Category Buyer

Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS); London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking, market-leading team in the food procurement sector. As a Category Development Buyer, you will play a crucial role in shaping category strategies and managing supplier relationships. This position offers the opportunity to influence the food industry while driving commercial success. Your expertise in category buying and procurement will be essential as you oversee the entire category lifecycle, optimize product ranges, and ensure supplier performance. If you're ready to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in category buying within FMCG, retail, or foodservice.
• Strong procurement knowledge and experience in large, complex businesses.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end category lifecycle from strategy to performance improvement.
• Build strong supplier partnerships that deliver value and compliance.

Skills

Category Buying Experience

Supplier Management

Stakeholder Management

Procurement Knowledge

Commercial Mindset

Education

CIPS Qualification

Job description

️ Category Buyer

Location: Chertsey/London/Hybrid | Company: Foodbuy Group

Join one of the UK’s leading food procurement organisations, managing over £2.2 billion in spend and partnering with major foodservice and hospitality clients.

We're growing our teams and looking for a Category Development Buyer to support our Category Development Manager in developing winning category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and driving performance across Compass Group UK & Ireland and Foodbuy clients.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Take ownership of the end-to-end category lifecycle—from strategy and sourcing to performance improvement
• Manage and optimise product ranges and supplier contracts
• Build strong supplier partnerships that deliver value, compliance, and commercial returns
• Monitor and improve supplier performance across quality, service, and distribution platforms
• Drive category profitability through effective management of rebates and purchasing income

Who You Are:

• Experience in category buying within FMCG, retail, or foodservice
• Strong procurement knowledge and experience in large, complex businesses
• Skilled at stakeholder and supplier management, with a commercial mindset
• Ideally CIPS qualified (or working toward)
• Familiarity with Compass Group UK&I and Foodbuy is a plus

Ready to influence what the nation eats while driving commercial success?

Apply now and become part of a forward-thinking, market-leading team.