Senior Buying Manager - Produce

Senior Buying Manager (Produce)
Up to £80,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5) 
Permanent and 12-month fixed-term contract roles available
Manchester City Centre, in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home, visiting suppliers and coming into the office around two to three times a week (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We’re on the lookout for an experienced fresh Produce Buyer who wants to make a real impact in one of the fastest moving areas of UK retail. At Co-op, Produce is a key focus category, and this is your chance to take the lead.

As a Senior Buying Manager, you’ll take ownership of some of one of our most strategically important categories. You’ll have the freedom to do what you do best: secure brilliant deals, deliver industry leading ranges, and build strong, sustainable partnerships across a supply base that’s central to our growth plans. Fresh moves fast. And so do we. You’ll play a key role in shaping a category vision that is highly important to our customers and members, all while reacting quickly to changing customer expectations and emerging trends.

Why this role matters

Fresh is at the heart of our commercial transformation. We’re investing in capability, modernising our approach, and creating new opportunities for industry experts to influence our omnichannel strategy. You’ll be a driving force behind this, leading a balanced, forward-thinking range that delivers value, quality, and momentum across multiple customer missions.

And because of who we are, you won’t have to compromise your principles to get commercial results. Our values underpin everything, from how we negotiate to how we work with growers, producers and suppliers. You’ll be empowered to deliver value the right way: fairly, sustainably, collaboratively, and always customer first.

What you’ll do

•    Leading growth across your fresh categories, spotting emerging trends and shaping a range customers care about
•    Negotiating market beating commercial terms and building partnerships that unlock innovation and long term success
•    Owning the commercial plan: budgets, forecasts, performance measures and strategic delivery
•    Collaborating with supply chain, technical, quality, marketing and merchandising teams to create a seamless end to end offer
•    Prioritising work and building capability within your team, ensuring strong performance and clear focus
•    Representing Co-op across the fresh supply base and the wider industry, championing high standards, strong relationships and commercial ambition
•    Coaching and inspiring commercial analysts and assistants to help develop our next generation of buying talent

What you’ll bring

•    Strong experience in fresh Produce buying, or senior/national account management or procurement within the Produce industry 
•    A proven track record of negotiation, delivering value, and building strategic, productive supplier partnerships
•    Experience working with different types of cost models including open book, and ability to develop and grow direct grower relationships
•    The confidence to take ownership, influence stakeholders and set clear direction in fast moving categories
•    A commercially sharp, analytical mindset, you’re able to balance customer needs, market insight and commercial delivery
•    The ability to lead, motivate and develop a team to deliver against ambitious plans

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

•    An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
•    28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
•    A pension with up to 10% employer contributions 
•    Private healthcare 
•    Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) 
•    30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands 
•    Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it 
•    Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice 
•    24/7 colleague support service 
•    Training and support for your development and career progression
•    Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.
We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.