Title: Category Buying Manager – Snacks and Beverages
Company: Leading European Household Brand
Location: Central London / Hybrid (2 days working from home)
Salary: Competitive salary + bonus and package
About the Company
Our client is a well-established, fast-growing multi-site food and beverage business operating across the UK and international markets. Known for quality products, strong brand presence and a people-first culture, they operate at pace in a highly commercial environment.
The business offers a collaborative, high-energy setting where procurement and category teams play a central role in driving innovation, margin improvement and strategic supplier partnerships across a large and complex area.
About the Role
We’re supporting a leading food and beverage brand in the search for a Category Buying Manager to take ownership of key food and drink categories within a high-revenue, commercially critical portfolio.
This is a highly visible role responsible for driving category strategy, negotiating with strategic suppliers and working closely with internal stakeholders across operations, marketing, finance and NPD.
You’ll play a key role in improving category performance, delivering strong commercial outcomes and proactively identifying opportunities to enhance range, margin and operational compliance. The role requires a hands-on, solutions-focused individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can influence across a diverse stakeholder group.
Skills and Experience Required
- Proven buying/category management experience within Food, QSR, Hospitality, or Retail environments
- Strong background managing food and/or beverage categories
- Commercially astute with strong negotiation and supplier management skills
- Demonstrated ability to overcome challenges and deliver results in complex environments
- Proactive mindset with the confidence to influence internal stakeholders and suppliers
- Experience delivering category strategies, tenders and cost optimisation initiatives
- Strong analytical capability with a data-driven approach to decision making
- Ability to work cross-functionally with operations, marketing, supply chain and finance etc
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence at multiple levels
Why You Should Apply
- Opportunity to own and shape high-impact, revenue-generating categories
- High-visibility role working closely with senior stakeholders
- Fast-paced, commercially driven environment where your ideas will make a difference
- Collaborative culture with strong cross-functional exposure
- Clear opportunity to drive innovation and category performance
- Hybrid working and exposure to both head office and operational environments
Apply Now
If you’re a proactive category or buying professional from a food, retail, hospitality, or QSR background looking for your next challenge, we’d love to hear from you.
Click Apply via or send your CV directly to Declan at declan@pod-talent.com
