Buying Manager

Job Description

Our trading teams are key to our success and we are looking for a commercial Buying Manager to join our busy, fast-paced and dynamic teams. We are on the hunt for traders and future traders to join Fresh/Produce & Ambient categories and would love to hear from anyone with relevant experience.

The Buying Manager will assist the Senior Buying Manager in planning, sourcing, selecting and negotiating a commercial and competitively priced product range across all channels, whilst maximising sales and margin for the department.

Our commercial teams decide what we sell and at what price. We source great products for our customers and negotiate deals with suppliers. And we look for the best local produce, tracking down products around the world to meet constantly changing tastes. Own brands. Value brands. Global brands. We take great pride in them all.

Not only are we the second largest manufacturer of fresh food in the UK, but we also ensure our traceability, in particular our meat products, to show it is ethically sourced, from which region of the UK and by whom, to help us paint a full picture for our customers from farm-to-fork.
You’ll help to deliver exceptional, customer-led ranges which drive sales and margin across a specific category.

You will build on the capability of our Buying team by engaging with different teams across the business to translate customer buying insights into competitive customer propositions, ensuring quality and value.

You’ll Be Responsible For
Developing and delivering the category plan for a high spend, complex area
Driving sales and profit through acting on our customer insight to deliver the right range and customer proposition
Delivery of margin targets through negotiation and robust supplier plans
Delivering our supplier promises (12 point charter) through continuously improving Supplier relationships and engagement with detailed supplier knowledge and regular supplier visits
Using your market understanding of the category, including competitor insight to develop compelling category strategies
Actively support and promote the high performance culture of the Buying team, including the support of personal and professional growth to encourage colleagues to be the best they can be
Helping to deliver a great customer experience – helping them to buy
Operating in full compliance with the Grocery Suppliers Code of Practice (GSCOP)

Some of the benefits you can expect as follows;
15% colleague discount in our stores and online, plus an additional 10% card for a friend or family members (subject to fair usage)
Car allowance
Annual bonus
Generous holiday entitlement
5 day working week with flexible working hours
Company pension contributions
Perks with over 850 retailers
A range of family friendly policies including 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave along with neonatal and fertility leave