Commercial Procurement Assistant Manager

Working as part of the Commercial Procurement team at Chester Zoo, this role focuses primarily on supporting our Food & Beverage (F&B) operations, from sourcing ingredients and packaging to managing supplier relationships and ensuring excellent value and visitor experience across our cafes, kiosks, and hospitality venues. You will also provide some support to our retail and events teams, but the core focus is F&B.

You will work closely with our Commercial Buyer and Commercial Procurement Manager to ensure our menus and catering outlets are consistently stocked with the right products, at the right time and cost, helping to deliver a high-quality, sustainable, and financially successful food offering to over two million guests each year. You will also provide crucial support to ensure that retail and other commercial products are in our outlets in the right quantity, at the right time and at the right price.

You will:

• Support the Commercial Buyer in sourcing, selecting, and purchasing appropriate food and beverage, retail and cleaning products and services across all commercial areas, ensuring ethical, sustainable procurement that exceeds visitor expectations.
• Work on cross-departmental projects to enhance quality, consistency, and innovation in the commercial offer.
• Develop relationships with internal stakeholders such as chefs, operations and finance, as well as external suppliers, ensuring procurement and margin budgets are met across departments.
• Manage and maintain stock systems, ensuring data accuracy, demand forecasting, and reporting to support departmental operations.
• Stay informed of market trends, competitor activity, and sector developments to generate innovative ideas and ensure the zoo maintains a leading position in commercial quality and sustainability.
• Be aware of current and emerging food and retail product trends and help the business assess and react accordingly.
• Have a good understanding of allergens and safety standards in relation to food and retail product.
• Own and maintain all back-of-house systems used in procurement and stock management. Be the subject matter expert, training users at all levels and ensuring reliable, accurate, and functional reporting.
• Negotiate pricing and terms with suppliers to achieve cost efficiencies and maintain strong supply chains aligned with short- and medium-term business plans.

The Package:

• Permanent contract
• Salary of £30,000 per annum, based on 40 hours per week
• 33 days annual leave
• Annual holiday buy/sell scheme, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days
• Staff pass so you and your dependent family can visit the zoo, plus additional complimentary tickets for your friends and family
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free travel to and from work on the X1 bus service from Chester or Ellesmere Port
• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks
• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9%
• You will generally work sociable hours between Monday to Friday, with the occasional need for weekend working when required for which time off in lieu will be given.

Our Requirements:

• Demonstrable experience in a commercial buying/procurement role, ideally gained in a food and beverage or retail environment
• Strong knowledge of current and emerging food and retail trends
• Proven ability to manage stock and EPOS systems across varied product categories in food & beverage and retail
• Experience training and supporting users across different system platforms
• Demonstrated ability to implement and manage supplier terms and compliance
• Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and commercial performance metrics
• Excellent analytical skills, ideally with both food & beverage and retail experience
• Adaptable and collaborative, with the ability to work across departments with varying priorities
• CIPS level 2-3 is preferable but not essential

As the UK's biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there's always lots going on here! We're an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of over 600 permanent and nearly 500 temporary team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development.