Category Buyer

Carnival UK (P&O Cruises & Cunard); Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

25 days leave

Pension scheme

Health plan

Learning & development

Job summary

Carnival UK is seeking a Buyer, Category to join our Procurement team. You will manage the full procurement cycle across assigned categories, lead sourcing, tendering and supplier negotiations, and maintain relationships to deliver value for money and contract delivery.

You will analyse spend, market insights and stakeholder needs to develop category strategies, ensure data accuracy in procurement platforms and partner with internal teams to meet business requirements. Hybrid working available.

Qualifications

• Experience managing the full procurement cycle across categories.
• Experience leading tenders, RFQs and supplier negotiations.
• Strong analytical skills with spend analysis and market insight.
• Familiarity with ERP or procurement systems and data accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the full procurement cycle from sourcing to execution.
• Lead or support tendering and negotiation activity within categories.
• Manage supplier relationships and monitor performance against contracts.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to meet business requirements.
• Develop category strategies through spend analysis and market insight.

Skills

End-to-end procurement

Tendering & RFQs

Supplier negotiations

Spend analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

ERP / procurement systems

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Job Description

Carnival UK is a leading name in the holiday sector, dedicated to delivering unforgettable holiday happiness to our guests. Our success is built on a foundation of diverse talents and perspectives, and we believe in fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

In our continuous journey of growth and innovation at Carnival UK, we are seeking to bring fresh insights and expertise to our Guest Experience department.

Role Overview

The Buyer, Category is a key role within the Procurement Department, reporting to the Category Manager. This role is responsible for managing the full procurement cycle across assigned categories, leading sourcing and negotiation activity, and maintaining effective supplier relationships that deliver value for money and contract delivery. The role also contributes to the development of category strategies through spend analysis, market insight and stakeholder collaboration.

This pivotal role will involve:

• Understanding of commercial contracts and key contractual terms
• Delivering the full procurement cycle from sourcing through to successful execution, ensuring the accuracy and compliance of system data.
• Leading or supporting tendering and negotiation activity within allocated categories, delivering value-for-money outcomes aligned to agreed sourcing strategies.
• Managing day-to-day supplier relationships, resolving issues, monitoring performance and ensuring adherence to contractual, quality and compliance expectations.
• Partnering with and influencing internal stakeholders to meet business requirements and improve performance across assigned categories.

This role is positioned at CUK09 level within our organization and is available on a full-time, permanent basis. We offer hybrid work including up to two days from home.

What You'll Bring

Your unique background and skills are what will make you stand out. We're looking for:

• Solid experience in a buyer or procurement role, managing the full end-to-end cycle.
• Experience managing tenders, RFQs and supplier negotiations, aligned to established category strategies.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience conducting spend analysis, market research and supplier evaluation to identify cost, service and risk opportunities.
• High attention to detail and systems discipline to ensure data accuracy in procurement platforms, alongside familiarity with ERP or procurement systems.
• About You: The Ideal Candidate
• You are more than just your CV. You're someone who brings:
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to build trust and work effectively with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Sound commercial judgement and the ability to make timely, ethical decisions grounded in commercial basics and guest value.
• A resilient and adaptable approach, taking ownership of development and learning from feedback and setbacks.
• Clear communication and active listening skills, with the confidence to share ideas, feedback, concerns and questions.

Application Guidance

Diversity is our strength, and we encourage applications from those with varied experiences, whether you meet every listed requirement or not. If you're passionate about our guests' experience and looking for an opportunity to grow, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

Working with us means more than just a role in the guest experience sector. It's about being part of a team that values well-being and personal growth.

Here’s what we offer:

• Employee Discounted Cruising plus Friends and Family offers
• Minimum 25 days leave, bank holiday allowance and holiday trading scheme
• Recognition scheme with prizes and awards
• Regular office events including live entertainment, lifestyle events and charity partner fundraisers
• Extensive learning and development opportunities
• Employee-led networks
• Employee Assistance and Wellbeing programmes
• Company paid Health Cash Plan and health assessment
• In-house Occupational Health help and access to digital GP
• Life Assurance
• Parental and adoption leave
• Employee Shares Plan
• Electric Car and Cycle to Work schemes
• Onsite restaurant offering range of healthy cooked and grab and go meals
• Discounted retail and leisure via discounts portal
• Contributory Defined Contribution Pension scheme
• A friendly welcome with help settling in

Due to the popularity of our roles and our commitment to finding the best talent, we might close applications earlier than advertised. Don't miss out on this opportunity to become part of a team dedicated to creating unforgettable holiday happiness.

#CUK #Job Functions: SupplyChain; Purchasing; BusinessDevelopment; Strategy / Planning; Management

Holidays are one of life's greatest pleasures. Having the chance to relax, escape and explore is a magical thing. And there is no better holiday than a cruise.

No one knows cruising like Carnival UK, where talented people from across the globe come together to create unforgettable holiday happiness. As part of the world’s largest holiday travel and leisure company, we take enormous pride in bringing to life two of the most iconic brands from Britain’s rich seafaring heritage, P&O Cruises and Cunard. Collectively they have been delivering unbridled joy, boundless adventure and lifelong memories to millions of people for over 350 years. And in a multi-million pound global holiday market, where cruising has barely scratched the surface, we have the opportunity to do that for many, many more people.

Our diverse yet tight knit teams share high standards, heartfelt values and passion for our purpose. Our Culture Essentials describe the expectations we have for ourselves and of each other, in building a culture that supports safe, sustainable, compliant operations and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion.

It's through the successful delivery of these extraordinary travel experiences for our target markets and our distinctive culture, that we hope to become Travel’s Employer of Choice.