Compass Group UK & Ireland Ltd
Strategic Sourcing Buyer
Location: Hybrid/London/Chertsey
Foodbuy is a leading £2bn+ food procurement organisation, delivering best-in-class category expertise and sourcing solutions to a wide range of clients across the UK & Ireland. We combine scale, insight and supplier partnerships to drive value, innovation and sustainable supply chains.
We’re looking for a Strategic Sourcing Buyer to join our growing Strategic Sourcing team. This is a fantastic opportunity for a commercially minded procurement professional to work on end-to-end sourcing projects, build category expertise, and contribute to delivering tangible value for clients.
The Role
As a Strategic Sourcing Buyer, you’ll play a key role in delivering competitive sourcing activity in line with the Foodbuy Procurement Framework. You’ll take spend to market, analyse supplier responses, and support the development of robust commercial recommendations.
Working closely with Category, GPO, Account and Supply Chain teams, you’ll help ensure sourcing activity aligns with client needs, market dynamics and wider business priorities across cost, quality, service, sustainability and risk.
Key Responsibilities
Sourcing Delivery
- Deliver end-to-end sourcing projects across a range of categories
- Run compliant tender processes using eSourcing tools
- Analyse bids and build clear commercial comparisons
- Support delivery of savings, quality and service outcomes
Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with Category, GPO and Account teams to deliver sourcing activity
- Provide insight and analysis to support decision-making
- Build strong relationships internally and with suppliers
Market & Commercial Insight
- Develop knowledge of category markets, suppliers and cost drivers
- Gather and interpret market intelligence to inform strategies
- Support price and risk discussions with relevant stakeholders
Process & Governance
- Ensure sourcing activity meets governance and compliance standards
- Maintain clear documentation and audit trails
- Contribute to continuous improvement of sourcing processes
Value Tracking & Reporting
- Support savings validation and value tracking
- Contribute to pipeline and performance reporting
- Ensure clear articulation of sourcing outcomes
About You
- Experience in procurement, sourcing or commercial roles (ideally within foodservice, retail or FMCG)
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and generate insight
- Good understanding of sourcing and tendering processes
- Commercially aware, with strong attention to detail
- Confident communicator who can engage a range of stakeholders
- Organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities
Desirable:
- Exposure to eSourcing platforms such as Scanmarket
- Understanding of category management or supply chain
- CIPS qualified or working towards qualification
Why Join Foodbuy?
- Work on high-impact sourcing projects across diverse categories
- Gain exposure to strategic procurement environments and leading clients
- Develop commercial expertise within a fast-paced, collaborative team
- Build a career with a market-leading procurement organisation
To apply for this job please visit www.reed.co.uk.
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