About this role
Category Manager - Protein
Location: Chertsey & London Salary: Competitive
Foodbuy is the UK’s leading food procurement organisation, managing over £2.5bn of spend and supporting a diverse range of foodservice and hospitality clients. We combine scale, data and deep supplier partnerships to deliver outstanding value, innovation and sustainable sourcing solutions.
As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, we work directly with manufacturers, growers and suppliers of all sizes, delivering best-in-class procurement expertise across the UK & Ireland.
We’re now looking for a Protein Category Manager to join our Food team, leading one of our most high-profile and commercially critical categories.
The Role This is a key strategic role where you’ll take ownership of the protein category (including meat, poultry, fish and seafood), shaping and delivering long-term category strategies that drive growth, value and innovation.
You’ll lead supplier strategy, commercial negotiations and contract delivery, while working closely with culinary teams, sustainability experts and key stakeholders across the business.
With a focus on sustainability, provenance and responsible sourcing, you’ll play a pivotal role in influencing product development, improving supply chains and delivering best value for clients.
Key Responsibilities Develop and deliver a long-term category strategy across protein, driving improvements in cost, quality, service and innovationLead supplier relationships, identifying new partners and building strong, strategic collaborationsDeliver commercial targets, including inflation mitigation, value generation and volume growthLead negotiations and contract renewals, securing sustainable commercial termsBuild robust pricing and cost models across the supply baseEnsure compliance with food safety, sustainability and quality standardsCollaborate with chefs and culinary teams to support menu and product developmentWork closely with sustainability teams to drive carbon reduction and animal welfare initiativesEvaluate tenders and make recommendations based on commercial, technical and supply considerationsMonitor supplier performance and identify opportunities to enhance valueSupport internal stakeholders including sales, bids and account teamsRepresent Foodbuy at industry events and communicate market trends across the business About You Currently operating as a Category Manager or Senior Category Buyer, ready to step into a more strategic roleStrong commercial mindset, with experience delivering against stretching targetsProven ability to negotiate and influence suppliers at a senior levelHighly analytical, confident working with data to inform decisionsPassionate about sustainability, responsible sourcing and animal welfareStrong stakeholder engagement skills, able to build credibility across the businessOrganised, resilient and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environmentCollaborative mindset with the ability to lead and inspire others Why Join Foodbuy? Own and shape a high-impact, business-critical categoryWork with leading suppliers and industry partnersPlay a key role in delivering sustainability and responsible sourcing initiativesBe part of a high-performing, collaborative procurement functionExcellent career development within a market-leading organisation