Category Purchasing Manager – Food & Beverages Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire/Northampton Are you an experienced food or beverage procurement professional looking for your next career move? Do you have strong category management and supplier negotiation experience, with a proven ability to deliver commercial value? If so, this could be an excellent opportunity to join a highly respected business supporting some of the UK’s leading hospitality and foodservice organisations. We are looking for a Category Purchasing Manager to join the central Buying team. You’ll take responsibility for managing purchasing activity across a range of food and beverage categories, developing strong supplier relationships, negotiating commercial agreements and identifying opportunities to improve cost, value and supplier performance. This is a varied and commercially focused role where you’ll have the opportunity to influence suppliers, work closely with internal stakeholders and make a real impact across a growing client base. About you You’ll have a minimum of three years’ purchasing experience within food and/or beverage, together with solid category management experience. You’ll understand the importance of strong supplier relationships and have a proven track record of negotiating effectively to deliver commercial value. You’ll be commercially and financially astute, with strong numerical and analytical skills and excellent attention to detail. You’ll be confident using Excel and other IT systems and comfortable working with data to identify opportunities and support commercial decision-making. As a confident communicator, you’ll be able to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior management. Experience of supplier contracting and performance management would be advantageous, as would previous experience within hospitality, foodservice or the wider out-of-home eating market. What’s on offer? In return, you’ll receive a competitive salary, 33 days’ holiday including bank holidays, increasing with service, healthcare and pension benefits, together with excellent opportunities for career progression. If you’re a commercially minded food or beverage procurement professional looking for a role where you can develop your category expertise, strengthen supplier relationships and make a genuine commercial impact, I'd love to hear from you