Senior Buyer - Fresh Food

Our Head Office department is in the heart of Piccadilly and occupies the 5th & 6th floor of our beautiful flagship store. This central London location offers so much to explore including restaurants, bars, cultural sites, shopping and more, and only a short walk from the Green Park Tube Station and plenty of bus stops.

You will develop and implement the fresh food strategy, ensuring customer experience and sustainability are at the heart of the fresh food offering. You will manage and develop the fresh buyers and ensure strong relationships with adjacent functions. 

You will be accountable for the fresh food buying activities and work to drive sales and profitability across all our channels. (Categories covered: Fresh, Deli and Bakery.) 

Reports to:  Director of Food Buying 

Direct Reports:  Fresh Food Buyers (x3) and Buying Assistant 

Key interfaces:  

The role holder will interact with multiple parties across the company including Fortnum’s Management Group, and other business leaders. The role holder will liaise regularly with the central functions and businesses, such as Commercial Finance, Marketing, Hospitality and Retail and the Online Trading Team. 

Key Accountabilities: 

• Lead the development of the food offer for your category, ensuring that clear strategies and commercial plans are developed and implemented to drive sales growth, profit and excellent quality standards 

• Create and implement best practice purchasing vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures within your business area with a focus on sustainability and animal welfare 

• Maintain an up to date knowledge of market trends and competitor intelligence and benchmark appropriately. 

• Develop seasonal ranges that reflect customer expectations at various times of year 

• Manage your supply base, ensuring we have suppliers who share our vision and are fit for growth – where needed you will re-source supply 

• Maintain a good awareness of food seasonality and ensure our offer reflects this 

• Deliver range reviews, plans and presentations in line with the annual planning cycle 

• Support your colleagues around the business with product knowledge and inspiration 

• Meet deadlines on the buying calendar and ensure accuracy of information 

• Manage, coach and develop the team in line with our company practices. 

Role Specific Criteria (Experience/Behaviours/Technical Ability) 

We expect the successful candidate to have the following skills and experience: 

• Strong commercial awareness 

• Understanding of current sustainability challenges and opportunities 

• Critical path management 

• Fantastic negotiation skills 

• Great relationship management ability 

• High level of product specific knowledge  

• Attention to detail 

• A huge passion for food 

Why Work For Us:

• Competitive salary

• A generous store and restaurant discount of up to 40%

• 25 days holidays (excluded bank holidays) and an extra day off for your birthday

• A fantastic subsidised staff restaurant which uses Fortnum’s ingredients

• A range of opportunities to develop and grow personally and professionally

• Excellent pension scheme

We are committed to developing your career and nurturing your talent, regardless of age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation. We respect and embrace each other's differences, to create a truly inclusive environment.

In the last year alone, our people have been recognised and celebrated, winning awards for their outstanding contributions to Retail, Technology, Global Hospitality & Tourism, Visual Merchandising & Display, Customer Service and Local Community Awards