Buyer

Creed Foodservice; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Creed Foodservice is seeking a dynamic Buyer to take ownership of a product category in their fast-paced foodservice division. The role involves shaping category strategy, maximizing margins, and ensuring a superior customer experience while collaborating with cross-functional teams. You will have full P&L responsibility for your category and will thrive in a supportive environment focused on personal and professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

33 Days annual leave

Life insurance

Employee discount

Training and development opportunities

Access to an online discount portal

Qualifications

• Strong IT and administration skills.
• Experience in category management and supplier negotiations.
• A good understanding of commercial revenues and product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Maximise category margin through effective pricing and promotional planning.
• Ensure professionalism and deliver an awesome customer experience.
• Produce accurate monthly forecasts for supplier income.

Skills

Customer Service Focus

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Relationship building

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Education

CIPS Qualification

Tools

MS Office

Power BI

Job description

About Creed:

Creed is a family business, established in 1972, which is ambitious with it's growth within the industry. We deliver a great range of multi-temperature food products, including our butchery and fresh ranges to caterers across the country from our offices in Cheltenham, Ilkeston & High Wycombe. It's a great place to be and we are proud of our role in supporting our local community. We are dedicated to creating a great place to work, with great people and this year we have been listed as a top 50 company to work for by Best Companies, across all three of our depots, having achieved a “two star” status. We are also the number one food and drinks sector (Q2) company to work for. Our people are committed to our values, choose their attitude and focus on the needs of the customer. They work hard and are committed to providing a great service but want to have some fun and development along the way. Our employees often get involved in charity events, attend the company conversations, put forward their ideas for improvement and contribute in the team briefings. Our core business values are being: Commercial, Proud, Friendly and Nurturing.

Role details:
We're looking for a dynamic Buyer to take ownership of a defined product category within our fast-paced foodservice division. You'll play a key role in shaping category strategy, maximising margin, and delivering real value to our customers.

Some responsibilities of the role include:

• Listen to employee, customer, and stakeholder feedback and take action to improve employee engagement and improve and develop Best Companies action plans and results.
• Share ideas and develop innovative ways of working to improve company performance and employee engagement in line with the business strategy within the departmental budget.
• Ensure that the department demonstrates professionalism and delivers an awesome customer experience to both internal and external customers.
• To ensure the operations within the buying team are effective and efficient to deliver overall business, financial revenue, margin and income targets
• Full P&L responsibility for the category, including sales, income, and margin performance.
• Maximise category margin through effective range, pricing, promotional planning, and supplier income management.
• Develop and deliver the category strategy across all subcategories, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Produce accurate monthly forecasts for supplier income and category income (CI)
• Provide regular updates and presentations to key internal and external stakeholders including the senior leadership team.
• Plan and manage promotional buy-ins, including Stir It Up (SIU) and Deal of the Day, ensuring profitability and availability.
• Control and optimise stock value within the category, balancing commercial performance with inventory health.
• Manage Stock Keeping Units (SKU’s) and supplier count, maintaining a commercially effective and operationally efficient assortment
• Drive and deliver category projects on time and in full (OTIF), ensuring strategic initiatives are executed successfully.
• Create and execute the annual marketing plan for the category in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Ensure pricing and promotional accuracy, guaranteeing visibility and usability for sales teams.
• Communicate and sell the category vision internally and externally to engage key stakeholders and suppliers.

It is essential that you have the following:

• Strong I.T and administration skills, Numeracy, and a good level of English.
• Customer Service Focus, Excellent communication, interpersonal, relationship building, and stakeholder management skills.
• An action-oriented individual, who is solutions focused, can manage multiple priorities, and deliver results on time.
• A good team player, with attention to detail and good problem-solving skills that follows processes in place and prioritises business improvement.
• Experience taking ownership of category P&L include sales, income and margin performance.
• A good understanding of key metrics that impact the commercial revenues including Overider, Marketing income & Product Rebates and Experience managing the Product Lifecycle; List, Launch, Review, De-list.
• Experience in SKU rationalisation, category management, supplier negotiations, and margin management.
• FMCG Product knowledge ideally gained from within one of the ‘out of home’ channels.
• Experience collating, tracking, managing, and reporting on personal revenue targets accurately.
• An understanding of product allergens, nutritional information, and government food legislation (Sugar Tax, HFSS Etc)
• Experienced and confident at delivering presentations.
• Excellent networking, negotiation and analytical skills.
• Good knowledge of project management principles.
• Proficient in MS Office, particularly Excel.
• Experience preparing and managing action plans and budgets effectively including cost management.
• Willingness to Travel and the flexibility to accommodate planned overnight stays for attendance at events, with reasonable notice provided.

