Senior Buyer - Packaging
Location: Kent, Canterbury / site based role Monday to Friday
Salary: £40,000 - £44,589
Type: Full-time, permanent
Ready to take full ownership of a high-value packaging category in a fast-paced FMCG environment?
About the Role
We're recruiting a Senior Buyer - Packaging to take full strategic and operational ownership of a core packaging category, with primary responsibility for a defined packaging category and an annual spend of approximately £4.3m.
This is a hands-on, end-to-end buying role where you'll develop and deliver category strategy, manage supplier relationships, lead tenders, and control day-to-day purchasing activity. You'll play a key role in supporting growth initiatives across the category over the next 12 months.
While there are no direct line management responsibilities, you'll act as a senior figure within the team, providing guidance and informal mentoring to Administrators and Junior Buyers.
Key Responsibilities
* Own and deliver the packaging category strategy, balancing cost, availability, risk, and performance.
* Lead supplier negotiations, commercial agreements, and preferred supplier frameworks.
* Run tenders and sourcing initiatives to drive value and resilience.
* Manage market movements, cost pressures, and pricing reviews.
* Oversee day-to-day buying, MRP-driven ordering, and stock control to ensure continuity of supply.
* Maintain supplier scorecards, performance reviews, and continuous improvement plans.
* Support implementation across the category.
* Provide insight-led reporting on spend, performance, and savings.
What You'll Bring
* Proven experience as a Buyer or Senior Buyer within an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
* Strong procurement fundamentals with the ability to operate both strategically and operationally.
* Packaging experience is desirable but not essential - learning agility is key.
* Confident working with performance targets and commercial KPIs.
* Proactive, self-starting mindset with strong analytical capability.
* Comfortable influencing without formal line management responsibility.
Why Apply?
This is a role with genuine ownership, visibility, and impact. You'll manage a critical category, work closely with senior stakeholders, and play a key role in shaping procurement performance in a growing, performance-driven business.
Interested?
If you're a commercially driven buyer ready to step into a senior, high-ownership packaging role, apply now or get in touch for a confidential conversation.
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