Category Buyer - 18 month FTC
Role: Category Buyer – 18 month Fixed Term Contract
Location: Leicestershire Head Office
Salary: Competitive plus bonus & benefits
Are you ready to play a key role in driving the success of one of the UK`s leading retail brands? An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Category Buyer to join our Commercial Services team, supporting Next’s online and retail businesses.
At Next, we’re passionate about providing the highest quality products and services to our customers. The Commercial Services team is responsible for managing the purchasing and stock inventory of Goods Not for Resale (GNFR), with a budget of circa £300m, spanning multiple categories including Utilities, Packaging, Catering, Waste, and Travel services.
As a Category Buyer, you will take the lead in driving purchasing strategy, managing supplier performance, and ensuring the smooth flow of procurement processes across the business.
Key Responsibilities:
Supplier Sourcing & Tenders: Identify and recommend potential suppliers, creating networks to ensure best practice sourcing. Prepare and execute tenders using our eSourcing tool, and perform detailed supplier appraisals.
Contracts, SLAs & KPIs: Collaborate with our legal team to prepare formal contracts, SLAs, and establish KPIs with penalties for non-compliance, ensuring that contracts align with Next’s business objectives.
Supplier Management: Measure and review supplier performance regularly, conduct operational and strategic reviews, and ensure compliance with best practices. Use tools like weighted scorecards to assess and rank suppliers.
Internal Stakeholder Management: Maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, providing insight and acting as a liaison between suppliers and teams to resolve any issues with service, product specifications, or delivery.
Financial & Purchase Order Management: Ensure accurate purchase order processing, approve orders in a timely manner, and ensure that all invoices are paid in line with supplier terms. Assist with budget planning by providing spend information and addressing finance queries.
About You:
Next is a dynamic, fast-growing business, so we’re looking for someone who thrives in a constantly changing environment. To be successful, you’ll need a strong blend of purchasing expertise, commercial awareness, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. You’ll also need the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining high levels of financial control and supporting key business initiatives.
We’re looking for someone who not only values procedure, control, and audit-ability but also thinks about the wider impact on the business and our customers.
What We Are Looking For:
Purchasing Experience: Experience in a purchasing role, ideally within a fast-paced FMCG environment. A CIPS qualification is advantageous.
eSourcing & Auctions: Familiarity with eSourcing tools and auction platforms is essential.
Skills & Attributes: Strong organisational skills, self-motivation, and confidence in decision-making. Exceptional communication and negotiation skills, along with strong analytical abilities.
Technical Proficiency: A high level of competence in MS Office (particularly Excel). Familiarity with Google G Suite is a bonus.
If you are ready to take the next step in your career and become a key member of our Commercial Services team, supporting the continued success and growth of Next, we’d love to hear from you.
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