Head of Buying

JR United Kingdom; Slough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail eCommerce platform is seeking a Head of Buying for their Food/FMCG division. The role involves leading a team of Category Managers and driving strategic initiatives to optimize buying decisions in a scale-up tech environment. Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in category management and P&L responsibilities, with a focus on analytical decision-making.

Benefits

15% discretionary bonus

Lucrative share options

Dynamic, expanding global business

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in a Category/Buying role.
• Experience in supermarkets, convenience stores, or eCommerce food.
• Hands-on with a builder mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Category Managers and implement buying strategies.
• Monitor pricing policies and manage strategic key account relationships.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders on merchandising.

Skills

Analytical

Leadership

Strategic Development

Negotiation

P&L Management

Data-savvy

Tools

Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

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Quest Search & Selection is currently looking for a Head of Buying - Food/FMCG, leading a team of Category Managers for this Food/FMCG retailer.

The business is a leading retail eCommerce platform, specialised in consumer goods and food delivery. It offers an extensive range of products including household essentials, medication, pet care, office supplies, beauty, groceries, and fresh prepared food. This global business is experiencing growth and seeks an individual with established leadership & category management experience and an analytical mindset to deliver results via their team in a hands-on, scale-up tech environment.

Key responsibilities of this Head of Buying - Food/FMCG

• Lead a team of established Category Managers, formulating, structuring, and implementing processes for the ongoing strategy of the buying team.
• Lead projects related to new transformation systems & automated processes to increase overall productivity.
• Monitor competitive price indices and implement appropriate pricing policies.
• Manage relationships with strategic key accounts, ensuring adherence to cost prices, promotional activities, and service standards, whether with suppliers or wholesalers.
• Negotiate deals with key accounts and regional exclusives.
• Provide customer insights into algorithmic buying decisions and testing to optimise product availability.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders & SLT on in-app merchandising to showcase the product range and align with the value proposition.
• Identify deviations from expectations and propose hypotheses for further validation.

Key requirements of this Head of Buying - Food/FMCG

• Ideally 7+ years of experience in a Category/Buying role.
• Background in Supermarkets, Convenience stores, FMCG, or eCommerce food.
• Experience leading teams while remaining hands-on in strategy development and decision-making.
• Experience leading transformation projects in similar environments is highly desirable.
• Open to candidates with experience in early-stage start-ups/scale-ups or blue-chip eCommerce/retail FMCG backgrounds.
• Data-savvy, analytical, and decision-oriented.
• A builder mindset rather than just an executor.
• Experience managing P&L responsibilities of £40–80 million turnover.
• Proficient in Excel and Microsoft Office.

Benefits for Director of Buying & Supply Chain

• Head office located in Central London.
• Expected presence in head office circa 3-4 days a week to maintain visibility and team engagement.
• 15% discretionary bonus.
• Lucrative share options.
• Part of a dynamic, expanding global business.

This is a great opportunity to lead an entrepreneurial team and business. If interested, please apply with your CV today!

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Created on 27/06/2025 by JR United Kingdom