Category Buyer

Category Buyer (Packaging)

Zertus UK & Ireland (Fakenham Site)

Who are Zertus?

Zertus UK & Ireland is made up of Humdinger Foods, Kinnerton Confectionery, Lir Chocolates and the Sun Valley Nut Company. We manufacture a range of products within the snacking and chocolate categories and have various manufacturing sites and offices across the UK and Ireland. Our goal is to create innovative and distinctive products that delight our customers. We are the UK & Irish division of Zertus GmbH, which has headquarters in Hamburg and over 2000 employee’s across Europe!

About the Category Buyer role

In this role at Zertus UK & Ireland, you will work within the Packaging Procurement team, managing your own portfolio of categories and relevant suppliers. This is a strategic buying role where you will drive a world-class approach to packaging procurement across all UK & Ireland businesses within the group.

This role is Monday – Friday, 08:30 – 16:30 per day, based at our Kinnerton Confectionery site in Fakenham, Norfolk (with opportunity for hybrid working) and travel to other sites/suppliers as required.

Key responsibilities of a Category Buyer at Zertus:

• Oversight of designated Packaging Category activity
• Support and cover for Procurement Manager – Packaging and Indirects
• Development of clear category visions and strategies to include supplier, market and supply chain analysis
• Satisfying internal customer service, quality and innovation needs
• Alignment of Supply Base with ethical, environmental and regulatory policy of the business
• Creation and delivery of cost reduction pipeline across all sites and engaging with all stakeholders (Innovation, NPD, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, Sales)
• Ensuring maintenance of planning and financial information for the Category; including accurate and timely pricing and supplier details within QAD
• Establishing contingency management strategies for key suppliers
• Provision of accurate and timely information to Commercial teams and wider business on price-related movements in forecasts.
• Ensuring regular and complete Supplier Review within Category
• Reporting monthly on PPV and cost savings with corrective action where appropriate
• Resolving invoice queries
• Management of inventory and surplus stock to agreed targets

Skills you’ll need to succeed in our Category Buyer at Zertus:

• Substantial experience within Food/FMCG buying (packaging buying preferred)
• Proven supplier negotiation skills
• Commercial acumen
• Relevant qualifications such as relevant degree or CIPS qualification would be beneficial

Rewards & benefits - what can Zertus offer you?

• Attractive company Pension scheme and life assurance scheme at x4 basic
• Company paid Health Care Cash Plan via Paycare plus access to Paycare Perks for high street and retailer discounts
• Hybrid working scheme
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Holiday purchase scheme – purchase an additional 5 days leave per year
• Charity fundraising and team events
• One additional day paid leave for charity/community work
• Discounts via our staff shops
• Employee values wards
• Referral bonus vouchers
• Training and development opportunities
• Free parking at all manufacturing sites/ offices
• Access to London Hub space in Camden for home-workers
• Ongoing commitment to our ESG strategy – protecting out people, communities and our planet
• Access to Grocery Aid charity support

When you join Zertus, you will be based at one of our Humdinger, Kinnerton, Sun Valley or Lir Chocolates UK/ Ireland locations, unless your role is hybrid/ home based.

Our Locations: Hull, Heckington, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Fakenham, Bromborough, Navan (Ireland). We have a Hub Space in Camden, London for Hybrid/ Home Workers too.