Job Description
Category Buyer - Chertsey
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Category Buyer (Food) - NHS Supply Chain, Foodbuy | Chertsey, Wakefield or Daresbury (hybrid working) | Full-Time / Permanent
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37,800 + excellent benefits including healthcare, wellbeing support, 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, life assurance, and more.
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We are looking for a commercially minded Category Buyer to join our NHS Supply Chain: Food team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in managing procurement and category activities across a range of food categories, helping NHS customers maximise value, quality and innovation through compliant procurement solutions.
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Working closely with suppliers, NHS stakeholders and internal teams, you will develop category strategies, lead sourcing exercises, manage supplier relationships and identify opportunities to drive efficiencies across the NHS food supply chain.
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If you're looking to develop your procurement career within a collaborative, purpose-driven organisation and want to make a real impact across the NHS food supply chain, we'd love to hear from you.
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Foodbuy Group
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Foodbuy is a leading food procurement organisation, managing over 2 billion of spend and delivering procurement solutions to some of the UK's largest organisations. As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, we leverage unrivalled scale, market expertise and data-driven insight to deliver outstanding value, quality and innovation for our customers.
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Our NHS Supply Chain: Food team plays a vital role in supporting healthcare providers across the UK. By combining procurement expertise, supply chain excellence and collaborative partnerships, we help NHS organisations deliver safe, sustainable and cost-effective food services to patients, staff and visitors.
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Category Buyer - The role
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- Develop and implement category strategies that support business and customer objectives.
- Lead end-to-end procurement and tendering activities, from sourcing strategy through to contract award and implementation.
- Ensure procurement activities comply with relevant public sector procurement regulations and governance requirements.
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, driving performance, innovation and continuous improvement.
- Conduct market analysis and monitor industry trends to identify commercial opportunities and mitigate risks.
- Analyse spend, supplier and market data to support commercial decision making.
- Deliver procurement projects that achieve savings, growth and value targets.
- Collaborate with NHS Trusts, suppliers and internal stakeholders to deliver successful procurement outcomes.
- Support framework launches, contract mobilisation activities and ongoing supplier management initiatives.
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What we're looking for
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- A commercial and collaborative mindset
- High levels of integrity, professionalism and attention to detail
- A continuous improvement mindset and a passion for innovation
- Experience in procurement, category management, supply chain or commercial roles including leading sourcing, tendering or supplier management activities
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills
- Excellent analytical and commercial thinking capabilities
- Strong negotiation, influencing and communication skills
- The ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced environment
- Experience using data and market insight to support commercial decisions
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What you'll get in return
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- Hybrid working model, 2 days from one of our offices (Chertsey, Wakefield or Daresbury) + 3 days remote working
- Excellent career development opportunities within Foodbuy and Compass Group UK & Ireland.
- Exposure to large-scale procurement programmes and strategic category management.
- The opportunity to contribute to improving food services across the NHS.
- Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
- Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
- Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
- Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
- Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
- You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families
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Foodbuy Group is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.
Category Buyer - Chertsey employer: ESS
At Compass Group UK&I, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for our Sous Chef role at Wattisham Airfield. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes, while our inclusive work culture fosters a sense of belonging and respect for diverse talents. With a comprehensive benefits package that includes free meals, healthcare access, and exclusive discounts, we ensure that our team members feel valued and rewarded for their hard work in a dynamic and supportive environment.
