At a Glance
- Tasks: Join a fresh produce team, managing supplier relationships and ensuring quality intake.
- Company: Dynamic fresh produce business with a focus on growth and development.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, company pension, life insurance, and free parking.
- Other info: Hands-on role with excellent career progression opportunities in a supportive environment.
- Why this job: Kickstart your procurement career with a clear path to becoming a Buyer.
- Qualifications: Strong numerical skills, attention to detail, and a passion for procurement.
The predicted salary is between 35000 - 45000 £ per year.
Build your fresh produce procurement career in a hands-on supplier-facing role with a clear pathway into a full Buyer position.
Location: Spalding
Working Pattern: Onsite, Monday to Friday (08:30–17:00)
Salary: £35,000 – £45,000 depending on experience
The Opportunity
We’re supporting a growing fresh produce business to recruit a Procurement Executive into a newly created role, designed to strengthen the link between the supply base and packhouse operations. This is a hands-on, commercially focused opportunity offering strong exposure across supplier relationships, contract fulfilment, intake quality, free-buy activity, and seasonal planning. Working closely with the Head of Procurement and wider operational teams, you’ll play a key role in ensuring raw material supply aligns with production and retail requirements.
The role would suit someone commercially curious, detail-oriented, and confident building relationships within a fast-paced fresh produce or FMCG environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor supplier contracts, volumes, and fulfilment timelines
- Track market conditions and support free-buy pricing activity
- Build and maintain strong supplier and grower relationships
- Act as a key link between growers and packhouse operations
- Review intake quality, crop sizing, and packing yields
- Support seasonal transitions and promotional planning activity
- Manage supply issues, quality concerns, and load rejections with suppliers
- Review grower returns and support commercial accuracy before payment sign-off
- Work closely with procurement, intake, production, and commercial teams
What We’re Looking For
- Strong numerical and analytical capability
- Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills
- Confident communication and relationship-building ability
- Commercial awareness and interest in procurement or supply chain
- Ability to operate effectively within a fast-paced operational environment
- Resilient and solutions-focused approach
- Experience within fresh produce, food manufacturing, agriculture, or FMCG would be advantageous but is not essential.
Additional Information
- Monday to Friday onsite role
- Exposure across procurement, supply chain, intake, and supplier management
- Clear progression pathway into a full Buyer role
- Supportive, hands-on team environment
- Company pension
- Life insurance
- Free parking and company events
Why Join?
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a well-established fresh produce business offering genuine development within procurement. You’ll gain practical exposure across supplier management, commercial decision-making, quality, intake, and operational planning while building towards broader Buyer responsibility in the future.
Procurement Executive (Fresh Produce) - Path to Buyer in Spalding employer: Henderson Brown
Join a dynamic fresh produce business in Spalding, where you will thrive in a supportive, hands-on environment that prioritises employee growth and development. With a clear pathway to a Buyer role, you will benefit from practical exposure across procurement and supplier management, alongside competitive perks such as a company pension, life insurance, and free parking. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to build a meaningful career in a fast-paced industry with a focus on collaboration and commercial success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Procurement Executive (Fresh Produce) - Path to Buyer in Spalding
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the fresh produce or FMCG sectors on LinkedIn. A friendly message can go a long way, and you never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its suppliers. Show us that you’re not just interested in the role but also passionate about the fresh produce industry and how it operates.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your communication skills! Since building relationships is key in this role, try role-playing with a friend to nail down how you’d approach supplier discussions or resolve issues.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step!
We think you need these skills to ace Procurement Executive (Fresh Produce) - Path to Buyer in Spalding
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Procurement Executive role. Highlight any relevant experience in fresh produce or FMCG, and don’t forget to showcase your numerical and analytical skills!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about procurement and how your skills align with the responsibilities listed in the job description. Keep it engaging and personal.
Showcase Your Relationship-Building Skills:Since this role involves building strong supplier relationships, be sure to mention any past experiences where you’ve successfully managed relationships. We want to see your confident communication style!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of getting noticed. It’s quick and easy, and we can’t wait to see your application come through!
How to prepare for a job interview at Henderson Brown
✨Know Your Fresh Produce
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of fresh produce and the current market trends. Being able to discuss seasonal variations, quality standards, and supplier relationships will show that you're genuinely interested in the role and understand the industry.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare to demonstrate your numerical and analytical capabilities. Bring examples of how you've used data to make decisions or solve problems in previous roles. This will highlight your attention to detail and your ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
✨Build Rapport with Interviewers
Since this role involves a lot of relationship-building, practice your communication skills. Be friendly and approachable during the interview, and don’t hesitate to ask questions about their supplier relationships and operational challenges. This shows your confidence and interest in collaboration.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think of situations where you've had to manage supply issues or quality concerns. Prepare structured responses using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly convey your thought process.
