Senior Buyer

Senior Buyer – Food Manufacturing Starting Salary: £55,000 - £62,000 base salary Location: London Monday - Friday | Site Based We're working with our good friends at a long-established and highly respected food manufacturer to recruit an experienced Senior Buyer. This is an exciting opportunity to join a business that has built an outstanding reputation within the food manufacturing industry through quality, innovation and continued investment. Supplying products to customers across the UK and internationally recognised, the business continues to grow and is now looking for a commercially minded procurement professional to take ownership of its purchasing function. Working closely with the Financial Controller and senior leadership team, you'll play a key role in ensuring materials, ingredients and services are sourced competitively while maintaining exceptional quality, supplier relationships and continuity of supply. The Role This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll oversee purchasing, stock control and warehouse operations, whilst managing supplier relationships and identifying opportunities to improve cost, efficiency and service levels across the business. You'll collaborate closely with Operations, Technical, Engineering, Sales and Finance to ensure the business continues to operate efficiently within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. Key Responsibilities * Lead the purchasing function across raw materials, packaging and services * Source, negotiate and manage supplier agreements to achieve the best commercial outcomes * Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality or service * Build long-term supplier partnerships and manage supplier performance * Monitor market trends, pricing and supply risks * Maintain stock availability whilst managing inventory levels and cash flow * Prepare purchase orders and manage procurement reporting * Lead and develop the Buying and Warehouse teams * Work cross-functionally with Operations, Technical, Engineering and Sales to support business performance * Drive continuous improvement across procurement and warehouse operations About You We're looking for an experienced procurement professional who enjoys building supplier relationships, negotiating commercially and working within a fast-moving manufacturing environment. You'll ideally have: * Previous buying or procurement experience within food manufacturing * Experience leading or mentoring a purchasing team * Strong negotiation and supplier management skills * Commercial awareness with a proven track record of delivering cost savings * Experience managing stock levels and supply continuity * Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills * Strong Excel skills (SAP experience would be advantageous) * CIPS qualification (or working towards) would be beneficial What's on Offer * Join a well-established and continually growing food manufacturer * Opportunity to progress your career as the business continues to expand * Genuine opportunity to influence purchasing strategy * Work alongside an experienced and supportive leadership team * A varied role with responsibility across procurement, supplier management and warehouse operations * Competitive salary package depending on experience If you're an experienced Buyer or Senior Buyer looking to make a real impact within a growing food manufacturing business, we'd love to hear from you