Sourcing Buyer - NHS Supply Chain, Foodbuy
Foodbuy · Chertsey
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Why this role matters
How close this job is to real sourcing and menu decisions.
NHS Supply Chain sets what gets served to patients, staff and visitors across the whole of the NHS, one of the largest institutional food buyers in the country. In this seat you'd help prepare the specifications and evaluation criteria that framework suppliers are judged against, and manage the tender process that decides who wins contracts to supply that food. If animal welfare or plant-forward criteria aren't yet built into those evaluation documents, this is a seat close enough to the process to start asking why, and to learn how public procurement specifications actually get written, a skill few people working on food system change have and most food businesses value highly.
Where this role can take you
What this job teaches you, and the jobs it can lead to.
What you'd build
- Public procurement process literacy
- Specification and evaluation criteria drafting
- E-sourcing platform experience
- Tender and framework management
Where it can lead
- Category Manager
- Senior Sourcing Buyer
- Procurement Manager
Category and procurement manager roles in public-sector food supply chains hold more direct authority to set the buying criteria and specifications that determine which standards suppliers must meet, including on animal products.
About the role
Foodbuy, the procurement arm of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is hiring a Sourcing Buyer to support procurement and sourcing activity within NHS Supply Chain: Food, based in Chertsey, Wakefield or Daresbury on a hybrid basis (2 days office, 3 days remote). The role involves delivering procurement sourcing exercises and framework call-offs from planning through to award, preparing procurement documentation including specifications, evaluation criteria, supplier communications and award documentation, and managing tender activity through e-sourcing platforms while maintaining accurate records. The postholder coordinates supplier clarifications, submissions and evaluation activities, supports governance processes to ensure activities follow agreed procedures and public procurement requirements, and works closely with Category Teams, Account Managers, NHS stakeholders and suppliers to keep projects progressing. Essential requirements include a background in procurement, sourcing, commercial or a related business function, strong organisational skills and attention to detail, ability to manage multiple deadlines, strong communication skills, stakeholder experience, good Microsoft Office skills, and the ability to follow defined processes while recognising when to escalate. Desirable (bonus) experience includes supporting tendering activities or framework call-offs, public sector or NHS procurement experience, familiarity with e-sourcing systems such as Jaggaer or Atamis, knowledge of public procurement regulations and governance, and experience within food, foodservice or wider supply chain sectors. The role is full-time, permanent, paying £40,000 plus benefits including healthcare, wellbeing support, 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, life assurance, and various discount schemes.
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.
- procurement sourcing exercises
- framework call-offs
- specification writing
- evaluation criteria
- e-sourcing platforms
- tender management
- supplier communications
- stakeholder engagement
- public procurement regulations
- governance compliance
- contract award process
- Jaggaer
- Atamis
- record management
How to position yourself
The language that works with hiring managers for this kind of job.
Frame your interest around public-sector procurement rigour, governance and supplier accountability, skills NHS Supply Chain values highly, especially if you can speak to process discipline and stakeholder coordination. Worth building familiarity with e-sourcing platforms (Jaggaer, Atamis) and public procurement regulations, and if you have any exposure to food or foodservice supply chains, lead with it since the advert flags it as a bonus.
You apply directly with the employer. We just link you to their advert, and we don't see anything you send them.