Group Essentials Buyer

Ref: AS9658623

Leicester, England

£60,000

• Permanent
• Strategic Category Planning
• Supplier Performance Improvement
• Retail Procurement

About the candidate

An experienced procurement professional with a strong background in retail buying, category management and supplier performance across home improvement, DIY and large-scale retail environments. They bring strong commercial judgement, a hands-on approach to range development and a clear focus on building supplier relationships that support better product availability, improved margins and stronger customer choice.

They are well suited to a permanent buying role where they can take ownership of essential product categories, shape sourcing strategies and work closely with cross-functional teams. Available to start in 2 weeks, they offer a strong mix of negotiation, analysis and people development experience.

What makes them great?

• Sales growth: Led buying and category initiatives for essential product lines that supported a 15% year-on-year sales increase.
• Margin improvement: Negotiated supplier contracts that strengthened overall margin performance and helped improve profitability across key ranges.
• Team collaboration: Brings experience mentoring junior team members and working with cross-functional teams to improve product ranges and customer satisfaction.

Areas of expertise

• Category strategy: Experienced in developing and delivering category plans across essential retail product lines, with a focus on customer needs, market trends and commercial performance.
• Supplier management: Skilled in building productive supplier partnerships, improving performance and supporting the timely launch of new products.
• Commercial analysis: Confident using data, competitor insight and customer feedback to identify opportunities for cost savings, range improvements and profitability.