Procurement Manager
Saputo · Weybridge, Surrey
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.
This is a procurement leadership role at a major dairy processor, but the scope described here is Directs or Packaging, categories the advert ties to manufacturing inputs and consumer packaging, not to the milk supply chain or the standards set for dairy farms. That means the lever this reader cares about most, who sets the sourcing standards behind the product, isn't obviously on this desk. What it does offer is a genuine seat inside a top-10 global dairy processor, with senior stakeholder access, category strategy ownership and supplier relationship management at scale. That is exactly the kind of commercial fluency and internal credibility that could later open the door to a role with direct standing over Saputo's dairy sourcing or supplier standards, including welfare requirements. If you take this route, treat it as a foothold: use the visibility and trust you build here to find out who inside Saputo does own milk supply standards, and position your next move toward that desk.
Where this role can take you
What this job teaches you, and the jobs it can lead to.
What you'd build
- Category strategy development
- Strategic sourcing and negotiation
- Supplier relationship management
- Supply risk and continuity planning
- FMCG/food manufacturing procurement experience
Where it can lead
- Senior Procurement Manager
- Category Manager
- Head of Procurement
These more senior category and procurement leadership roles often hold wider sourcing scope, sometimes extending to raw material and ingredient categories where supplier standards, including welfare requirements, can be written into contracts.
About the role
Saputo Dairy UK is hiring two experienced Procurement Managers, each leading either the Directs category or the Packaging category. These are described as strategic roles with significant influence over business performance, supplier partnerships, innovation, sustainability and supply resilience. The postholder will develop and execute category strategies across complex, high-value spend areas, working closely with senior stakeholders and suppliers to deliver value beyond cost, whether in Directs underpinning manufacturing operations or Packaging shaping consumer brands. Responsibilities include developing and delivering category strategies aligned to business objectives, growth plans and risk management priorities; leading sourcing activities and commercial negotiations across strategic Direct Materials or Packaging categories; identifying opportunities to optimise cost, improve supply resilience, drive innovation and enhance sustainability performance; building strong supplier partnerships supporting business continuity, growth and long-term value creation; analysing market trends, cost drivers and industry dynamics to inform commercial decision-making; managing supplier performance, risk and contract compliance across critical spend areas; delivering measurable value through cost reduction, cost avoidance, working capital improvements and process efficiencies; and influencing stakeholders through insight-led recommendations and strong commercial acumen. Candidates should be experienced procurement professionals with expertise in either Directs or Packaging categories, ideally within FMCG, food manufacturing, consumer goods or a similarly fast-paced environment. The advert asks for a strategic thinker with a track record of delivering category plans and sourcing initiatives that drive business value, a confident negotiator able to influence senior stakeholders and build organisational credibility, experience in supplier relationship management, risk mitigation and supply continuity planning, and someone commercially astute, data-driven and motivated by tangible business outcomes. A passion for sustainability, innovation and continuous improvement in procurement is also sought. The role is based at Saputo's Weybridge office, with the option to work from home up to one day a week subject to business need; candidates must be able to work onsite a minimum of four days per week. The work pattern is Monday-Friday, 37 hours per week. Benefits include private healthcare, an annual bonus scheme paid quarterly, enhanced employer pension contributions, a health cash plan, access to the Thrive wellbeing app, life assurance up to 4x contractual pay, discounted branded products, free onsite parking, a subsidised staff restaurant, 25 holidays plus 8 bank holidays, one paid volunteering day a year, the option to swap traditional UK holidays for culturally or religiously significant dates, and access to My Staff Shop discounts.
This is an extract. Read the full advert on the employer's site.
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.
- category strategy
- strategic sourcing
- commercial negotiation
- supplier relationship management
- supplier risk management
- contract compliance
- supply continuity planning
- cost reduction
- cost avoidance
- working capital improvement
- stakeholder management
- market analysis
- FMCG experience
- food manufacturing experience
- process efficiency
How to position yourself
The language that works with hiring managers for this kind of job.
Frame your interest around supply resilience, cost management and sustainability performance within complex, high-value categories, the language this advert already uses. Build and highlight category strategy experience, supplier relationship management and commercial negotiation track record, and if you can, start learning how Saputo's dairy sourcing and supplier standards are governed so you can credibly angle toward that scope once established.
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