Packaging Sourcing Lead

Marks and Spencer; City Of London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A major UK retailer is seeking a Lead Packaging Sourcer to drive a cross-category sourcing strategy. The role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring compliance with sustainability goals. Ideal candidates have strong experience in packaging sourcing within the food or FMCG sectors. This position offers various employee benefits including discounts, competitive holidays, and well-being support.

Benefits

20% colleague discount

Competitive holiday allowance

Discretionary bonus schemes

Strong pension and life assurance

Tailored induction and training

Exclusive perks and savings

Family policies including parental leave

24/7 wellbeing support

One paid volunteer day per year

Qualifications

• Experienced in packaging sourcing across a range of substrates, ideally with exposure to food or FMCG.
• Skilled in supplier management, upstream sourcing, and cost modeling.
• Resilient and proactive, with the ability to manage complexity and deliver under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a cross-category packaging sourcing strategy.
• Collaborate to guide packaging input into product development.
• Manage strategic sourcing and negotiate contracts with suppliers.

Skills

Packaging sourcing experience

Supplier management

Negotiation skills

Understanding of UK and EU packaging landscape

Sustainability knowledge

Job description

Summary

We're reshaping our Food business to broaden its appeal, protecting the magic our customers love while modernising everything else. That means exceptional quality, high sourcing standards, and market-leading innovation remain at our core, while we transform our supply chains, improve our stores, and deliver better value.

We're looking for motivated people ready to bring their whole self to work and thrive in a fast-paced, ambitious team. After all, this isn't just food this is M&S Food.

All the details

Lead the future of packaging at M&S Food. This role sits at the heart of our Lowering Costs Team, responsible for shaping and delivering the packaging sourcing strategy across the M&S Food Group. It\'s not just about reducing packaging costs, it\'s about unlocking efficiencies across the entire supply chain. You'll pioneer new sourcing models and influence cross-functional decisions to deliver transformational change.

Why this role matters
This is a chance to lead one of the most complex and dynamic areas of retail sourcing. You\'ll work across nine packaging industries, from plastics to paper, glass and steel, each with its own cost drivers and production processes. You\'ll help scale a sourcing programme that\'s already delivering results and growing in scope, ambition and impact. As a member of the Lowering Costs leadership team, you\'ll contribute to a multi-million pound cost-saving target and help shape the future of the programme. You\'ll also play a key role in enabling supply security, supporting sustainability innovation, and influencing decisions at every level of the business, from suppliers to senior stakeholders.

Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

What you\'ll do

• Lead the development and delivery of a cross-category packaging sourcing strategy, driving cost savings and increasing direct spend with suppliers while ensuring all activity aligns with M&S values and legal requirements
• Collaborate across the M&S Food Group to guide packaging input into new and existing product development (NPD & EPD) and cost mitigation projects, supporting commercial goals and helping shape optimal packaging solutions
• Manage strategic sourcing across all packaging formats, negotiating contracts and implementing supplier performance frameworks that deliver long-term value
• Identify and partner with suppliers who support our sustainability ambitions, leading commercial negotiations to help deliver Plan A packaging targets
• Provide commodity market insight and contribute to transformational initiatives that support the wider Food Commercial function and Lowering Costs strategy

Who you are

• Experienced in packaging sourcing across a range of substrates, ideally with exposure to food or FMCG
• Skilled in supplier management, upstream sourcing and cost modelling, with a good understanding of the UK and EU packaging landscape
• A confident communicator and experienced negotiator, able to influence with confidence, build trust across teams, and foster collaboration even in environments with limited control
• Resilient and proactive, with the ability to manage complexity and deliver under pressure
• Commercially minded and collaborative, with a passion for sustainability and a drive to challenge the status quo

What\'s in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger - helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We're inclusive, fast-moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

• 20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third-party brands for you and someone in your household, available once you\'ve completed your probation
• Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
• Discretionary bonus schemes linked to your performance and ours
• Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
• Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
• Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
• Market-leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
• 24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
• One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone\'s welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together.

If you feel you\'d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don\'t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.