Senior Buying Manager (Ambient Food)

Asda Stores Ltd; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in the UK is seeking a Senior Buying Manager for its Ambient Food division. In this role, you will lead and manage the buying department, develop long-term category strategies, and drive P&L management. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in complex retail environments, strong strategic commercial acumen, and a proven track record of leadership. The position offers a competitive salary, various benefits, and opportunities for professional growth in a hybrid work environment.

Benefits

Discretionary company bonus

Company pension up to 1.5 times contribution

Company Car allowance of £8000

15% colleague discount

Free access to wellbeing services

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in fast-paced retail environments.
• Experience leading end-to-end P&L.
• Ability to create and deliver three-year strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the buying department.
• Develop and execute the long-term category strategy.
• Manage category P&L and budgets.

Skills

Strategic commercial acumen

Leadership across diverse teams

Understanding of consumer behavior

Data-informed decision making

Job description

Job Title

Senior Buying Manager (Ambient Food)

Location

Asda House

Employment Type

Full time

Contract Type

Permanent

Hours per Week

37.5

Salary

Competitive Salary plus benefits

Category

Allocation

Closing Date

6 January 2026

At Asda, we are on an accelerated growth journey to transform our business and we have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Buying Manager.

Our Food division is at the heart of our ambitious transformation and growth plans over the next 3 years, and this is an exciting team to join the team and be part of this journey!

As The Senior Buying Manager You Will

Act as a business owner, lead and manage the buying department, including influencing a diverse portfolio of capabilities across buying and commercial operations

Create and maintain a deep understanding of the customer in all decision making

Manage and drive end to end ownership of the category P&L and budgets

Be responsible for the development and execution of the long term category strategy and plan, aligned to the enterprise commercial strategy across all channels

Source and collaborate with suppliers and manage costs, ensuring Asda is the retailer of choice for suppliers

Own all range, pricing, promotions, stock and trading activity and decisions for the category, across all channels

Work collaboratively with wider business stakeholders and functions to align and deliver the business unit plans

Lead and achieve transformation and change projects on behalf of Asda to ensure maximum commercial and customer success

Let’s Find Out About You

As well as demonstrable experience of working in fast paced and complex retail environments, you’ll have :

• Ability to balance financial, operational and customer delivery with experience of owning and leading an end-to-end P&L
• Proven experience of working at a Senior Commercial Leadership level
• Ability to demonstrate strong strategic commercial acumen, including :
• Developing and delivering a 3-year strategy
• A deep consideration of macro-economic trends
• Agility to move between short term and strategic thinking.
• Broad and enterprise decision making

Keeping up to date with the external market trends

Well rounded, forward thinking commercial business leader, who can demonstrate :

• A track record of successful leadership and communication across diverse teams and cohorts.
• Strong understanding of the consumer, and consumer behaviour with a strategic edge
• Will relentlessly pursue opportunities for growth and make ambitious decisions to improve their business unit area.
• Strong understanding of data and making data informed decisions
• People focused and able to create and embed a positive and transformational people culture.
• Driven, tenacious, action oriented and motivated by identifying and maximising opportunities.

Everything you’ll love

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including :

• Discretionary company bonus
• Company pension up 1.5 times colleagues' contribution (Max 15%)
• Company Car allowance of £8000
• 15% colleague discount in store and online
• Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.

Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated

Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be Proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves