Senior Category Business Manager - Client Sourcing

Foodbuy is a leading food procurement organisation based in the UK. With over £1bn of managed spend, we bring together the widest range of foodservice and hospitality clients on the planet to buy food, and everything associated with it. We work closely with our clients to deliver expert procurement services saving them both time and money and enabling them to focus on what really matters to their businesses.

We’re looking to hire a Category Business Manager to join the team. This is an exciting new role, with the primary purpose of delivering commercial value to our Foodbuy members. This will be delivered through running client reviews, strategic tenders and activation programmes that cover Food, Retail & SES categories. You will also be working in partnership with our Sales & Retention teams to ensure a clear operating model exists to deliver the overarching strategy and meeting our client’s commercial & non-commercial needs via their procurement and supplier choices. 

There is over £586m of spend in scope today, with ambitious growth plans for the next 3 years which will only see this spend increase, so huge potential for opportunity and value.

Key responsibilities:

• Overarching responsibility for delivering the commercial targets relating to client sourcing and delivering commercial value for our Foodbuy members.
• Working alongside the Head of CBM to define & implement the team strategy including priorities, procurement strategies, ways of working, processes & reporting.
• Leading the CBM – Client Sourcing team and managing the Category Business Managers that fall within.
• Responsible for all client led procurement activity that drives value to our Foodbuy members, which will predominately entail leading and delivering Client Sourcing projects. This will involve all elements of the sourcing process from gathering client business needs and data analysis, through to sourcing strategy, complex supplier negotiations & client presentations.
• Activating, growing & selling our supplier and manufacturer commercial terms, via procurement activity, switch initiatives and sales activation programmes, to drive commercial value for both our clients as well as for Foodbuy.
• Working closely with the Marketing team to produce Client facing collateral for new deal activation, client newsletters & supplier initiatives.
• Working collaboratively with the Category Development Heads of and Leads on supplier joint business plans as well as our client, finance, sales & culinary teams to drive profit and growth.

Skills required:

• Experience in a wide range of different categories and suppliers across Food, Retail and SES as well as with Wholesalers and Distributors
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to evidence high delivery of results and is committed to attaining the highest levels of commercial success individually and for the team.
• Ability to demonstrate experience in leading sourcing & tendering activity, particularly in highly complex categories and with exceptional negotiation skills.
• Expert analytical skills, with an ability to manage and interpret complex data to make effective decisions, to draw conclusions and to communicate recommendations via a holistic approach.
• An excellent team player, who is adaptable and who works well under pressure.
• Experience in managing a team and will provide strong leadership and guidance across the function & is accountable for the results and outputs of their team.
• Evidence of an ability to provide strategic leadership to the function as well as contributing at the operational level.
• Forward thinker with a creative mindset and the ability to create and execute commercial strategies and agreements.
• Effectively manages and priorities multiple demands with the ability to operate at pace in a fluid change environment.
• Client-centric and client facing, with the ability to ensure client needs are kept at the forefront of decision making whilst balancing internal requirements. Along with experience in presenting sourcing outcomes to senior client stakeholders.
• Ability to influence multiple stakeholders both internally and externally across a variety of functions and at all levels of the organisation.

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• 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