Buyer – Food & Ingredients

Company: David Wood Foods Ltd
Apply for the Buyer – Food & Ingredients
Location: West Yorkshire
Job Description:

Job Title: Buyer – Food & Ingredients

Salary: Up to £40,000 + Benefits (dependant on experience)

Location: Leeds Head Office (with UK travel)

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and commercially driven Buyer to join our Procurement team within a fast‑paced, multi‑site food manufacturing business.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of key ingredient categories within a £70M procurement function, supporting a high‑volume operation across 7 manufacturing sites. You’ll play a critical role in ensuring continuity of supply, driving cost efficiencies, and maintaining strong supplier performance.

What You’ll Be Doing

  • Managing procurement of food ingredients and raw materials across defined categories
  • Negotiating pricing, contracts, and commercial terms with suppliers
  • Building and maintaining strong supplier relationships, ensuring performance on cost, quality, and delivery
  • Identifying and delivering cost‑saving initiatives
  • Monitoring market trends and managing supply risks
  • Supporting New Product Development (NPD) through sourcing of new ingredients
  • Ensuring compliance with food safety, regulatory, and customer standards
  • Working cross‑functionally with Technical, Operations, Logistics, and Commercial teams
  • Managing procurement data and systems (SAGE MRP or equivalent)

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

  • Proven experience in a Buyer/Procurement role within food manufacturing or FMCG
  • Strong negotiation and commercial skills
  • Experience managing significant spend and supplier portfolios
  • Ability to work in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment
  • Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills
  • Experience with MRP/ERP systems (SAGE or similar) and Microsoft Office
  • Full UK Driving Licence
  • Right to work in the UK

Desirable:

  • Experience sourcing across UK and EU markets
  • Knowledge of commodity‑driven ingredient markets
  • Understanding of food safety standards (e.g. BRC, HACCP)
  • MCIPS qualification (or working towards)

What Success Looks Like

  • Delivery of cost savings against targets
  • Consistent continuity of supply to manufacturing sites
  • Strong supplier performance (OTIF, quality compliance)
  • Accurate and efficient procurement processes

Why Join Us?

  • Be part of a well‑established, growing food manufacturing business
  • Work within a large‑scale, complex supply chain environment
  • Opportunity to influence supplier strategy and category performance
  • Collaborative, cross‑functional working culture

If you’re a proactive Buyer who thrives on pace, ownership, and making a tangible commercial impact — we’d love to hear from you.

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Posted: April 8th, 2026