Category Buyer (Bellville)

Econo Foods; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 400 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading grocery retailer in Cape Town is seeking a Category Buyer to manage supplier relationships within the Groceries / Dry Goods Category. The role involves ensuring product quality, compliance with government regulations, and strategic supplier management. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in procurement, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse teams.

Qualifications

• Proven 5+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or related field.
• Preference for store operations, category knowledge in Fish / Seafood and Groceries.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English (written and verbal).

Responsibilities

• Strategic direction in the selection and management of suppliers.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards and Food Safety Certification.
• Manage GP expectations and category flows.

Skills

Problem-Solving Abilities

Interpersonal Skills

Attention to Detail

Education

Matric certificate or equivalent qualification

Diploma or Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Economics, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job title

Category Buyer (Bellville)

Job Location

Western Cape, Bellville

Deadline: November 28

Purpose of the Role

The purpose of the Category Buyer - Groceries is to provide & maintain a sustainable base of strategic suppliers to ensure we are committed to Econofoods participation in the Groceries / Dry Goods Category.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic direction in the selection, management, communications, and ongoing relationship management of suppliers within the Groceries / Dry Goods Category.

Strategic direction in the identification of consumer trends and resultant range management and innovation of products for our Groceries / Dry Goods Category.

Ensure compliance with Government regulations regarding quality standards and labelling disclosure and Food Safety Certification.

Source, manage and develop a national supply base of suppliers meeting specified criteria.

Manage GP expectations in accordance with budgets.

Manage the Category within the Stock Days Governance Manual.

Maintaining the Private label Brand Identity, nationally with assistance of the Marketing department teams, ensuring their compliance & execution.

Align the Category Strategy Across Marketing, Sales, Distribution Centres and Retail.

Management of the annual trading terms for each supplier, to be done timeously and with the Econofoods business interests in mind.

Provide merchandising flows by format and by Cluster.

Maintain the category Data Integrity in accordance to the Hierarchy.

Monthly & quarterly business health checks to be done.

Supplier Management to be ongoing with strategic quarterly reviews done with larger suppliers.

Working closely with the regional divisional retail & sales managers, for their assistance in relevant NPD requirements.

Weekly / Daily communication with suppliers with regards to rejections / complaints.

Responsible for the reviewing of Supplier Agreements, in conjunction with the National Procurement Manager.

Accountable for product quality, availability and inbound service levels.

Manage and guide the direct supply base.

Product availability discussions with suppliers for promotional activations.

Accountable for achieving set growth targets.

Accountable for Achieving set GP% Targets.

Management & direction on category flows & Planograms Implementation into the Econofoods Retail stores.

Interaction and collaboration with national Retail Operations teams to ensure retail leadership and collaboration, executing strategy to maximize sales, market share gains, market segmentation and profitability.

Weekly update meetings with Planning and Buying Teams.

Accurate stock planning particularly relevant during promotional and peak periods.

Ordering patterns / co-loading / warehousing and Buying optimization working alongside the Supply Chain Manager and department buyers and planners.

Qualifications & Experience

Matric certificate or equivalent qualification.

Diploma or Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Economics, or a related field (advantageous).

Proven 5+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or related field.

Preference will be given for store operations, category knowledge in Fish / Seafood and Groceries, buying, and / or category management will be an advantage.

Problem-Solving Abilities: Ability to identify challenges and develop practical solutions to address them.

Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Attention to Detail: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively.

Competencies Required

Building and maintaining relationships with strong interpersonal skills - living out the company values and unique HO HOLA culture.

Friendly, helpful, confident yet humble, and able to work well in a team.

Ability to work in a highly competitive, fast past and dynamic environment.

Ability to communicate fluently in English (written and verbal).

Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft.

Strong communication skills.

Accuracy and attention to detail.

CLOSING DATE

21 NOVEMBER