Ingredients Buyer

Sofina Foods Europe; Leeds; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Sofina Foods is seeking an experienced Ingredients Buyer to source and manage a wide range of food ingredients across multiple manufacturing sites in the UK. You will drive continuity of supply, deliver commercial value and work closely with Technical, Quality and Operations teams to ensure compliance and product standards.

Based in Leeds, this role offers scope to influence sourcing strategies, manage supplier relationships, run tenders, and deliver spend insights that support procurement

Qualifications

• Experience purchasing ingredients within complex food manufacturing.
• Understanding of ingredient supply chains, specifications and supplier management.
• Experience with regulatory requirements in food sourcing.
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Analytical and numerical capability with data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Manage purchasing and sourcing across a range of food ingredient categories.
• Build and maintain supplier relationships to ensure security of supply and competitiveness.
• Support sourcing projects, tender processes, supplier benchmarking and cost-saving initiatives.
• Monitor supplier performance against cost, quality, service and compliance measures.
• Collaborate with Technical and Quality teams to ensure regulatory and specification compliance.
• Deliver spend analysis and procurement insights to support decision-making.

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain / procurement

Tools

ERP systems

Procurement software

Job description

Help Shape a Resilient and Competitive Ingredient Supply Network

Role Overview

As an Ingredients Buyer, you'll play a critical role in sourcing and managing the ingredients that support our food manufacturing operations. Working across a diverse and often complex ingredient portfolio, you'll help ensure continuity of supply, deliver commercial value and support the development of high-quality products across multiple manufacturing sites.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced procurement professional who understands the challenges of ingredient sourcing within the food industry. From managing supplier relationships and market fluctuations to navigating technical specifications and compliance requirements, you'll be at the heart of a fast-moving and highly regulated supply chain.

Working closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders across Procurement, Technical, Quality, Operations and Product Development, you'll contribute to both day-to-day operational success and longer-term sourcing strategies.

Key Duties

You will:

• Manage purchasing and sourcing activities across a range of food ingredient categories.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure security of supply and commercial competitiveness.
• Support sourcing projects, tender processes, supplier benchmarking and cost-saving initiatives.
• Monitor supplier performance against cost, quality, service and compliance measures.
• Work closely with Technical and Quality teams to ensure ingredients meet specification, regulatory and certification requirements.
• Analyse market trends and supplier developments to identify risks and opportunities.
• Support contract management, pricing reviews and supplier negotiations.
• Maintain accurate procurement and supplier information within business systems.
• Deliver spend analysis, reporting and insights to support procurement decision-making.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement efficiency and supplier performance.

Ideal Candidate

We're looking for a commercially minded procurement professional with experience purchasing ingredients within a complex food manufacturing environment.

You will have:

• Proven procurement or purchasing experience within food manufacturing, FMCG or a similarly regulated environment.
• Direct experience sourcing and managing food ingredients or raw material categories.
• A strong understanding of ingredient supply chains, specifications and supplier management processes.
• Experience working with complex ingredient portfolios where quality, technical and regulatory requirements are critical.
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple suppliers, projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and numerical capability, with confidence interpreting data and market information.
• Experience using ERP, procurement or planning systems, alongside strong Excel skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with Procurement, Technical, Quality, Operations and NPD teams.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to join a collaborative procurement team within one of Europe's leading food manufacturers. You'll gain exposure to a wide variety of ingredient categories, suppliers and manufacturing processes while playing an important role in supporting business performance.

Working in a fast-paced environment, you'll have the opportunity to build strategic supplier relationships, contribute to sourcing strategies and influence key commercial decisions. You'll also benefit from ongoing development opportunities within a business that values innovation, collaboration and operational excellence.

About Sofina

Sofina Foods is more than just a food company. It’s a place where you can grow your career, learn new skills, and make a positive impact.

With a wide range of meat and seafood products that delight consumers worldwide, Sofina Foods is always looking for talented and passionate people to join its team of over 13,000 employees across 40 sites in Canada and Europe.

At Sofina Foods, you will be part of a culture that values innovation, quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. You will work with diverse and delicious products that are sourced responsibly and sustainably from over 50 different protein sources from 5 continents.

Our vision is to be the most successful food company in the world. If you are looking for a rewarding and exciting career in the food sector, Sofina Foods is the place for you.

Equal Opportunities

Sofina Foods is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences – regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation