Grocery Category Manager & Strategic Sourcing Lead

Nile Fresh (Pty) Ltd; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Nile.ag is seeking a Grocery Category Manager / Buyer based in Pretoria to own and optimize procurement across key grocery categories. You will cultivate strong supplier relationships, negotiate terms, and drive efficient sourcing with a focus on reducing fulfillment friction and improving availability.

The role requires 5-10 years in grocery procurement, preferably from retail or wholesale backgrounds, and a tertiary qualification is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in grocery procurement, ideally gained at retailers or wholesalers.
• Tertiary qualification is preferred.
• A quick learner, capable of adapting swiftly to a hyper-growth start-up environment.
• An analytical mindset with the ability to solve complex problems pragmatically.
• Experience with the implementation of new supply chain systems and/or processes.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain strong, strategic relationships with key grocery suppliers and manufacturers.
• Negotiate competitive pricing, terms, and contracts across key commodity lines.
• Lead demand forecasting, inventory planning, and order scheduling to optimize product availability.
• Curate the product assortment for key value items and maintain an accurate system catalogue.
• Partner with the software engineering team to continuously improve sourcing systems and automated workflows.
• Collaborate closely with internal logistics teams to maximize supply chain efficiency and reduce fulfillment friction.
• Establish key performance metrics and dashboards to rigorously evaluate category growth, supplier performance, and procurement efficiency.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Negotiation

Demand forecasting

Inventory planning

Sourcing system collaboration

Education

Tertiary qualification (preferred)

Job description

Nile.ag is seeking a Grocery Category Manager / Buyer based in Pretoria to own and optimize procurement across key grocery categories. You will cultivate strong supplier relationships, negotiate terms, and drive efficient sourcing with a focus on reducing fulfillment friction and improving availability.

The role requires 5-10 years in grocery procurement, preferably from retail or wholesale backgrounds, and a tertiary qualification is preferred.