Category Buyer (All Genders)

Ahead Nutrition; Hamburg; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 100.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

€50 monthly allowance

Urban Sports Club access

Merch & snacks

Vacation days 28 + holidays

Zusammenfassung

Ahead Nutrition in Hamburg is seeking a Category Buyer (All Genders) to lead product category development from concept to launch, collaborating with Product Development, Operations, Finance and Campaigns to drive growth, margin and a low-sugar standard.

You will shape category strategy, manage supplier onboarding and the NPD process, translate consumer insights into briefs, and oversee packaging and lifecycle management for optimal cost and sustainability.

Qualifikationen

• Three+ years in category management or procurement in FMCG.
• Strong supplier selection and margin optimisation experience.
• Experience in NPD from idea to launch.
• Analytical with data-driven decision making.
• Fluent English and basic German.

Aufgaben

• Develop and implement growth-focused category strategies.
• Identify trends and build business cases for new formats.
• Manage assortment structure and pack-price architecture.
• Discover, evaluate and onboard new suppliers for ingredients and packaging.
• Conduct RFQs/RFPs and ensure quality and reliability.
• Lead NPD from idea to launch with timelines and costs.
• Translate consumer insights into market briefs.
• Select raw materials and packaging balancing quality, cost, and sustainability.
• Track category performance and optimize through reformulations and packaging updates.
• Support cost savings, pricing strategies and promotional planning.
• Ensure supplier compliance and maintain master data; manage risks.

Kenntnisse

Category management

Procurement & sourcing

NPD processes

Data analysis

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Jobbeschreibung

Are you passionate about creating product ranges that delight consumers and set new standards in the market? As our Category Buyer (All Genders) at ahead, you’ll take the lead in shaping and growing our product categories from concept to phase-out. You’ll collaborate closely with Product Development, Operations, Finance, and the Campaigns team to guide the entire product lifecycle. Your mission: to build a product range that excites customers, drives strong business performance, and makes “low sugar” the new standard.
Join #teamahead and help craft products that consumers love, making a tangible impact on the business and the future of our brand!

YOUR TASKS

• Category Strategy and Expansion
  • Develop and implement category strategies with a focus on growth, margin and differentiation
  • Identify consumer trends and market opportunities and develop business cases for new formats
  • Manage the assortment structure and pack-price architecture
• Supplier Discovery and Management
  • Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers for ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing
  • Conduct structured RFQs and RFPs and ensure quality, delivery reliability and compliance
  • Build a resilient supplier network with primary and secondary sources
• Co‑lead the NPD process from idea to launch including timeline‑, cost‑ and stakeholder management
• Translate consumer insights into marketable product briefs
• Select suitable raw materials and packaging with regard to quality, cost and sustainability
• Product Lifecycle Management
  • Track and analyse category performance including sell‑in, sell‑through, margin and contribution margin
  • Implement optimisation measures such as reformulations and packaging updates
  • Make data‑based decisions and actively manage complexity
• Commercial Excellence and Cost Optimisation
  • Conduct market and sourcing analyses to identify cost savings and efficiency potentials
  • Collaborate with Finance on margin models, pricing strategies and scenario planning
  • Support promotional planning and assortment optimisation
• Governance and Compliance
  • Ensure suppliers meet legal, ethical and quality standards
  • Maintain master data and follow structured stage‑gate processes
  • Manage risks and plan proactively for bottlenecks, lead times and minimum order quantities

YOUR PROFILE

• At least three years of professional experience in category management, procurement or sourcing in the food or FMCG sector
• Solid experience in supplier selection, negotiation and margin optimisation
• Experience in NPD processes and cross‑functional project management
• Strong analytical skills and confident working with market, cost and performance data
• Structured working style, responsible and highly team‑oriented
• Fluent in English spoken and written and German at least at a basic conversational level

Benefits

• Career Growth: Develop through cross‑functional projects, structured feedback cycles, and a steep learning curve in a dynamic, high growth environment. We offer a fair, attractive salary with role‑dependent bonus opportunities
• Great Benefits: Fuel yourself with ahead snacks, drinks, and merch – we’ve got you covered. On top: a €50 monthly allowance to spend as you like – Urban Sports Club, mobility options, or vouchers from your favourite brands (IKEA, MediaMarkt, Lego and more)
• Vacation Days: Enjoy 28 vacation days plus two extra days off on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
• Events & Offsites: Regular after‑work hangouts and legendary annual team offsites you won’t forget

This role is based in Hamburg, with the flexibility of up to 2 home‑office days per week and the option to work from abroad for agreed upon periods.

Disclaimer

ahead GmbH is an equal opportunity workplace and is devoted to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.