Purchasing Manager, Beverages and Snacks

Our client is a prominent Food Service organisation with a global footprint.  With a renowned brand, they have an agile and fast-paced company culture but put a huge emphasis on people development and work/life balance.  They have a requirement for a Purchasing Manager, with beverage and/or snacks buying experience, to lead the category strategy for Beverages and Snacks.  

Reporting into the Senior Purchasing Manager, you will influence a spend of £50m, working with major beverage and snack suppliers like Pepsi, Danone, Nestle, Walkers, etc.  This is an international role, working with stakeholders and suppliers globally.  

This is an interesting and challenging role, working with multiple stakeholders internally but also with different account managers and contacts throughout the international markets.  Major challenges for the role include defining and implementing new tender processes for 2021/2222.   

What you will be doing:
• Applying category management tools to develop sourcing strategies as well as identifying opportunities to reduce total cost
• Supporting the development of NPD within the category on time and on budget
• Selection and development of suppliers, ensuring continuous supply, risk mitigation and managing long-term supplier improvement
• Negotiate and ensure contracts are in line with category management principles
• Working closely with key stakeholders across Europe, up to Board level, including Technical, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance
• Bringing commercial skillset to deliver profit through more than just price negotiation  

Skills and experience required:
• Solid experience in purchasing snacks and/or beverages gained in a complex and international Food or Beverage business
• Experience of working in a service-oriented organisation with demanding customers
• Able to bring commercial rigour and strong commercial acumen, with the ability to manipulate data and understand what numbers signify
• Excellent communication and influencing skills and not afraid to challenge and push back, when required
• Experience of managing multiple stakeholders and able to communicate complex numbers in a simple manner to stakeholders
• Degree calibre