Senior Buying Manager in Milton Keynes

BP Oil UK Ltd is looking for a commercially driven and highly experienced Senior Buying Manager to lead and elevate our retail buying strategy. This role requires a proactive leader with deep expertise in retail category management, strong supplier relationship skills, and a proven ability to deliver profitable, customer-focused growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement buying strategies for assigned retail categories, aligned with BP\’s commercial goals and customer needs.
• Lead end-to-end product sourcing, selection, and negotiation to ensure competitive pricing, quality, and supply chain efficiency.
• Use customer data and analytical insights to identify trends, customer behaviours, and opportunities for category innovation and growth.
• Produce clear data visualisations and insights to influence senior partners and support strategic decision-making.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with key suppliers, securing mutually beneficial long‑term partnerships.
• Lead complex negotiation planning to secure favourable terms that enhance profitability and competitive advantage.
• Support retail territory development by identifying new market opportunities and contributing to network expansion.
• Embed customer‑centric thinking across the buying process to ensure product ranges exceed customer expectations.
• Apply agile ways of working to respond to market changes, improve processes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Promote knowledge sharing across teams, contributing to a culture of learning and collaboration.
• Use digital collaboration tools to enhance communication and operational efficiency.
• Develop and deliver retail training to equip field teams with the knowledge to effectively sell new product lines.
• Stay informed on industry trends, competitor activity, and market developments to support strategic advocacy.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior buying or category management within a fast‑paced retail environment, ideally in fuel or convenience retail.
• Strong commercial competence with a track record of delivering profitable growth and managing large budgets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Advanced analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and make insightful decisions.
• Experience using customer data to inform buying strategies.
• Strong capability in data visualisation and presenting insights to diverse audiences.
• Proven success in negotiation planning and securing advantageous agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage strategic supplier partnerships.
• Deep knowledge of retail category management and retail territory development.
• Experience applying agile practices in a commercial environment.
• Proficiency with digital collaboration tools.
• Strong industry knowledge within retail or convenience sectors.
• Experience fostering knowledge sharing and team collaboration.
• Ability to design and deliver effective retail training.
• Up to 10% travel expected.
• This role is not eligible for relocation.
• This position is a hybrid of office/remote working.
• Agility core practices, Agreements and negotiations, Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Commercial Acumen, Communication, Continuous Improvement, Continuous Learning, Creativity and Innovation, customer and competitor understanding, Customer centric thinking, Customer data knowledge, Data Analysis, Data visualization and interpretation, Decision Making, Digital Collaboration, Digital Fluency, Industry knowledge and advocacy, Integrated pricing, Knowledge Sharing, Leading transformation, market, Negotiation planning and preparation, Offer and product knowledge.

Benefits

At BP, we\’re committed to helping our people grow in a diverse, inclusive, and dynamic environment. We recognise that meaningful work and personal wellbeing go hand in hand, so we offer a range of benefits designed to support life both inside and outside of work. These include flexible working options, generous paid parental leave, and excellent retirement benefits.