Senior Global Category Buyer - Food

Job Introduction

We’re looking for an ambitious Senior Global Category Buyer to become part of our Global Supply Management Food team who are responsible for negotiating, governing and reviewing over 160 global contracts. This will be a challenging role, with ambitious cost savings and efficiencies to be met whilst meeting social and corporate responsibilities as part of our ethical sourcing model.

Food buying experience is essential for this role and you’ll have previously worked within either a in Food Service, Retail or Food Manufacturing environment. As a skilled negotiator you’ll be required to adapt your approach to accommodate different cultures and be highly influential to ensure engagement from Senior Segment lead and regional procurement teams.

You’ll be based in our Stevenage office with some flexibility for home working and travelling abroad when required. As a key member of the Global Supply Management Food team you will help develop and deliver the procurement strategy but also be capable of managing your own category independently.

With the recent appointment of our new Global Chief Procurement Officer this is the time to join our Supply Management team which is transforming and gaining significant notability within Sodexo. You’ll be stretched and challenged in this role to ensure you perform at the highest levels but with this comes substantial opportunity to develop and further your career.

Role Responsibility

• Design and implement category strategies which significantly improve the commercial performance at a Group and Regional level whilst maintaining compliance to company standards and mitigating risk
• Co-build strategies with Food Platform (subject matter experts), Sodexo business Segments and Regional Buyers
• Engage Regions to actively collaborate in the deployment of category plans
• Develop a deep understanding of the differences and/or commonalities in the Regional supply markets and business needs of the Sodexo Segments.
• Engage regions in an active collaboration and development of categories globally
• Build a strong network within the Supply Management and Food Platform teams
• Be able to take into account the differences in business requirements across Regions
• Ensure procurement solutions consider total cost of ownership (TCO) in all procurement activity to maximise greatest value to Sodexo
• Lead cross functional sourcing teams in key projects and tenders
• Build and facilitate a strong Buyers network within your categories
• Ownership and delivery of category saving targets as defined within Supply Management budget

The Ideal Candidate

What's esstial for us?

• Proven international experience in Buying / Category Management
• Strong knowledge of Foodservice categories
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills
• Team player who can communicate and influence across all business levels
• Strong financial acumen and results orientated with a proven track record in global contract negotiation
• Graduate calibre at 2:1 or above

Where we can be flexible

• Experience and knowledge in Foodservice
• Currently or working towards CIPS/ISM or equivalent qualification

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, transgender, marital or family status, race or ethnicity, religious belief of sexual orientation are welcome to and included within our business. We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process