commitment

Trade

• Accountable for ensuring stock arrives on time and is despatched to International in line with agreed business rules e.g. via UK first, via off-shore Hub through 2nd production hit
• Ensuring partners fulfilment allows them to launch as close as possible to the
• Driving OTB into International, to deliver maximum international sale
• Ensure the BU teams are up to date on International performance, including sales, best sellers, missed opportunities
• Re-forecast forward sales, retail and reported, across all channels and partners, ensuring appropriate controls in place for UK fulfilled Int online stock to prevent stock risk in UK
• Help Category trade out of stock through International opportunities
• Lead the creation of Int lessons learnt for product category and drive forward action to grow sales in future seasons

Leadership

• Provide leadership to your International Trading teams ensuring robust development and succession plans are in place
• Play your part in ensuring your International Trading team deliver One Best Way of working and work with the other International Traders to create standardisation and consistency across International Trading in all Bus

Other

• Support the UK in developing their Order based business g. Ocado

Who you are

• Experience in managing an operational area with responsibility for its P&L
• Track record of leading, motivating and developing teams
• Numerical, analytical, and interpretive skills
• Ability to initiate and build strong relationships with BU, franchisees, International colleagues and suppliers
• Strong communicative, influencing, and organisational
• Strong production/capacity planning abilities, including critical path creation and
• Ability to understand performance, key metrics and how to use such data to maximise sales and deliver growth in future seasons in their
• Effectively delivering within a cross-matrix
• Ability to fully utilise appropriate IT systems
• Affinity for product

Everyone's welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.

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