Buying Manager, Fresh Food

🔒 Confidential Employer
Posted 23 April 2026
LOCATION
London
TYPE
Full-time
LEVEL
Mid-Senior level
CATEGORY
Retail
This employer holds a UK Home Office sponsor license — sponsorship for this specific role is at the employer’s discretion

SKILLS

Category Management Supplier Relationships Data Analysis Project Management Google Workspace Market Trend Analysis

FULL DESCRIPTION

Buying Manager, Fresh Food

Location: Nine Elms, London - Full-time

Buying Manager, Fresh Food

We are looking for a visionary Category Manager to lead our Fresh Food department. You will be the commercial engine behind our Fruit & Veg, Bakery and Chilled categories - transforming how Londoners shop for everything from daily essentials to luxury treats.

This isn't traditional retail. You’ll be operating at the intersection of high-end curation and hyper-growth logistics, ensuring our "virtual shelves" are always stocked with the right products, delivered in minutes.

Here’s What You’d Be Doing

  • Curate a trending, innovative and relevant product range.
  • Build and sustain supplier relationships, whilst driving efficiencies across our supply base
  • Deliver data-driven insights and market trend analysis to spearhead category growth, providing the analytical backbone for strategic decision-making and competitive positioning.
  • Own supplier negotiations across cost, delivery and payment terms to maximise profitability and minimise risk.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Merchandising, Product, and Partnerships to synthesise a cohesive customer offering.

What We're Looking For

  • 5+ years experience in a category management/ buying role in the Food industry
  • Strong execution mindset and exceptional project management abilities: proven track record of managing multiple concurrent workstreams with competing deadlines and priorities
  • Strong analytical skills: confident building business cases, and extracting insights from data to drive decisions
  • Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Slides) or Microsoft Excel; experience with Looker is desirable
  • High-energy self-starter with exceptional attention to detail: You thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, making quick decisions with imperfect information while maintaining meticulous accuracy and spotting problems before they escalate
  • Tenacious communicator who gets things done: You influence stakeholders at all levels, push back when needed, and maintain a hands-on mentality with natural prioritisation and urgency - always finding solutions rather than roadblocks.

Benefits

  • Competitive salary.
  • Enjoy 25 days of holiday per year (plus all bank holidays).
  • Private Health Insurance.
  • Extended sick pay and maternity/paternity leave pay.
  • Cycle to work scheme
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