Desirable:

• Experience working within the Foodservice sector, or other similar operation. Experience using Power BI or equivalent.
• Excellent project management skills and experience managing projects.
• Good knowledge of change management principles.
• CIPS Qualification. • Experience and knowledge of implementing & managing Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) & Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to drive financial governance of margin.
• Demonstrable experience in developing in collaboration with the Marketing function strong supplier marketing plans to drive customer conversion for sustainable long-term growth.
• Experience designing, contributing to and developing category projects and initiatives.

What you get in return:

• Competitive salary.
• Training and development and career progression opportunities.
• Recognition for doing a great job and going the extra mile from customers, your department and the rest of the business.
• Respect and support from your team, supervisors and managers.
• 33 Days of annual leave per year.
• Life insurance for 2 times your annual salary.
• Employee discount on purchases and regular special offers for staff.
• Access to an online discount portal, providing discounts for gyms, the cinema, supermarkets, high street retailers, cashback for changing your electricity supplier and much more helping you to save money on purchases that you would ordinarily make.
• Employee assistance programme that offers confidential support and advice which includes free access to legal advice, wellness programmes and much more.
• Auto-Enrolment Pension Scheme.

Creed also offer employees the opportunity to join our Savings Scheme, join the Staff Lottery to support our selected charities and be in with the chance of winning £250 each month, an additional day off each year which you can use to help a charitable cause of your choice and much more. We are also a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer
If you think you have what it takes, please click 'Apply Now' below to send your C.V for consideration.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age, as outlined in our equal opportunities policy.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: Up to £40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Casual dress
• Company events
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Referral programme
• Store discount

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: CST054

In Short

• Industry Food & Beverages
• Founded 1972
• Location Cheltenham , Gloucestershire
• Company size 200 - 499

About Us

At Creed Foodservice, we’re continually creating a great place to work, with great people. Passion, core values and a great customer experience are at the heart of our business. Established in 1972, we are an ambitious family business within the foodservice industry. We deliver a great range of multi-temperature food products, including our butchery and fresh ranges, to caterers across the country from our bases in Gloucestershire, Derbyshire, and Buckinghamshire.

We’re In It Together

Not only were we awarded a Best Companies ‘2-star’ accreditation in 2020, but we were also announced as one of The Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For, which we’re extremely proud of. Our people are committed to living our company values, ensuring they’re commercial, friendly, nurturing and proud. We work hard and we are committed to providing a great service, but we ensure we have fun and continue to develop our people along the way. We’re constantly striving to find better ways to approach challenges and our team are always proactive and learn from their mistakes.

Benefits of Working For Us

There are a range of benefits available when you become a Creed Foodservice employee. These include:

✓ Working for a Living Wage Employer

✓ Life Assurance

✓ Childcare Voucher Scheme

✓ Savings Scheme

✓ Training & Development Opportunities

✓ Discounted Staff Purchases

✓ Staff Lottery

✓ Auto-Enrolment Pension Scheme

✓ 33 Days Annual Leave

✓ An Additional Day Off to Support a Charity of your choice

✓ Long Service Awards

Armed Forces Covenant

We signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2015, to show our support for the UK’s armed forces community. Signing the corporate covenant marked our recognition of the value that serving regular and reservist personnel, veterans and military families contribute to businesses and the UK. The company aims to offer employment, where possible, to ex-servicemen and women and support any reservists. Over the years (including prior to the signing the covenant) we have been and continue to be proud to provide employment to ex-servicemen and women.