Senior Buyer

Company Description

**Job Description**:
Brakes are currently recruiting for a Senior Buyer to join the Dairy team on a full-time, permanent basis, reporting to the Category Merchandising Director. Our role is offering hybrid working, with 2 days on site in the Ashford, Kent office per week, so you must be within a commutable distance.

The Senior Buyer’s role is integral to delivering a customer focussed range. The individual is responsible for ensuring we source products effectively, drive profitability and manage supplier relations within the merchandising function, whilst creating and delivering a strategic plan that understands both customer needs to deliver profitable growth.

**Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities**:

- Help create, lead, and deliver on the category strategy for the team, including any specific projects supporting Sysco growth strategy.
- Accountability for developing supplier partnerships, selecting an appropriate supplier base, supported by merchandising, technical and supply chain colleagues.
- Agree cost prices for all products, with annual terms agreed on time showing year on year improvement.
- Monitor supplier performance in terms of overall gross margin, competitiveness, and availability. Agree corrective action where necessary.
- Agree joint business plans with key suppliers, including investment plans to activate digital and marketing product opportunities.
- Maintain accurate cost files, and savings pipelines & trackers.
- Support category management in range decisions (including brand tiering and the role of the Sysco brand) to drive sales.
- Work with the product development team to innovate and create value throughout the end-to-end supply chain, meeting Sysco sustainability strategy.
- Support sales team in tenders and with specific customer pitches.
- Give the business market insight to support pricing decisions and ensure benchmarking across the market to remain competitive.
- Communicate at Board level internally and with suppliers.
- Work across Sysco GB Group & the Constellation procurement alliance

**About you**:
You’ll live and breathe Customer First, with an innovative and agile approach to identify new ideas and methods. You’ll enjoy working collaboratively with a dedicated focus on driving and delivering results. You will be resilient and work well with ambiguity and building future solutions. Naturally, you will embrace an inclusive working environment and be committed to acting with integrity and honesty in everything you do.
- Must have previous experience in a Buyer/Procurement Manager role within Retail, large foodservice organisation, or Dairy, with international scope & currency management, and different tendering models
- Proven track record of managing a significant cost of goods with strong motivation to deliver cost savings
- Experience of working with external customers and driving sales and margin growth
- Experience working within a cross functional team
- Experience of building category strategies to deliver growth.
- MS office
- min of intermediate excel, word and PowerPoint
- Flexibility to travel
- Extensive negotiation training and awareness of FMCG purchasing processes
- Confidence and experience in presenting to large audiences

**What we offer**:

- A competitive salary
- Company car allowance of £7,000
- Pension scheme
- Single private medical healthcare cover
- Generous holiday allowance of 25 days, with option to purchase additional holidays + bank holidays
- Huge discounts on all sorts of lovely food and award-winning products through our staff shop
- Discounts on Cinema tickets, shopping and earn cashback on purchases through Sodexo.
- Recognition awards and Incentives
- Real career opportunities - being part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opens up a world of possibility

**Qualifications**:
Additional Information