At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to drive commercial growth and procurement excellence in Ambient goods.
- Company: Join A.F. Blakemore, a dynamic family-owned business with a rich heritage.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, company car, 34 days holiday, and flexible working hours.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive culture with outstanding training and development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on SPAR's product portfolio and commercial performance.
- Qualifications: Experience in trading, procurement, or category management is essential.
The predicted salary is between 56700 - 69300 £ per year.
Location: Willenhall (West Midlands) or Talbot Green (South Wales), with remote working
Salary: Competitive plus Company Car (or Car Allowance) plus excellent benefits
Hours: 40 Hours Per Week
Contract: Permanent
Department: Group Trading
We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Trading covering BWS, C&T and Soft Drinks to join our AFB team; leading a team of 4 direct reports, ensuring that they lead and drive the commercial growth, procurement excellence, and net profit development of Ambient goods across the SPAR retail and wholesale business.
Reporting to the Trading Director, this high-impact role is key to driving commercial performance through insight led decision making, precision execution, and strategic leadership. You'll play a pivotal role in shaping a market leading product portfolio for SPAR stores and customers while leading a team of Trading specialists and working cross functionally across the business.
What You'll Be Doing
- Maximise Net Profit: Own the P&L performance across key Ambient categories, implementing advanced pricing models and margin management strategies to protect the bottom line
- Advanced Supplier Negotiations: Secure market leading corporate terms, volume rebates, and long term supply agreements with suppliers to benefit SPAR retailers
- Cost Mitigation: Continuously analyse commodity markets and inflation trends to proactively mitigate cost price increases (CPIs) and protect business viability
- Compliance & Safety Assurance: Ensure all sourced vendors and products comply with strict food safety standards, allergen tracking, and technical specifications
- Capability Building: Lead, mentor, and upskill a high-performing team, fostering a culture of sharp commercial accountability
- Distribution Centre (DC) Efficiency: Drive range rationalisation and supplier delivery alignment to minimise SKU complexity, improve warehouse space utilisation, and maximise operational throughput in the RDCs and DCs
- Cross-Functional Alignment: Champion cross-functional collaboration on range architecture and retailer offers, ensuring procurement decisions balance commercial profitability with operations, logistics, and retailer and shopper needs
- Retailer & Customer Requirement Execution: Secure and validate that all sourced ranges directly reflect and fulfil strict retailer and customer requirements, bespoke specifications, and service-level agreements
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach and develop a team of specialists
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement
- Establish clear objectives, development plans and performance metrics
- Build succession pipelines and identify future talent needs
What's In It For You
- 34 days holiday per year including public holidays (increasing after 3, 5 and 10 years)
- Cycle to work scheme
- Develop your skills and capability in a highly supportive and multi-diverse culture
- Outstanding training & development opportunities
- Gain hands-on experience in a high volume, fast paced environment
- Enhanced maternity & paternity pay packages
- Flexible working hours opportunity
- Early access to your pay through 'EarlyPay'
- 24/7 access to your payslips via HR/Payroll portal
- 12.5% staff discount on fresh items & 10% staff discount on ambient products in our SPAR stores (excluding alcohol & cigarettes)
- Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice
- Company pension scheme
- Company life insurance worth 1 x annual salary and 6 x annual salary with company pension scheme
- NEST pension scheme
- Extra holiday purchase scheme
- Long service awards
As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we are dedicated to creating a fair, inclusive workplace for all. We offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Head of Trading (Ambient) employer: AF Blakemore
As a Trading Controller at our Willenhall location, you will join a dynamic team that values excellence in customer service and fosters a supportive work culture. We offer a competitive salary, a company car or allowance, and an excellent benefits package, alongside ample opportunities for personal and professional growth within a thriving environment. Our commitment to employee development and a friendly atmosphere makes us an outstanding employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Trading (Ambient)
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like AF Blakemore, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like AF Blakemore!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Trading (Ambient)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at AF Blakemore, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at AF Blakemore and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show AF Blakemore that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at AF Blakemore
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
