Sourcing & procurement specialist

Alexander Steele Recruitment is delighted to be partnering with a growing and highly successful food business as they look to appoint a Procurement & Sourcing Specialist to join their expanding team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded procurement professional who enjoys building supplier relationships, identifying sourcing opportunities and supporting business growth through effective procurement strategies.

Please note: that whilst this is predominantly a home-based role, candidates must live within a reasonable commuting distance of London and be able to attend the office approximately twice per month.

About the Business

Our client is a well-established and ambitious food business that continues to experience strong growth across the UK and international markets.

With a collaborative culture and entrepreneurial approach, the business places significant value on innovation, supplier partnerships and delivering exceptional service to its customers. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with senior stakeholders and make a genuine impact across the organisation.

About the Role

As Procurement & Sourcing Specialist, you will take ownership of supplier sourcing, procurement activities and commercial negotiations across a diverse portfolio of products and services.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Identifying, evaluating and onboarding new suppliers to support business requirements.
• Building and managing long-term supplier relationships to ensure service, quality and cost objectives are achieved.
• Negotiating commercial agreements, pricing structures and supply contracts.
• Monitoring market trends, commodity movements and supply chain risks to support informed purchasing decisions.
• Supporting new product development projects through supplier sourcing and procurement expertise.
• Working cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Technical, Finance, Sales and Operations teams.
• Managing supplier performance through regular review of service, quality and commercial metrics.
• Producing procurement analysis, spend reports and supplier performance data.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives and identifying opportunities for cost optimisation.

About the Candidate

The successful candidate is likely to have experience within procurement, sourcing or buying gained within the food manufacturing or finished food products.

You will also demonstrate:

• Experience within a procurement, sourcing, buying or category-focused position.
• Strong supplier negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Previous experience sourcing products within a fast-paced commercial environment.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Confidence working with procurement systems and Excel-based reporting tools.
• The ability to influence stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Previous experience within food manufacturing, ingredients or food-related supply chains would be highly advantageous.
• CIPS qualifications or studies would be beneficial but are not essential.

Why This Company?

• Predominantly home-based working.
• Opportunity to join a growing and successful food business.
• High level of autonomy and ownership within the role.
• Exposure to a broad supplier network and commercial projects.
• Collaborative and supportive culture.
• Genuine opportunity to influence sourcing strategy and supplier development.
• Long-term career development opportunities as the business continues to expand.

If you are an ambitious procurement professional looking for a role that combines sourcing, supplier management and commercial influence within a growing food business, we would love to hear from you.