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- Tasks: Own and optimise buying strategies for food categories while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Company: Join Sainsbury’s, a leading retailer focused on innovation and teamwork.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, flexible working, and a performance-related bonus up to 20% of salary.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in category planning, data analysis, and supplier negotiations is essential.
- Other info: Dynamic workplace with opportunities for personal development and career growth.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 48000 £ per year.
Overview
At Sainsbury’s, our Food Commercial team is at the heart of delivering our vision to help everyone eat better. We work collaboratively across supermarket, convenience, and online channels to create a distinctive and value-competitive customer offer. Innovation, strategic thinking, and cross-functional teamwork drive our success in a fast-paced retail environment.
This job advert is part of our proactive interview scheme across Food Buying at Sainsbury’s, where we interview talented individuals to benchmark and build a talent pool for future vacancies.
More about the role
As a Buyer, you will own, deliver, and optimise the buying and selling strategy for your category. You will be responsible for the commercial performance of the range, working across all channels to grow market share and cash profit. Your day-to-day will involve developing customer-focused category plans, negotiating product costs, implementing pricing and promotional strategies, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive product improvement and new product development.
You will lead key projects, including range reviews and supplier tenders. Your decisions will shape the buying and selling strategy, and you’ll have access to a dedicated support team and industry-leading resources to help you succeed.
More about you
You are a commercially-minded individual with a proven ability to analyse financial, market, and customer data to identify opportunities. You demonstrate accountability for results and have a track record of delivering against key performance indicators. Your negotiation skills and understanding of product cost drivers enable you to influence outcomes effectively.
You communicate clearly and work well in cross-functional teams, inspiring and engaging stakeholders to gain commitment to plans. You are proactive in managing your personal development and thrive in a dynamic environment where prioritisation and strategic thinking are key.
Essential criteria
- Proven experience in developing and executing customer-focused category plans.
- Demonstratable ability to analyse financial, market, and customer data to identify opportunities.
- Experience in negotiating product costs and managing supplier relationships.
- Ability to lead cross-functional projects through to delivery.
- Knowledge of buying systems and processes, and ability to prioritise workload effectively.
Qualifications
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new – whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business – and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:
Starting off with colleague discount, you\\\’ll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury\\\’s, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We\\\’ve also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You\\\’ll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
Your wellbeing is important to us too. You\\\’ll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme, you will also be eligible for private healthcare too.
Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).
Responsibilities
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Here, everything in our Sainsbury’s stores starts out in Sainsbury’s Commercial. Whether it’s the product, proposition, packaging or price, or the fact that something tastes great, our team is responsible for all food, non-food and Clothing items available in Sainsbury’s stores, digitally and on demand. You’ll discover it’s incredibly fast-paced. People here are in it together and not afraid to take risks. They’re enthusiastic too, and their amazing leadership team is right behind them. The knowledge and experience you gain here could set you up for career moves anywhere else in the business. So, if you’re passionate about your products and just as hungry to learn, you’ll fit in perfectly.
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Buyer - Roles within Food Buying Division employer: Sainsbury's
Contact Detail:
Sainsbury's Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Buyer - Roles within Food Buying Division
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the food buying industry on LinkedIn or at events. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities you might not find on job boards.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Sainsbury’s and their food buying strategies. Show us you’re passionate about helping customers eat better and how you can contribute to that vision.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! Whether it’s with friends or in mock interviews, being able to demonstrate your ability to negotiate product costs will set you apart from the crowd.
✨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 are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Buyer - Roles within Food Buying Division
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Buyer role. Highlight your experience in developing customer-focused category plans and your ability to analyse data. We want to see how your skills align with our vision at Sainsbury’s!
Show Off Your Negotiation Skills: Since negotiating product costs is key for this role, share specific examples of successful negotiations you've led. We love seeing how you’ve influenced outcomes and built strong supplier relationships in your previous roles.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to communicate your achievements and experiences. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your potential!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our official website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to navigate!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Buyer, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to analyse financial and market data. Brush up on key metrics related to buying strategies and be ready to discuss how you've used data to identify opportunities in the past.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
Prepare examples of successful negotiations you've led, especially regarding product costs. Highlight your approach and the outcomes, as this will show your potential employer that you can influence results effectively.
✨Understand the Role's Dynamics
Familiarise yourself with Sainsbury’s Food Buying Division and its current challenges. Being able to discuss recent trends in the food retail sector or specific products will show your genuine interest and strategic thinking.
✨Collaborate and Communicate
Since cross-functional teamwork is crucial, think of instances where you've successfully collaborated with different teams. Be prepared to share how you inspired stakeholders and gained commitment to plans, as this will highlight your communication skills.