Sourcing Buyer
Foodbuy · Chrtsy, Wkfld, Wrrgtn
Our estimate of how close this job is to decisions about what protein a business sources, specifies, buys and serves. How we score
Why this role matters
How close this job is to real sourcing and menu decisions.
NHS Supply Chain: Food buys food for hospitals across the UK, and every specification, evaluation criterion and framework award processed through desks like this one shapes what patients and staff eat at scale. This particular role is process-focused: issuing procurement documentation, running e-sourcing platforms, coordinating supplier clarifications, sitting alongside the Category Teams who actually own the specification content, rather than inside them. That means the lever over supplier standards or protein mix isn't yet in this seat's hands, but it puts you inside the machinery of one of the country's largest food buying operations, with visibility into tenders, evaluation criteria and public procurement governance. For someone building toward a Category Manager seat that does set the specification, including for meat, dairy, eggs or seafood, this is a credible, well-placed first step.
Where this role can take you
What this job teaches you, and the jobs it can lead to.
What you'd build
- Public sector procurement process experience
- E-sourcing platform exposure
- Tender and framework call-off coordination
- Stakeholder management across sourcing and NHS teams
- Procurement documentation and governance familiarity
Where it can lead
- Category Buyer
- Procurement Manager
- Category Manager
Category-level roles typically own the specification content itself, including any standards or protein-mix requirements written into contracts for meat, dairy, eggs or seafood.
About the role
Foodbuy, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is recruiting a Sourcing Buyer for its NHS Supply Chain: Food team, which supports NHS Trusts and healthcare providers with compliant, efficient food procurement. The role is hybrid, based from Chertsey, Daresbury or Wakefield, with occasional travel to supplier, customer and company locations across the UK. The postholder will support delivery of procurement and sourcing activity, working closely with sourcing, procurement, account management and NHS stakeholders to coordinate procurement exercises from initial briefing through to contract award. Day-to-day responsibilities include delivering procurement sourcing exercises and framework call-offs from planning through to award; preparing and issuing procurement documentation including specifications, evaluation criteria, supplier communications and award documentation; managing tender activity through e-sourcing platforms and maintaining accurate records; coordinating supplier clarifications, submissions and evaluation activities; supporting governance processes to ensure procurement activities follow agreed procedures and public procurement requirements; working closely with Category Teams, Account Managers, NHS stakeholders and suppliers to keep projects progressing; and contributing to consistent and effective sourcing processes across the wider team. Essential experience and skills include experience in procurement, sourcing, commercial or a related business function; strong organisational skills and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple activities and deadlines; strong written and verbal communication skills; experience working with stakeholders and maintaining accurate records; good Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); and the ability to follow defined processes while recognising when escalation is required. Desirable experience includes supporting tendering activities or framework call-offs, public sector or NHS procurement experience, experience using procurement platforms such as Jaggaer, Atamis or similar e-sourcing systems, knowledge of public procurement regulations and governance, and experience within the food, foodservice or wider supply chain sector. The advert describes a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, hybrid working with flexibility across multiple UK locations, and structured learning and progression opportunities.
We added this one ourselves, from the employer's own advert.
Key terms to include in your CV and cover letter
What this employer is asking for, in their words. Applications are often screened by software looking for exact phrases, so if these describe your experience, use their wording.
- public procurement
- e-sourcing platforms
- tender management
- framework call-offs
- procurement documentation
- supplier communications
- evaluation criteria
- stakeholder management
- governance processes
- public procurement regulations
- NHS procurement
- record keeping
- Microsoft Office
- commercial experience
How to position yourself
The language that works with hiring managers for this kind of job.
Frame your interest around delivering compliant, efficient procurement at scale and building fluency in public sector procurement governance and e-sourcing platforms, since this is what the role is actually measured on. Worth building: familiarity with e-sourcing systems (Jaggaer, Atamis or similar), public procurement regulations, and general commercial/CIPS-style procurement vocabulary, all of which the advert lists as desirable.
You apply directly with the employer. We just link you to their advert, and we don't see anything you send them.