Commercial Buyer

Farmer J Limited; Camden Town; Presencial; GBP 45 000 - 55 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Annual bonus

Daily food and drink allowance

50% restaurant discount

Medicash health plan

Employee assistance programme

Green commute scheme

Birthday paid

31 days holiday

Resumo da oferta

Farmer J is seeking a Commercial Buyer to lead day-to-day buying of food, drink and packaging across multi-site operations. You will negotiate with suppliers, run price reviews, manage costs, and protect gross margin while supporting menu launches and timely deliveries.

You'll work closely with the Commercial Director, food team and operations to optimise the P&L, cost of goods, and supplier performance, with hands-on involvement at stores and supplier sites.

Qualificações

• 3-5 years' experience in buying or category roles in food service, restaurant groups, retail or food manufacturing.
• Experience reading and building P&Ls, with knowledge of COGS, gross margin, recipe costing and the effect of cost and price changes on profit.
• A track record of negotiating with data, holding firm on price, terms and service, and securing cost reductions and price holds.
• Experience setting up and managing suppliers, tracking performance and resolving disputes.
• Understanding of fresh produce, ambient and chilled categories, shelf life and seasonality.
• Desirable: multi-site hospitality or fast-casual experience and ERP/EPOS familiarity.

Responsabilidades

• Negotiate prices, pack sizes, minimum order quantities, shelf life and delivery terms.
• Run regular forecast and price reviews with key suppliers, and challenge proposed increases with evidence.
• Check invoices against agreed prices and resolve discrepancies quickly with suppliers and Finance.
• Identify savings through range rationalisation, alternative specs and volume consolidation.
• Analyse waste, pack sizes and ordering schedules, and their impact on the P&L.
• Work closely with Operations on ease of menu implementation, recommending how best to optimise the total P&L.
• Track cost of goods and gross margin against the menu P&L, and explain variances each period.
• Model the profit impact of cost increases, spec changes and price moves, and recommend actions to the Commercial Director.
• Prepare clear negotiation cases and commercial reports for senior leaders.
• Track supply chain risks such as single‑source lines, supplier exits and price volatility, and put contingency plans in place.

Conhecimentos

Advanced Excel

Data analysis

Cost modelling

Negotiation

P&L understanding

Formação académica

Degree or CIPS qualification

Ferramentas

Syrve ERP

CrunchTime

Power BI

EPOS

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Farmer J – Commercial Buyer

Do you “give a fork” about what you do? Do you love great food? Then this is for you!

We’re looking for a commercially astute and forward-thinking Commercial Buyer to join the Farmer J FARM-ily!

Our Commercial Buyer leads the day-to-day buying of food, drink and packaging for Farmer J, ensuring that every menu launches on time, and at the agreed cost. Working closely with the Commercial Director, marketing, operations and the food team, the role sources and negotiates ingredients and packaging, confirms raw material costs for each menu, sets up and manages suppliers, and protects gross margin as the estate grows. It is a hands‑on role in a fast-moving, multi‑site, multi‑channel business, equally at home in a supplier's site, a store kitchen or a costing spreadsheet.

What you’ll be doing as our Commercial Buyer

• Negotiate prices, pack sizes, minimum order quantities, shelf life and delivery terms.


• Run regular forecast and price reviews with key suppliers, and challenge proposed increases with evidence.


• Check invoices against agreed prices and resolve discrepancies quickly with suppliers and Finance.


• Identify savings through range rationalisation, alternative specs and volume consolidation.


• Analyse waste, pack sizes and ordering schedules, and their impact on the P&L.


• Work closely with Operations on ease of menu implementation, recommending how best to optimise the total P&L.


• Track cost of goods and gross margin against the menu P&L, and explain variances each period.


• Model the profit impact of cost increases, spec changes and price moves, and recommend actions to the Commercial Director.


• Prepare clear negotiation cases and commercial reports for senior leaders.


• Track supply chain risks such as single‑source lines, supplier exits and price volatility, and put contingency plans in place.


• Manage new supplier set‑up end‑to‑end: trading details, ordering method, delivery windows, and system set‑up in our ordering and ERP systems.


• Own the buying workstream on the seasonal menu critical path – new lines, delists, last and first order dates, and recommended first orders for stores.


• Source and cost new ingredients with the Food team, and confirm raw material costs before menu sign‑off.


• Trial and benchmark alternative products and suppliers where cost, quality or availability is at risk.


• Visit stores regularly to understand ordering, storage and waste, and turn store feedback into supplier and range actions.


• Support Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging data collection and reporting, and work with our compliance scheme provider.

Our new Commercial Buyer will have:

• 3-5 years' experience in buying or category roles in food service, restaurant groups, retail or food manufacturing


• Experience reading and building P&Ls, with a strong grasp of COGS, gross margin, recipe costing and the effect of cost and price changes on profit


• A proven track record of negotiating with data, holding firm on price, terms and service, and securing cost reductions and price holds


• Experience setting up and managing suppliers, tracking performance and resolving disputes


• Understanding of fresh produce, ambient and chilled categories, shelf life and seasonality, and why accurate supplier specifications and product data matter


• Desirable: multi-site hospitality or fast-casual experience, including menu launch cycles; owning a category or menu P&L; running supplier tenders and annual price negotiations; working with wholesalers and consolidated distribution; EPR packaging reporting or food packaging sourcing; culinary or NPD background


• Qualifications: degree or CIPS qualification desirable


• Advanced Excel (lookups, pivots, scenario and cost models) and accuracy with large data sets


• Desirable: EPOS, ordering, inventory or ERP systems (for example Syrve or CrunchTime); Power BI or similar; menu engineering, price elasticity and waste/variance analysis

What's in it for our Commercial Buyer?

• Salary between £45,00 - £55,000, depending on experience.


• Annual Support Office bonus


• Daily food and drink allowance during shifts.


• 50% discount across all our restaurants when off duty.


• You will never work on your birthday, and you will be paid for it!


• 31 days holiday per year, including bank holidays, and increasing with length of service


• Medicash – subsidised healthcare cash plan


• Employee Assistance Programme by Hospitality Action


• Green commute – cycle scheme.


• A great opportunity to grow as we continue to grow!

Why Farmer J

We make good food that’s good for you, and is never boring. Whatever we do, we do it boldly. Working to achieve greatness but always maintaining humility. We’re a growing brand with big ambitions – if you want to be part of this, then apply today!