Category Buyer - Vegetables

Location Birmingham
Discipline: Food & Fresh Produce
Job type: Permanent
Salary: £32K - £35K
Contact name: Emma Ashmore

Contact email: emma@agrifj.co.uk
Job ref: 14812 EA
Published: over 2 years ago
Startdate: ASAP

Category Buyer – Vegetables
Location: Birmingham

The Company: Fresh Produce Suppliers and Importers.

The Industry: Food, Fresh Produce, Buying, Procurement

Purpose of the Job:
To lead the effective procurement of your nominated product portfolio (UK). To include;

  • Developing and maintaining profitable relationships with suppliers.

  • Develop and manage routine daily relationships with all suppliers and internal teams.

  • Actively provide timely supply updates to the commercial sales team.

Role Responsibilities:

Responsibility and accountability for the implementation the company’s buying policies across;

UK Procurement – Veg

  • Accountability for profitability according to agreed targets.

  • Managing communication and returns to suppliers.

  • Supporting the group sales effort via the Group Procurement Manager.

Main Duties:

  • Develop, agree and implement procurement plans, according to company buying policies.

  • Accountable for the delivery of targeted margins and volume as described in the annual budget.

  • Strive to improve the trading profit while reducing operating costs. Specifically, target a 100% recovery of losses from suppliers.

  • Negotiate best price and deals to maintain or exceed margin/credit terms.

  • Responsible for accurate and timely administration including:

  • Ensuring goods purchased arrive in a timely manner for operations to process for the customers’ orders.

  • Preparation of weekly business unit profitability and margin projections.

  • Identification and management of shortages/over supply.

  • Use and maintenance of NAV system.

  • Order and arrival of products in a timely well communicated manner.

  • Timely completion of supplier claims.

  • Timely placing of supplier programmes.

  • Purchase associate labels and packaging for your products at the best prices.

  • Ensure regular communication with suppliers to review and monitor progress, adjust plans in order to strengthen our KPI performance.

  • Delivery of supplier development plans including completion of supplier visits as appropriate.

  • Create long lasting, sustainable relationships with suppliers to deliver KPI’s.

  • Management of supplier scorecard (KPI’s) to:

  • To drive and strengthen our financial performance.

  • Drive continuous improvement (quality and financial).

  • Deliver quality and availability improvement action plans with suppliers

  • Include development of contingency suppliers.

  • Pro-actively deliver and monitor KPI’s including service level to target 100% availability (when in season).

  • Identify and deliver end to end supply chain improvements to deliver operational efficiency.

  • Driving innovation plan (product and process) to deliver ‘true’ points or difference and newness into the business through growers, breeders and varietal development in conjunction with colleagues.

  • Delivery and management of actions/projects to agreed deadlines. Root cause analysis as appropriate.

  • Ensuring that the sales team receive clear sourcing updates, to facilitate business development (existing and new customers).

  • Communicate effectively with colleagues whilst fostering good relationships. Including active participation in daily meetings.

  • The job role requires a flexible approach to working hours and you will be required to work the hours necessary to complete your duties.

  • You will be expected to perform such additional activities as your manager may reasonably request or as is necessary for the running of the business unit.

Ideal Person Skills and Qualifications:

  • High degree of numeracy.

  • Effective negotiation skills.

  • Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills.

  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft packages

  • Customer focused.

  • Able to work to tight deadlines.

  • Confident and resilient.

  • Ability to work in a team.

  • A completer/finisher with a high degree of attention to detail (seeks root cause) whilst maintaining a sense of urgency.

  • Be mobile – able to visit customers/suppliers as and when necessary. Overseas travel will be required from time to time.

  • Maintain a professional approach throughout.

The Package:
Salary: £32K – £35K

Additional Information:
Reporting to: Business Unit Director
Day to Day: Group Procurement Manager

How to apply: Please send your CV and cover letter to; Emma@agriFJ.co.uk

We thank all applicants who apply for this role. However, please be advised that only those short listed for an interview will be contacted. Please be assured that your job application will be managed in complete confidence and your personal details will not be passed to any third party without your prior permission.

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Agricultural and Farming Jobs are an established specialist Agricultural Recruitment business with offices based in rural Worcestershire. We have a specialist and dedicated Headhunting Recruitment Division as well as a specialist Jobs Advertising Division. We recruit specifically for all roles within the Agricultural industry and support the recruitment needs of all related clients including; Farms, Agricultural Machinery, Fresh Produce, Food, Horticultural, Equestrian, Finance and Veterinary companies on an International basis. We offer an exceptional service with a personable, yet highly professional approach. Please contact our office for further information on 01527 878550.