Buying Manager - Innovation (Community)

Tesco; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Welwyn Garden City is seeking a Buying Manager to lead innovation within their Accelerator programme. You will act as the primary buying contact for community brands, ensuring customers have access to the best range and prices. This role involves managing supplier relationships, leading initiatives supporting underrepresented groups, and driving alignment across teams to accelerate growth. A supportive team culture is emphasized, alongside flexible working options.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme of up to 20%

Holiday starting at 25 days

Private medical insurance

Paid maternity and paternity leave

Free virtual GP service

Qualifications

• Ability to navigate through and engage a wide range of stakeholders.
• Buying experience preferred.
• Previous range and trade planning experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify and assess new suppliers to deliver market-leading product innovation.
• Lead buying contact for the Accelerator (Community) brands.
• Build and manage supplier relationships through a supplier strategy.
• Support earlier-stage start-ups to become retail ready.
• Represent Tesco at external events to build visibility within Black entrepreneur communities.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Buying experience

Influencing and negotiation

Supplier management

Range planning

Job description

Tesco UK • Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire • Permanent • Apply by 22-Dec-2025

We're looking for a Buying Manager to lead innovation within our Accelerator programme, supporting community brands as they grow with Tesco. In this role, you'll act as the primary buying contact for these brands, ensuring customers have access to the best range, offers and prices. You'll also provide hands‑on support with business planning, systems management, ranging and trade plans.

Collaboration is key. You'll work closely with stakeholders across Tesco and maintain strong relationships with category teams, setting clear targets and driving alignment to accelerate growth for both Tesco and our branded partners.

You'll also play a pivotal role in project and programme management, supporting equity‑based initiatives as part of the Black Action Plan Commercial Equity working group. Your ability to inspire, engage and lead will ensure supplier partners, colleagues and customers feel valued and represented.

What is in it for you

We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 year's service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You will be responsible for

• Identifying and assessing new suppliers to deliver market leading product innovation under Community pillar of the Accelerator programme. The Accelerator programme Community pillar focuses on small suppliers, brands and products that help Tesco to better represent the customers and communities we serve.
• Leading buying contact for the Accelerator (Community) brands, providing commercial support/coaching/mentoring.
• Building and managing supplier relationships through a supplier strategy to develop a market‑leading buy, move and sell plan aligned to the customer plan and the innovation strategy.
• Understand opportunities for longer‑term planning to support earlier‑stage start‑ups become retail ready (development based on supplier maturity level).
• This role is integrated within the Tesco Black Action Plan team, supporting the Commercial Equity Pillar. Responsibilities include representing Tesco at external events in order to build visibility & profile within Black entrepreneur communities. Building relationships within the Black entrepreneur community; refining mentoring framework to support pipeline of Black‑owned brands.
• Supporting the range strategy to implement an insight‑lead and customer‑focused range which delivers financial KPIs.
• Delivering my team sales and quantum profit budget, market share and out‑performance targets.
• Developing and leading a high performing team, giving them the opportunities to be their best.
• Adhering to all Tesco policies, storage and hand‑over protocols and successfully completing all the training so that you have zero GSCOP breaches.

You will need

• Ability to navigate through & engage wide range of stakeholders.
• Buying experience preferred.
• Previous Range and trade planning experience.
• Influencing and negotiation experience.
• Previous Stakeholder management and Supplier management experience.

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About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award‑winning mobile network. Truth is, we're all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. That's why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.