Assistant Purchasing Manager - Wimbledon AELTC

Compass Group UK & Ireland; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality firm in the UK is seeking an Assistant Purchasing Manager for the prestigious Wimbledon tournament. This role involves supporting the Culinary Purchasing Manager, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with food safety standards. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership capabilities, a passion for food, and the ability to drive change in a dynamic environment. Join us to be part of an exceptional team delivering world-class experiences.

Qualifications

• Natural ability to coach, develop and inspire others.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.
• Curiosity for emerging trends in the food & beverage landscape.

Responsibilities

• Support the Culinary Purchasing Manager in purchasing strategy.
• Manage supplier relationships across multiple food categories.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Confident and credible influencer

Highly motivated self-starter

Passionate about food

Proactive and collaborative

Commercially minded

Strong problem solver

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Introduction

Assistant Purchasing Manager - AELTC Wimbledon

£40,000 per annum plus benefits

Ever wondered what it's like to be part of the world's most prestigious tennis tournament? Levy is the driving force behind the legendary food and drink experience at All England Tennis Club, Wimbledon, and we want YOU to be part of it!

As the official catering partner of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), we deliver world-class hospitality to over 450,000 guests each year. From the Members' Clubhouse to food stands and lounges, our team of 2,200 catering staff and 355 chefs craft unforgettable culinary moments at 51 kitchens and 27 restaurants across the grounds.

Purpose of Role:

As Assistant Purchasing Manager, you will play a key role in the planning and delivery of one of the world's most prestigious sporting events. Working closely with the Culinary Purchasing Manager, you will support the end-to-end procurement of multi-million-pound food categories, ensuring seamless supply, exceptional quality, and value for money across the Championships. This role is central to enabling world-class culinary delivery at scale, requiring strong commercial awareness, meticulous planning, and close collaboration with culinary, operations, and supplier partners to meet the unique demands of Wimbledon.

Key Responsibilities - Assistant Purchasing Manager:

• Support the Culinary Purchasing Manager in developing and delivering a purchasing strategy that drives year-on-year value, efficiency and savings across all food categories.
• Manage supplier relationships across fresh, multi-temperature, confectionery and food-to-go categories, including sourcing new products and forecasting Championship requirements.
• Play a key role in planning and delivering a complex, large-scale logistics operation, ensuring robust delivery schedules and seamless food supply throughout the Championships.
• Build and maintain accurate product forecasts, order sheets and menu costings, working closely with Finance to track spend and ensure food costs remain within budget.
• Lead food ordering activity before and during the tournament, working collaboratively with the purchasing and operations teams to manage stock levels and respond to live operational changes.
• Line manage the permanent purchasing and stores team, supporting performance, engagement and development, and lead the induction and training of temporary tournament colleagues.
• Work closely with culinary stakeholders, the Recipe, Allergen & Specification team and Learning & Development to ensure product compliance, accurate financial data, and strong team capability.
• Champion a people-first culture, promoting collaboration, accountability and high retention across the team.
• Ensure full compliance with all food safety, allergen, health & safety and regulatory requirements, maintaining robust systems, audits and traceability at all times.

Requirements:

Assistant Purchasing Manager Skillset:

• A confident and credible influencer, with a natural ability to coach, develop and inspire others.
• A highly motivated self-starter who takes ownership, shows initiative and thrives in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.
• Passionate about food, with a genuine curiosity for emerging trends, products and innovation across the food & beverage landscape.
• Proactive, positive and collaborative, able to build trusted relationships quickly and work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Comfortable driving change, bringing others with you and navigating complexity with clarity and confidence.
• Commercially minded and inquisitive, with a strong eye for value, opportunity and continuous improvement.
• Able to operate and influence at all levels, from on-the-ground teams to senior stakeholders.
• A strong problem solver who applies sound judgement to make balanced, well-informed business decisions.

Who are Levy?

Levy, part of Compass Group, known for delivering exceptional food, drink, and hospitality experiences at world-renowned venues such as Wimbledon, Twickenham, and Tottenham Hotspur. Focused on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, Levy prides itself on using sustainably sourced ingredients and providing outstanding service. We're committed to decarbonising our operation at scale, partnering with the British Paralympic Association, and ensuring all team members earn at least the Real Living Wage or London Living Wage.

Why Join Us?

At Levy UK & Ireland, we celebrate diversity and foster inclusion, valuing every individual's unique strengths. Our diverse team fuels creativity, innovation, and success. We promote fairness, ensure all voices are heard, and provide equal opportunities for all.

For this Assistant Purchasing Manager role we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join us in creating a supportive, equitable workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute. Together, we achieve greatness.