Senior Buyer

We are the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK, and our presence in the US and China positions the Group well in these high-growth markets.

We leverage our consumer insight and scale to provide innovative food that offers quality, choice, convenience, and freshness.

Around 18,500 colleagues operate from 44 sites across our three markets supplying a portfolio of over 2,900 products across meals, pizza & bread, salads and desserts to leading grocery retailers in the UK and US, and international food brands in China.

Senior Buyer

Location:
Spalding/Newark, Lincolnshire

Hybrid

Contract Type:
Permanent

Business Area:
Bakkavor Ltd

We're the biggest name you've never heard of. You've probably eaten our food - you just didn't realise it. We make innovative fresh products, with around 18,500 colleagues working across the UK, US and China.

We're the market leader in the UK fresh prepared food industry supplying meals, salads, desserts, pizza and bread to leading grocery retailers (including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose).

We're ambitious. We're full of ideas. And we're ready for more people who share our values and passion for quality to join us.
Senior Category Buyer

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Senior Category Buyer to join our Procurement Team, to manage delivery of the medium-term procurement strategy whilst ensuring maximum commercial value across your sub-category and expenditure accordingly.

In this busy and exciting role, you will influence both internal and external stakeholders throughout the sourcing process to successfully deliver agreed portfolio plans, whilst ensuring group goals and business needs are met and risks are managed - maximising commercial advantage.

Accountabilities

Leading your allocated sub-category using expert market and product knowledge, which is recognised both internally and externally within the value chain and the customer.

Delivering the medium-term procurement strategy across your sub-category to maximise value to Bakkavor and its customer base by ensuring business and customer needs are understood and managed to deliver long term sustainability.

Ensuring that all areas within your sub-category have a clear and robust risk management plan in place, encompassing all Bakkavor business needs.

Agreeing Risk Plans with appropriate stakeholders, to ensure full implementation and effective contracting.
Providing support with any necessary crisis management across your sub-category ensuring stakeholders are fully informed and internal teams supported.

Taking full ownership for all sub-category prices within the group's financial forecasts and tracking ongoing performance, ensuring the live tracker is updated accordingly.

Generating measurable financial and commercial value from the supply base

Developing and owning relationships with all suppliers ensuring we have performance measures in place which are reviewed regularly – using these measures to ensure that key suppliers are meeting continuous improvement targets relating to value, quality, service, risk management and innovation.

Establishing and leading a robust sub-category Improvement Plan (CIP) for your expenditure which is aligned and approved by the relevant stakeholders.

To be recognised as the sub-category lead for Bakkavor within the value chain, managing and influencing on procurement matters to meet our strategic objectives.

Coaching, training, and motivating direct reports (if appropriate) to support their development needs ensuring Bakkavor leadership behaviours are always demonstrated.

Understanding the technical risks for your subcategory and working closely with our Technical function to proactively manage change to products or suppliers to deliver sourcing strategies

Ensuring all category sourcing strategies / plans are embedded across the sub-category whilst taking into account the Bakkavor Responsible Sourcing Policy.

About you

Ideally you will have extensive experience of a procurement role from a buying perspective, preferably within a food manufacturing setting.

Strong negotiation, communication, influencing, and relationship building skills with the ability to present complex information clearly, will all be key.

You will be CIPs qualified or hold relevant demonstratable experience and have a sound understanding of financial accounts.

If you have solid knowledge of procurement processes and experience within categories, contract law and commodity or base raw material tracking methods – this could be the perfect role for you.

What you'll receive.
As an equal opportunity employer, we're committed to providing a safe and rewarding environment for you to thrive in. This is why we work hard to deliver benefits, rewards and wellbeing offerings that are important to you.

You'll enjoy:
Life Assurance (2.5 x salary)
Short Term Bonus Scheme
25 days holiday
Staff Shop
Stakeholder Pension Scheme
MyBargains Discount Platform
Personal Accident Insurance
Free Independent Mortgage Advice
Employee Assistance Programme
A Range of voluntary benefits (holiday purchase scheme, additional life assurance, dental & hospital cash plans)
Discounted tutoring for children
Access to financial learning tools and affordable loans via your salary
Private Medical Insurance
Free Carparking
Proud to be Bakkavor
We're proud to be the market leader in the UK fresh prepared food industry.

We're proud to supply meals, salads, desserts, pizza and bread to leading grocery retailers including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

We're driven by the hard work and passion of our people and are delighted to offer a wide range of careers across our business – come and join our dedicated Bakkavor team
Find out more and apply.
#LI-VM1

---