Head of Buying

Ref: AS8361934

Christchurch, Dorset

£95,000

• Permanent
• Retail Buying
• Supplier Management
• Product Development

About the candidate

This Head of Buying candidate is a seasoned retail buying and procurement professional with over six years’ experience across health and beauty, household goods, grocery and private label product categories. They have a strong track record in global sourcing, product development and supplier management, with a confident, analytical approach to building ranges that align with customer trends and commercial goals.

They are available to start in two weeks and are seeking a permanent opportunity. Known for being collaborative, commercially minded and easy to work with, they bring strong stakeholder management skills and experience leading cross-functional teams through supplier reviews, buying plans and continuous improvement projects.

What makes them great?

• Delivers measurable cost savings: Led a supplier evaluation programme that achieved around a 20% reduction in material costs while also improving product quality.
• Commercially focused: Developed seasonal buying plans that contributed to around 15% year-on-year sales growth across private label product ranges.
• Strong team leadership: Brings experience managing cross-functional teams and keeping suppliers, internal stakeholders and wider business goals moving in the same direction.

Areas of expertise

• Buying and procurement strategy: Experienced in managing end-to-end buying processes, supplier selection, category support and commercial planning across retail and consumer goods.
• Supplier and stakeholder management: Confident building strong supplier relationships while working closely with sales, marketing and internal teams to align product, cost and customer objectives.
• Product development and range planning: Skilled in analysing market trends, developing seasonal buying plans and supporting the launch of new product lines.