Category Buyer

Established for over four decades and active in over 70 countries our client has an exciting opportunity for you to join their team in a real hybrid role, as a Category Buyer in the FMCG industry. They offer a great working environment in an international, young, friendly and dynamic team.

Are you enterprising and do you know how to work with the right suppliers to buy Food products at the best price? Do you also have the vision and the power of persuasion to get things done?

Working for our clients Foods team, we are looking for a Category Buyer who can help achieve commercial targets. You must be experienced in Category Management and can set the vision and strategy yourself! You have a detailed knowledge of trends and are up to speed with the market needs. You get energy from using the right tactics so you can buy at the best price. You do this in cooperation with the Sales Manager. Working with KPIs gives you guidance and value. With your ability to connect with people, you work closely with the other teams and all the departments involved, such as Operations, Supply Chain and Finance. As a Category Buyer, you travel regularly and make sure that you build good a relationship with suppliers.

You will be working in a very fast-growing company and also a successful division. Because the business is growing, the Foods division is constantly on the move. The entire team consists of approximately 25 colleagues and can best be described as dynamic, ambitious and driven. On a daily basis, you will interact frequently with the Sales Manager, Division Leader and external stakeholders. In this role, you will report directly to the Division Leader.

This is how you tackle your day. You:

• Source and actively approach new (international) suppliers;
• Set up and realize a category plan;
• Maintain and expand the relationship with suppliers;
• Have total responsibility for the realization of defined targets in the area of turnover and margin and for making necessary adjustments if targets are not realized;
• Monitor and analyze the range of products with the aim of ordering the right articles on time;
• Proactively follow market and product developments and identify opportunities and trends;
• Translate market research into concrete commercial plans, actions and product range;
• Assess and follow up on the newly offered products;
• Negotiate prices, payments and delivery conditions;
• Maintain contact with various internal and external stakeholders.

Is this you?

• You have a completed a higher vocational education (hbo) level;
• You have at least 3 years of experience in a Category Buyer function within a medium-sized or large retail organization or a sales function on the manufacturer's side;
• You are an expert in negotiating and making (price) agreements and commercial plans;
• You are result-driven with an entrepreneurial spirit, a good and professional conversation partner and you know how to convince and activate others;
• You are aware of the trends in the market;
• You are fluent in Dutch and English;
• You are flexible and you do not avoid a challenge to develop processes and the relevant category;
• A solid sparring partner at all levels, both inside and outside the organization;
• You have a demonstrated affinity with Food products.

For more information, please email Karen Barton at Madison Parker International -karen@madisonparker.nl