Merchandising Category Specialist - Newcastle West, Limerick

Sysco Ireland; Newcastle West; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Sysco Ireland is seeking a Merchandising Category Specialist for Newcastle West, Limerick. You will support procurement, manage day-to-day vendor relationships and drive terms negotiations to secure value.

Collaborating with Supply Chain, Sales and Category teams, you will source vendors, manage onboarding, monitor compliance and ensure service levels are met or exceeded. A proactive, analytical mindset is essential.

Qualifications

• Third level degree in business/procurement/food-related discipline preferred.
• Strong commercial expertise in the food industry.
• Proven problem-solving and issue-resolution abilities.
• Proficient Excel and MS Office skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day supplier communication support.
• Act as liaison with Supply Chain.
• Negotiate contracts/agreements with vendors.
• Include tenders, vendor compliance, and new vendor setup.
• Support Sales on external tenders as appropriate.
• Liaise with other departments as required.
• Review and monitor framework risks; assist mitigation plans.

Skills

Analytical

Proactive & result-driven

Vendor relationship management

Education

Degree in Business/Procurement/Food-related discipline

Tools

Excel (advanced)

MS Office

Job description

As the leading foodservice provider across the island of Ireland, Sysco’s success is driven by a team of passionate and dedicated individuals who go above and beyond to deliver every day.

We don’t just deliver food and drink to our customers. We deliver new thinking, technology and talent to our industry. We deliver opportunities - to ourselves and to our colleagues ensuring that we can all thrive in work and beyond.

We are now looking for new talent to join us as we continue to grow, innovate and deliver.

Merchandising Category Specialist – Newcastle West, Limerick

We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Merchandising Category Specialist –Newcastle West, Limerick, a role which will assist with the procurement process, including day to day vendor management, terms negotiation and vendor supply / service level.

The role requires a candidate who will be:

• o Analytical
• o Proactive, self-motivated and results driven
• o Able to manage vendor relationships

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide day-to-day support in the management of supplier communication, including query resolution for stakeholders within the business in relation to vendor/items etc.
• Act as day-to-day liaison with Supply Chain
• Support on the negotiation of contracts/agreements with vendors
• This includes tenders, vendor compliance, new vendor set up
• Providing support to the Sales Team on customer/external tenders as appropriate
• Liaise with other departments as required
• Review and monitor framework risks. Lead & support the development of mitigation plans to address these risks where possible
• Support in the identification and selection of vendors using Sysco criteria
• Working closely with Category management team on sourcing, category strategy, supplier negotiations, supplier selection, supplier approval and supplier onboarding
• Ensure that inbound service levels are on or above target
• Attend Sales training sessions & meetings as required
• Ensure that you product and price file is continuously and accurately maintained
• Act as point of contact for DSMs and ASMs
• Act as escalation point for Demand Planners
• Monitor and maintain our database including Tas, COIs, etc to ensure that all records are fully up to date & accurate and compliant with for audit traceability
• Work with vendors to ensure vendor compliance, product availability and service level

Requirements:

• Third Level Degree in a Business / Procurement / Food related discipline is desirable
• High level of commercial expertise with relevant experience within the Food industry
• Results-based with a demonstrated track record of applying financial, commercial or procurement skills to a range of business-related objectives
• A proactive approach to problem solving and issue resolution.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills including Excel to intermediate-advanced level is a minimum requirement
• Full clean B driving license
• The role may involve travel, so a degree of flexibility is required

Sysco Ireland Culture

• o Customer Focus: We deeply understand our customers' needs, continuously looking at ways to deliver real value.
• o Building Relationships: We foster strong, effective relationships across teams, always working together. We embrace change and support each other through it.
• o Clear Communication: We communicate clearly and effectively, ensuring our message resonates.
• o A Passion for Food: We source and deliver food and drink that inspires excellence and creativity in kitchens for the most memorable dining experiences.

o The accountabilities and requirements outlined in this job description are neither definitive nor restrictive and may change in detail from time-to-time to meet the changing needs of the business.

Sysco is an equal opportunity employer.