Senior Category Buyer

White Label Recruitment Ltd; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is seeking a Senior Category Buyer in Shipley. The role involves leading procurement for key categories, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards, and strategic sourcing. Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in FMCG buying or procurement, strong analytical skills, and be CIPS qualified or pursuing related education. The position offers a competitive salary of £50,000 and opportunities for global travel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in FMCG buying, category management, or procurement.
• Proven track record of commercial delivery.
• Experience working with retailers or technology-led products.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement for one of the company's key categories.
• Deliver cost savings and margin improvement.
• Analyse market trends and buying behaviours.
• Manage supplier performance and mitigate risk.
• Drive process improvement using procurement best practices.
• Support internal budget planning and forecasting.

Skills

FMCG buying

Category management

Procurement

Cross-functional project management

Analytical skills

Excel skills

Power BI skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder engagement

Commercial acumen

Education

CIPS qualified or working towards

Degree in supply chain, business, or economics

Job description

Senior Category Buyer

Location: Shipley
Salary: 50,000
Type: Permanent
Travel: Some global travel required

A forward-thinking machinery manufacturing business driving sustainability and innovation is looking to appoint a Senior Buyer to lead procurement activity for its latest programme.

This is a high-impact role blending traditional category buying with strategic sourcing, project delivery, and cross-functional collaboration.

Role Overview

• Lead procurement for one of the company's key categories
• Develop and deliver strategic sourcing and category plans
• Select, negotiate, and manage supplier contracts
• Support new product launches and retailer engagement
• Work closely with sales, product, marketing, and finance teams
• Ensure compliance with ethical sourcing, sustainability, and quality standards

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver cost savings, margin improvement, and commercial value
• Analyse market trends and buying behaviours
• Manage supplier performance and mitigate risk
• Drive process improvement using procurement best practices
• Support internal budget planning and forecasting
• Use data to track KPIs and support business cases
• Present procurement performance and plans to senior stakeholders

What We\'re Looking For

• 5+ years\' experience in FMCG buying, category management, or procurement
• Proven track record of commercial delivery
• Experience working with retailers or technology-led products
• Skilled in cross-functional project management
• Highly analytical with strong Excel and/or Power BI skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong commercial acumen and confident negotiator
• CIPS qualified (or working towards) or degree in supply chain, business, or economics

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker
• Commercially focused
• Sustainability-minded
• Resilient under pressure
• Highly collaborative

To apply, please contact Jamie Cottam at White Label Recruitment or submit your CV through this advert.