Buyer

**Position title**
- Buyer

**Description**

Are you a passionate and experienced Buyer ready to take ownership of a dynamic category? Do you thrive on creating innovative products, building global strategies, and driving sustainable growth? If so, we want you to join our team as a Buyer for our Flavoured Drinks category. Think delicious luxurious Hot Chocolates and tasty Instant Teas

At Whittard, we’re on a mission to deliver exceptional products that delight customers worldwide. As our Buyer, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Flavoured Drinks range while working alongside a talented team that’s as passionate about quality as you are.

**Why Join Us?**
- Innovative Environment: Lead the development of commercially aspirational and sustainable products that set trends globally.
- Growth Focused: Be at the heart of our 3-year revenue growth plan, driving both innovation and profitability.
- Global Impact: Create products that resonate with customers across multiple markets worldwide.
- Empowering Culture: Collaborate, lead, and inspire a high-performing team to exceed goals.

**Responsibilities**

**As our Buyer, you’ll**:

- Shape the Future: Drive category strategy and manage the end-to-end product lifecycle, from concept to launch.
- Lead Innovation: Develop trend-setting product ranges, flavours, and categories, ensuring our offerings remain relevant, exciting, and globally compliant.
- Drive Profitability: Negotiate with suppliers to improve margins and terms, achieve intake margin targets, and maximise category profitability.
- Champion Sustainability: Develop environmentally responsible products while balancing commercial viability.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Identify market opportunities to drive sales and profits across stores, e-commerce, and international markets.
- Develop new ranges, flavours, and gifting propositions that stay ahead of trends and excite customers.
- Plan and forecast sales and margins, presenting data-driven insights to senior management.
- Build strong supplier relationships to negotiate better payment terms, delivery costs, and retrospective discounts.
- Oversee the critical path to ensure on-time delivery and compliance for all global markets.
- Work collaboratively with Marketing, Sales, and Merchandising teams to align on strategy and execution.

**About You**
- Experience in New Product Development is essential
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
- At least 5 years’ relevant buying experience.
- Strong negotiation and critical path management skills.
- Commercial acumen with excellent analytical abilities.
- Exceptional communication, organisational, and time management skills.
- A proactive and positive attitude with a passion for teamwork.
- Experience in the food category or international markets.

**Job Benefits**
- Generous holiday allowance + enjoy your birthday off
- Up to 50% store discount on Whittard products.
- Monthly product allowance.
- Auto-enrolment Pension scheme.
- Access to our wellbeing portal and Employee Assistance Programme
- Flexible working opportunities.
- Selection of family friendly benefits.

And much much more
- Whittard of Chelsea is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We thrive to be a diverse and an inclusive organisation. We want to be a place where differences are recognised and celebrated, with a workforce that builds teams from all individualities, backgrounds, and experiences._
- Together as a Whittard family, we continue to create a culture that encourages, supports, and inspires all our employees to have a voice, to make a positive difference in helping to develop our ambitious brand_

**Hiring organization**
- Whittard of Chelsea

**Employment Type**
- Full-time

**Job Location**
- First Floor West, 25 Western Avenue, Milton Park,, Abingdon, OX14 4SH

**Working Hours**
- 37.5

**Base Salary**
- £Competitive_ Per year_

**Date posted**
- 29th January 2025

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