Senior Buying Manager

Co-op; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Annual bonus

28 days holiday

Job summary

Co-op is seeking an experienced Senior Buying Manager to own a strategically important category at a time of transformation. The role offers hybrid working between home and Manchester office, with permanent and 12-month fixed-term contracts.

You’ll influence category direction, strengthen supplier partnerships, and deliver value for customers, members and communities. You’ll lead commercial strategy, manage budgets and forecasts, and collaborate across teams to deliver an outstanding end-to-end

Qualifications

• Significant experience within buying, procurement, category management or senior account management.
• Proven track record of developing winning commercial strategies and delivering growth.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience building long-term supplier partnerships.
• Ability to navigate complexity, influence senior stakeholders and drive cross-team decisions.
• Customer-focused and commercially astute mindset with data-driven decisions.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Willingness to challenge thinking and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the commercial strategy for your category and create exciting ranges.
• Build and develop strategic supplier partnerships with market-leading terms.
• Lead category performance, budgets, forecasts, and key commercial objectives.
• Use customer, market and performance insights to identify trends and inform decisions.
• Collaborate with supply chain, technical, quality, marketing and merchandising teams to deliver an outstanding offer.
• Coach and develop colleagues to ensure high performance.
• Represent Co-op externally and build influential supplier relationships.
• Contribute to transformation initiatives and continuous improvement.

Skills

Buying experience

Procurement

Category management

Commercial leadership

Senior account management

Negotiation

Stakeholder influence

Team leadership

Job description

£50,000 to £75,000 plus company car and great benefits (Work Level 5)

Manchester city centre, in this role you'll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and coming into the office at least two to three times a week

Permanent and 12-month fixed-term contracts available

We're looking for an experienced and commercially-minded Senior Buying Managers to join our team and help shape the future of one of Co-op's key categories.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a strategically important area of the business at a time of significant transformation. You'll have the freedom to influence category direction, strengthen supplier partnerships, and deliver meaningful results for our customers, members and communities.

Why this role matters

This isn't just about managing a category, it's about helping to shape what's next.

As part of our commercial transformation, we're investing in new ways of working, building capability across our teams and creating a stronger, more customer-focused commercial function. As a Senior Buying Manager, you'll play a leading role in that journey, bringing fresh thinking, commercial expertise and strategic direction to drive sustainable growth.

You'll work with talented colleagues across the business, influence senior stakeholders, and have the opportunity to make decisions that genuinely impact millions of customers and members. All while doing business in a way that's fair, responsible and true to Co-op's values.

What you'll do

• Own and deliver the commercial strategy for your category, identifying opportunities for growth and creating ranges that excite and inspire customers
• Build and develop strategic supplier partnerships, negotiating market-leading terms while unlocking innovation and long-term value
• Lead category performance, taking ownership of budgets, forecasts, strategic plans and key commercial objectives
• Use customer, market and performance insights to identify emerging trends and make informed commercial decisions
• Work closely with teams across supply chain, technical, quality, marketing and merchandising to deliver an outstanding end-to-end customer offer
• Lead, coach and develop colleagues within your team, creating an environment where people can thrive and perform at their best
• Represent Co-op externally, building influential relationships across the supplier network and wider industry
• Help shape the future of our commercial function by contributing to transformation initiatives and continuous improvement activity

What you'll bring

We're committed to making our opportunities accessible, so we only ask for the essential experience needed to succeed in the role.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience within buying, procurement, category management, commercial leadership or senior account management
• A proven track record of developing winning commercial strategies and delivering measurable business growth
• Strong negotiation skills and experience building productive, long-term supplier partnerships
• The ability to navigate complexity, influence senior stakeholders and drive decisions across multiple teams
• A customer-focused and commercially astute mindset, using data and insight to make informed decisions
• Experience leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams
• The confidence to challenge thinking, embrace change and drive continuous improvement

What makes this opportunity different

• The chance to lead within a high-profile category at a pivotal time for our commercial team
• An opportunity to make a tangible impact from day one, with genuine ownership and influence
• Exposure to senior leaders and strategic business decisions
• The ability to help shape the future of Co-op's commercial proposition while working for a business that puts people, communities and sustainability at the heart of what it does

Why Co-op?

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• Training and support for your development and career progression

A place you'll belong

We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion.