Procurement - Group Buyer

Finsbury Food Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Finsbury Food Group is seeking a Group Buyer to own the end-to-end procurement of packaging materials across designated suppliers and portfolios. You will develop sourcing strategies, negotiate pricing and agreements, and monitor market trends to secure cost savings and resilience.

You will maintain supplier data, support budgeting and spend reporting, and work closely with NPD, Technical, and Operations teams to source compliant, sustainable packaging solutions for new and existing products.

Qualifications

• Essential experience in buying/procurement, preferably within food manufacturing or FMCG.
• Experience purchasing packaging materials or working with packaging suppliers.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of supplier management and procurement processes.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience supporting NPD/packaging initiatives is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end procurement of packaging materials for designated portfolio.
• Develop and implement sourcing strategies to deliver value.
• Negotiate pricing and commercial terms with suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance and drive improvements.
• Ensure compliance with food safety requirements and specs.
• Collaborate with NPD, Technical and Operations teams on packaging projects.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Supplier management

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Packaging knowledge

Excel

Education

CIPS qualification (desirable)

Tools

ERP/Procurement systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

This is what you’ll actually do!

As a Group Buyer, you will take ownership of the end-to-end procurement of packaging materials across a designated supplier and product portfolio, ensuring quality, service and value are delivered in line with business objectives. You will develop and implement sourcing strategies, negotiate pricing and commercial agreements, and monitor market trends to identify both risks and opportunities, while delivering cost-saving and cost-avoidance initiatives. You will also maintain accurate supplier and contract data, supporting budgeting, forecasting and spend reporting activities. Working closely with key suppliers, you will build and maintain strong relationships to ensure high levels of service, quality and delivery performance. You will monitor supplier KPIs, conduct supplier reviews and drive performance improvement initiatives where required, while identifying alternative sourcing opportunities to strengthen supply resilience and minimise business risk. You will also manage the commercial aspects of supply issues and disruptions, ensuring continuity of supply across the business. Collaboration will be central to your role, as you work alongside NPD, Technical and Operations teams to source packaging solutions for new and existing products. You will evaluate quotations, samples and specifications, support packaging trials and product launches, and identify opportunities for optimisation, standardisation and cost reduction. Throughout, you will ensure that all sourcing decisions meet technical specifications, food safety requirements and customer expectations. Supporting Finsbury's sustainability agenda, you will work with suppliers to identify innovative and environmentally responsible packaging solutions, including opportunities to increase the use of recycled, recyclable and lower-impact materials. By keeping up to date with developments in packaging technology, legislation and industry best practice, you will help drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce waste, improve efficiency and optimise packaging costs, while contributing to wider procurement and business improvement projects. You will also play an important role in managing risk and ensuring compliance, sourcing packaging materials in line with company policies, technical standards and regulatory requirements. This will include supporting supplier risk assessments, business continuity planning and supply chain resilience activities, maintaining accurate documentation, and proactively identifying and escalating any supply, quality or commercial risks that could impact the business.

Ideally this is you!

We are looking for an organised, commercially minded and proactive procurement professional who can build strong relationships while confidently challenging suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Essential Experience in a buying/procurement role, ideally within food manufacturing, FMCG or a related industry.

Experience of purchasing packaging materials or working closely with packaging suppliers.

Strong commercial and negotiation skills.

Good understanding of supplier management and procurement processes.

Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret pricing, spend and market information.

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and work to tight deadlines.

Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving.

Good Microsoft Excel skills and experience using ERP/procurement systems. Desirable CIPS qualification or working towards CIPS.

Experience within a bakery, food manufacturing or FMCG environment.

Knowledge of flexible packaging, cartons, labels, films, trays, cases or other food packaging formats.

Understanding of packaging legislation, food-contact requirements and sustainability considerations.

Experience supporting NPD and packaging innovation projects.