Junior Buyer

Job Title: Junior Buyer – Food & Ingredients

Salary: Up to £30,000 + Benefits (dependant on experience)

Location: Leeds Head Office (with UK travel)

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and commercially driven Junior Buyer to join our Procurement team within a fast-paced, multi-site food manufacturing business.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of key ingredient categories within a £70M procurement function, supporting a high-volume operation across 7 manufacturing sites. You’ll play a critical role in ensuring continuity of supply, driving cost efficiencies, and maintaining strong supplier performance.

What You’ll Be Doing

* Managing procurement of food ingredients and raw materials across defined categories

* Negotiating pricing, contracts, and commercial terms with suppliers

* Building and maintaining strong supplier relationships, ensuring performance on cost, quality, and delivery

* Identifying and delivering cost-saving initiatives

* Monitoring market trends and managing supply risks

* Supporting New Product Development (NPD) through sourcing of new ingredients

* Ensuring compliance with food safety, regulatory, and customer standards

* Working cross-functionally with Technical, Operations, Logistics, and Commercial teams

* Managing procurement data and systems (SAGE MRP or equivalent)

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

* Proven experience in a Buyer/Procurement

* role within food manufacturing or FMCG

* Strong negotiation and commercial skills

* Experience managing significant spend and supplier portfolios

* Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment

* Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills

* Experience with MRP/ERP systems (SAGE or similar) and Microsoft Office

* Full UK Driving Licence

* Right to work in the UK

Desirable:

* Experience sourcing across UK and EU markets

* Knowledge of commodity-driven ingredient markets

* Understanding of food safety standards (e.g. BRC, HACCP)

* MCIPS qualification (or working towards)

What Success Looks Like

* Delivery of cost savings against targets

* Consistent continuity of supply to manufacturing sites

* Strong supplier performance (OTIF, quality compliance)

* Accurate and efficient procurement processes

Why Join Us?

* Be part of a well-established, growing food manufacturing business

* Work within a large-scale, complex supply chain environment

* Opportunity to influence supplier strategy and category performance

* Collaborative, cross-functional working culture

If you're a proactive Buyer who thrives on pace, ownership, and making a tangible commercial impact — we’d love to hear from you
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed