Senior Buyer in Reading

A highly respected and commercially ambitious UK food manufacturing business is seeking an exceptional Senior Buyer to take ownership of a significant portfolio of raw material and ingredient categories, and to play a hands-on role in shaping how procurement operates as the function grows.

This isn't a role where you'll be handed a rulebook and be asked to turn the handle. The processes, tools and ways of working are evolving, so you'll have genuine influence over how the function operates, not just what you buy.

The Opportunity

Reporting into the Purchasing Manager, you'll take ownership of a portfolio of raw material and ingredient categories (with some exposure to packaging), managing supplier relationships, cost, and continuity of supply while identifying opportunities to add value beyond price. You'll work closely with technical, NPD, planning, finance and commercial teams to make sure procurement decisions support the wider business.

This is a genuinely broad role. Unlike larger FMCG businesses where category ownership is narrow, here you'll get exposure across the full purchasing life cycle; strategy, negotiation, supplier development, risk, and data, which makes it a strong fit for someone who wants breadth and the chance to build something rather than maintain an existing machine.

What You'll Be Doing

• Own and develop category strategies for allocated raw material and ingredient spend, identifying risks and value opportunities.
• Lead negotiations with UK and international suppliers, balancing cost, quality and service.
• Manage supplier performance and hold suppliers to account through structured reviews.
• Interpret and work with detailed, sometimes messy or incomplete procurement and market data to inform decisions.
• Monitor commodity and ingredient markets, forecasting price movement and market risk.
• Support due diligence on supplier provenance, ethical sourcing and compliance (including modern slavery and traceability requirements).
• Contribute to the business's sustainability and ESG agenda through supplier and category decisions.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and confidently influence stakeholders, including where views differ.
• Support the wider transformation of the procurement function from operational purchasing to strategic category management.

What We're Looking For

• At least 2-3 years' experience owning category strategies (not purely transactional or operational buying), ideally within raw materials or ingredients.
• FMCG, food & drink, pharmaceutical or household goods background all considered, the key is category ownership experience, not a specific sector.
• Comfortable working with detailed, complex or imperfect data, and confident drawing conclusions from it without getting stuck in analysis for its own sake.
• A strong, evidenced negotiator who can protect commercial interests professionally.
• Curious and creative, someone who looks beyond the obvious answer and enjoys solving problems.
• Confident managing stakeholders and comfortable operating in a less formally structured, still-evolving environment.
• Degree educated with CIPS Level 3/4 (or willingness to study).
• Right to work in the UK.

Why This Role?

This is a rare opportunity to help shape a procurement function, in a medium-sized business where your ideas and input will genuinely shape how things are done. You'll get far broader exposure than you would in a large, highly specialised, often more narrowing focused procurement team and with that real visibility with senior stakeholders from day one. This is a great opportunity for a graduate with 2-3 years procurement experience.

If you are interested in a role where you can really contribute while growing alongside the function and business please do apply or reach out for a confidential chat!