Senior Buyer - Prepared Produce

TN United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Produce Category Buyer to optimize buying strategies, enhance product offerings, and drive commercial performance across various channels. The role involves developing category plans, negotiating costs, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve key performance indicators. The company promotes a culture of inclusivity and offers various benefits to support employee wellbeing and career growth.

Benefits

Colleague Discounts

Pensions

Life Cover

Performance Bonuses

Holiday Allowances

Flexible Benefits

Private Healthcare

Parental Leave

Qualifications

• Strong commercial and trading experience.
• Ability to analyze financial, market, and customer data.
• Understanding of the Produce category.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a customer-focused category plan.
• Achieve sales, profit, and market share targets.
• Lead cross-functional projects to successful delivery.

Skills

Negotiation

Commercial Acumen

Analytical Thinking

Teamwork

Effective Communication

Job description

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Produce Category Buyer Role

To own, deliver, and optimise the buying and selling strategy for the Produce category, sustainably developing the product area following the strategic direction of Sainsbury’s Win in Food strategy. The focus is on sales, volume market share, and cash profit, while delivering a market-leading, best-in-class, competitive customer offer.

The buyer holds full responsibility for the commercial performance across supermarket, convenience, and online channels. Key activities include working with cross-functional teams to review the product range, identify opportunities for quality improvement, value offers, and market-leading customer propositions, and collaborating with supply base and Category Planners to develop compelling offers.

Key Responsibilities

• Understand the Produce retail market across multiple grocers.
• Develop and execute a customer-focused category plan aligned with Sainsbury’s Win in Food strategy and Produce category strategy.
• Achieve sales, profit, and market share targets.
• Make complex commercial decisions swiftly within a fast-paced, volatile category, and develop a ‘Best in Class’ customer offer.
• Build trusting relationships with Technical, Supply Chain, and NPD colleagues.
• Analyze current and historical category performance.
• Develop strong relationships with supply base, growers, and service providers.
• Influence stakeholders to gain commitment to plans.
• Lead cross-functional projects to successful delivery.
• Focus on ‘Plan for Better’ targets, including plastic reduction, carbon emission reduction, water security, and healthy volume sales.
• Continuously improve the Produce category plan.
• Implement pricing and promotional strategies effectively.
• Negotiate product costs through understanding the end-to-end supply chain.

Success Criteria

• Deliver KPI targets for market share, sales, profit, and value index.
• Create a ‘Best in Class’ customer offer emphasizing quality and value.
• Understand the UK market and competitors.
• Support team-wide targets.
• Manage relationships with suppliers, growers, and service providers.
• Drive personal development and team profile.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of the Produce category, including farming and agriculture.
• Strong commercial and trading experience, including negotiation, supplier management, and category planning.
• Ability to analyze financial, market, and customer data.
• Capability to create cross-functional category plans.
• Flexibility to inspire and engage teams and stakeholders.
• Risk mitigation planning skills.
• Knowledge of product cost drivers and buying systems.
• Prioritization skills.

What to Demonstrate

• Accountability and results delivery.
• Negotiation skills.
• Commercial acumen and financial understanding.
• Judgment and commercial decision-making.
• Analytical thinking and information management.
• Effective communication.
• Teamwork and networking skills.

Decision-Making Authority

• Buying strategy and execution.
• Selling strategy and promotional plans.

Resources

• Support from cross-functional teams.
• Company processes, marketing support, customer insights.
• Legal support.
• Professional development resources.

Company Culture and Benefits

We promote work-life balance, inclusivity, and development. Benefits include colleague discounts, pensions, life cover, performance bonuses, holiday allowances, flexible benefits, private healthcare, and parental leave. We support your wellbeing and career growth, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.