Jobs

Location: Edinburgh
Contract: Permanent, full-time
Salary: £25,000 to £30,000 per annum, plus generous workplace pension
Closing date: 12 March 2023

National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe, with one of the largest and most diverse collections in the world. Millions of local and international visitors enjoy our museums each year, and our shops, operated by National Museums Scotland Enterprises Ltd, play a very important role in the visitor experience and sustainability of the Museums.

The Retail Division operates seven shops across the National Museums Scotland estate. Each shop is operated to reflect the collections of the particular museum or current exhibition and is designed and priced to help maximise sales whilst enhancing the visitor experience.

There are three shops in the National Museum of Scotland, stocking an extensive selection of imaginative gifts, souvenirs, toys and books. The largest shop can be found in the Entrance Hall, with further shops next by the Tower Entrance and on Level 3 next to the Exhibitions Gallery. Other shops are to be found at the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian, the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Rural Life at East Kilbride. These museum shops are open to non-museum visitors.

We also have an Online Shop with an exclusive range of products. We welcome mail order enquires and we can post or ship purchases on request.

Our Shops are considered a benchmark in museum trading across Scotland and set a standard to which others aspire.

Job description
We have an exciting new opportunity for a Retail Buyer.

You will:

Manage Open to Buy, clearance and terminal stocks
Build strong relationships with our suppliers, many of whom we have done business with for 20 years
Support the digital marketplace opportunities for NMSE and will be expected to support the strategy and plans for this channel
Complete weekly sales analysis and weekly sales, stock and intake order to manage and replenish stocks while maximising sales and minimising risk
Source new goods from a variety of suppliers linking in with Retail Operations to ensure that goods meet organisational safety and Carbon standards
Continually visit our stores and the competition to recognise opportunities to enhance merchandise mix and identify future opportunities to drive future strategies
Be responsible for the lifecycle of new/source goods including buying quantities volumes, pricing strategies allocation levels and delivery methods to shops
Secure supplier relationships through a strong and positive presence, whilst continually assessing supplier performance to drive short-, medium- and long-term goals
Attend trade shows to keep up to date with product buy trends and further develop supplier relationships
Skills and Experience
You will have:

Have knowledge of buying and merchandising to support shops in either charity or commercial retail
Be motivated by a start-up situation with an enthusiasm for covering multiple disciplines and developing our buying function with an innovative approach
Have a strong analytical ability, be highly numerate and have ability to use excel at advanced level
Display a high attention to detail
Have Advanced negotiating skills
Demonstrate an understanding of the calculation of margin, markdown, and terminal stock
Have proven project management experience with ability to work under pressure
As part of the Buying team, interpret the content of our temporary exhibitions and permanent collections and use this to inform the sourcing and development of a bespoke product range
Work as part of the Retail team to build product ranges that reflect the varied needs of our audience, contributing to a retail offer worthy of the NMS brand and reputation
To apply
To apply, please send a CV (no more than two pages) and a covering letter detailing your suitability for the post to j.dixon@nms.ac.uk. The closing date is 12 March 2023. Interviews will take place on or around w/c 20 March 2023.

General information
Salary

The salary range for this post is circa £25,000 – £30,000 per annum. Salary on appointment will depend on experience.

Hours of work

37 hours per week, normally a five-day week Monday to Friday of 37 hours, excluding lunch breaks. There is a requirement to work occasional Saturdays, Sundays and/or public holidays as appropriate.

Location

This post is based at the National Museum of Scotland site in Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The postholder will be required to be able to travel to all of our retail venues as appropriate. Whilst the postholder will be able to work occasionally from home where work allows, the Retail Division is a front-line operation and attendance on site is important.

Probation

New employees have a probation period of three months from date of appointment.

Colleague Benefits

25 days annual leave, plus 11.5 public holidays (this increases to 30 days after 5 years’ service)
Generous workplace pension scheme
Eligibility to discretionary bonus scheme
Private Medical Insurance after completion of 1 year’s service
Discount in NMSE shops and cafes
Access to employee assistance programme
Training & Development opportunities that enable employees to undertake their roles as effectively as possible

Pre-employment checks/eligibility to work in the UK

At the point of making an offer to the preferred candidate, NMSE will undertake pre-employment checks. These arrangements are
Receipt of a minimum of two references which are satisfactory to NMSE and cover the full three-year period prior to the effective date of employment
Receipt of the completed health declaration form which is satisfactory to NMSE
A basic Criminal Records Check by Disclosure Scotland which is satisfactory to NMSE
Receipt of documentation confirming eligibility to work in the UK

Application Deadline: Sunday 12/03/2023